Winkia neuii (formerly Actinomyces neuii) is a catalase-positive, gram-positive rod frequently isolated in human infections. It is most commonly associated with abscesses and skin/soft tissue infections, but urinary tract infections have also been reported. Routine cultures may dismiss W. neuii as diphtheroids, so a PCR panel helps identify this emerging uropathogen; the organism is generally susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics, so detection informs effective therapy (Cai et al. 2023, Moreland et al. 2023).
Moreland RB, Choi BI, Geaman W, Gonzalez C, Hochstedler-Kramer BR, John J, Kaindl J, Kesav N, Lamichhane J, Lucio L, Saxena M, Sharma A, Tinawi L, Vanek ME, Putonti C, Brubaker L, Wolfe AJ. 2023. Beyond the usual suspects: emerging uropathogens in the microbiome age. Front Urol 3:1212590
Cai, X., Peng, Y., Li, M., Qiu, Y., Wang, Y., Xu, L., & Hou, Q. (2023). Comparative genomic analyses of the clinically-derived Winkia strain NY0527: the reassignment of W. neuii subsp. neuii and W. neuii subsp. antitratus into two separate species and insights into their virulence characteristics. Frontiers in microbiology, 14, 1147469. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1147469
