Aerococcus urinae

Aerococcus urinae is a Gram-positive bacterium associated with urinary tract infections as well as other infections in people, commonly older adults and those with weak immune systems.

Aerococcus urinae
Aerococcus urinae on blood agar[1]
Microscopy of Aerococcus urinae with gram stain, showing gram positive cocci.[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Bacillota
Class:	Bacilli
Order:	Lactobacillales
Family:	Aerococcaceae
Genus:	Aerococcus
Species:	A. urinae
Binomial name
Aerococcus urinae

Aerococcus urinae. The Species was first discovered in 1922 as an unusual Gram-positive bacteria closed off from patients with UTI’s.

Classification

Aerococcus urinae is a Gram- positive, catalase- negative coccus that frequently grows in clusters. Belonging to the genus Aerococcus.

First Identified in 1953 from air and dust collections, the bacteria was later obtained from human urine and was officially seen as a unique species in 1992. ^[2] Later, it was found in the urine of patients with urinary tract infections^[3] and in 1992, A. urinae was assigned as distinct species.

Since being Identified as such a distinct species, today it is known to cause Urinary Tract infections (UTIs) , and other serious conditions such as bacteremia; which is often seen in elderly patients

Clinical relevance

A. urinae may also cause invasive infections including sepsis originating from the urinary tract and infective endocarditis, especially in elderly men with underlying urinary tract diseases.^[4][5]

A. urinae is sensitive to many commonly used antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins, and vancomycin. Nitrofurantoin has been reported to be effective in one series of 42 clinical isolates.^[6] The bacterium can form biofilms on foreign materials and can aggregate human platelets, two features of potential importance for the disease causing capacity of this organism.^[7]

A. urinae is the most common aerococcus isolated from invasive human infections whereas Aerococcus sanguinicola is isolated from human urine as often as A. urinae.^[8]