New Oral Bacterium Linked to Systemic Health Problems

Researchers at Switzerland’s Institute of Medical Microbiology of the University of Zurich have identified a new oral bacterium—Streptococcus tigurinus. The discovery is significant because the bacterium can enter the bloodstream through bleeding gums, leading to endocarditis (infection of the heart valves), meningitis (bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord), and spondylodiscitis (inflammation of the spine’s vertebrae). The study appears in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology‘s February issue.

A team of scientists studying the blood of patients with endocarditis, meningitis, or spondylodiscitis discovered a unique oral bacterium that bears close resemblance to other Streptococcus strains commonly found in the oral cavity. One of the study’s authors, Andrea Zbinden, Dr med, explains that the discovery of S. tigurinus allows researchers to track how it is spread and to determine its origins. “This will allow infected patients to be treated quickly—and with the right drug,” Zbinden asserts.

“The next step is to work out how common this bacterium is … and what risk it poses,” she adds. “Immunosuppression, abnormal heart valves, dental surgeries, or chronic diseases are common predisposing factors for blood infections … However, the specific risk factors for S. tigurinus are yet to be determined.”