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TSUKAMURELLA
General description
The genus Tsukamurella belongs to the family Nocardiaceae. Tsukamurella spp. Are Gram-positive,
weakly or variably acid-fast, non-motile, obligate aerobic, irregular rod-shaped bacteria. They are
actinomycetes related to Rhodococcus, Nocardia and Mycobacterium. The genus was created in 1988 to
accommodate a group of chemically unique organisms characterized by a series of very long chain (68–
76 carbons), highly unsaturated mycolic acids, meso-diaminopimelic acid and arabinogalactan, common
to the genus Corynebacterium. The type species is T. paurometabola, and the following additional
species were proposed in the 1990s: T. wratislaviensis, T. inchonensis, T. pulmonis, T. tyrosinosolvens
and T. strandjordae.
Human health effects
Tsukamurella spp. cause disease mainly in immunocompromised individuals. Infections with these
microorganisms have been associated with chronic lung diseases, immune suppression (leukaemia,
tumours, HIV/AIDS infection) and post-operative wound infections. Tsukamurella were reported in four
cases of catheter-related bacteraemia and in individual cases including chronic lung infection, necrotizing
tenosynovitis with subcutaneous abscesses, cutaneous and bone infections, meningitis
and peritonitis.
Source and occurrence
Tsukamurella spp. exist primarily as environmental saprophytes in soil, water and foam (thick stable
scum on aeration vessels and sedimentation tanks) of activated sludge. Tsukamurella are represented in
HPC populations in drinking-water.
Routes of exposure
Tsukamurella spp. appear to be transmitted through devices such as catheters or lesions. The original
source of the contaminating organisms is unknown. Signi.cance in drinking-water Tsukamurella
organisms have been detected in drinking-water supplies, but the signi .cance is unclear. There is no
evidence of a link between organisms in water and illness. As Tsukamurella is an environmental
organism, E. coli (or, alternatively, thermotolerant coliforms) is not a suitable index for this organism.
Selected bibliography
Bartram J et al., eds. (2003) Heterotrophic plate counts and drinking-water safety: the signi.cance of
HPCs for water quality and human health. WHO Emerging Issues in Water and Infectious Disease
Series. London, IWA Publishing.
Kattar MM et al. (2001) Tsukamurella strandjordae sp. nov., a proposed new species causing sepsis.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 39:1467–1476.
Larkin JA et al. (1999) Infection of a knee prosthesis with Tsukamurella species. Southern Medical
Journal, 92:831–832.