Actinomyces and related organisms in human infections

Eija Könönen, William G Wade

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

350 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Actinomyces israelii has long been recognized as a causative agent of actinomycosis. During the past 3 decades, a large number of novel Actinomyces species have been described. Their detection and identification in clinical microbiology laboratories and recognition as pathogens in clinical settings can be challenging. With the introduction of advanced molecular methods, knowledge about their clinical relevance is gradually increasing, and the spectrum of diseases associated with Actinomyces and Actinomyces-like organisms is widening accordingly; for example, Actinomyces meyeri, Actinomyces neuii, and Actinomyces turicensis as well as Actinotignum (formerly Actinobaculum) schaalii are emerging as important causes of specific infections at various body sites. In the present review, we have gathered this information to provide a comprehensive and microbiologically consistent overview of the significance of Actinomyces and some closely related taxa in human infections.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)419-42
Number of pages24
JournalClinical Microbiology Reviews
Volume28
Issue number2
Early online date18 Mar 2015
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2015

Keywords

  • Actinomyces/classification
  • Actinomycosis/drug therapy
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology
  • Bacterial Typing Techniques
  • Classification
  • Humans
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests

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