Raoultella ornithinolytica: Emergence and resistance

Abstract

Raoultella ornithinolytica is an encapsulated Gram-negative, oxidase-negative, catalase-positive, aerobic, non-motile rod that belongs to the Enterobacteriaceae family. This bacterium was initially classified in the genus Klebsiella as Klebsiella ornithinolytica, until the creation of the genus Raoultella in 2001. R. ornithinolytica is usually found in water environments and soil, and due to its ability to convert histidine to histamine, it has been associated with histamine poisoning in humans. R. ornithinolytica is an emerging entity in human infections, with several reports of virulent infections in comorbid at-risk patients. Increasing reports are potentially due to better and more precise identification tools. The objective of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of reported cases of R. ornithinolytica infections, the emergent virulence of described multiresistant strains, and an overview of currently used identification methods.