<i>Elizabethkingia miricola</i>: A rare non-fermenter causing urinary tract infection

Abstract

<i>Elizabethkingia miricola</i> (<i>E. miricola</i>) is a gram-negative non-fermentative bacterium which is rarely encountered. It is usually misidentified or considered as a contaminant in routine microbiology laboratories due to the limitations in conventional biochemical techniques. However, with the advent of the matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), the identification of non-fermenters has become easy and this has led to enhanced understanding of the clinical significance of these uncommonly isolated microorganisms. The genus <i>Elizabethkingia</i> has only two species <i>E. meningoseptica</i> and <i>E. miricola</i>. Both of these organisms are known to be multi-drug resistant and therefore, their accurate identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing are necessary prior to the initiation of appropriate therapy. In the world literature till date, only 3 cases of sepsis caused by <i>E. miricola</i> have been reported. We present the first case of <i>E. miricola</i> association with urinary tract infection.