Citrobacter freundii is a gram-negative rod that is associated with urinary tract infections and wound infections.
Urinary tract infections: Citrobacter freundii can cause both community-acquired and nosocomial UTIs, particularly in individuals with structural abnormalities of the urinary tract or long-term catheterization. While part of the normal gut flora, it becomes pathogenic when introduced into the urinary system and is known for its potential to develop multidrug resistance. Its presence in complicated UTI cases justifies its detection in multiplex PCR assays (Fonton et al. 2024).
Wound infections: Citrobacter freundii is an opportunistic rod that can infect surgical wounds, often in hospitalized patients with weakened immunity. C. freundii and its relatives are frequently isolated from surgical wound infections and are notable for harboring AmpC beta-lactamases. Detecting C. freundii in a wound culture is important because targeted may be needed to effectively eradicate this bacterium (Gajdács & Urbán, 2019, Jabeen et al. 2023)
Fonton P, Hassoun-Kheir N, Harbarth S. Epidemiology of Citrobacter spp. infections among hospitalized patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2024 Jul 2;24(1):662. doi: 10.1186/s12879-024-09575-8. PMID: 38956542; PMCID: PMC11221093.
Gajdács, M., & Urbán, E. (2019). Resistance Trends and Epidemiology of Citrobacter–Enterobacter–Serratia in Urinary Tract Infections of Inpatients and Outpatients (RECESUTI): A 10-Year Survey. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania), 55(6), 285. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina55060285
Jabeen, I., Islam, S., Hassan, A. K. M. I., Tasnim, Z., & Shuvo, S. R. (2023). A brief insight into Citrobacter species – a growing threat to public health. Frontiers in antibiotics, 2, 1276982.
