Identification of Atypical Rhodococcus -Like Clinical Isolates as Dietzia spp. by 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing

Rhodococcus equi and Dietzia spp. are closely related actinomycetes that show similar phenotypic properties. In humans, R. equi is an opportunistic pathogen associated with severe immunodeficiency. Dietzia spp. are environmental bacteria that have been isolated recently from clinical material and are presumptively associated with human infections. During the last 5 years, 15 bacterial isolates from human clinical samples collected at the Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain, were identified as R. equi by the API Coryne test. 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed seven isolates to be true R. equi strains, whereas the other eight were identified as members of the genus Dietzia, including Dietzia maris (four isolates), Dietzia natronolimnaea (two isolates), and Dietzia timorensis and Dietzia sp. (one isolate each). The eight Dietzia isolates were highly sensitive to 12 antimicrobial compounds.