Never-before-discovered bacteria found in man's heart at major hospital

23 January 2024 , 17:44

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Scientists say they have found a new species of bacteria at a London hospital (stock image) (Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

A never-before-seen species of bacteria has been found inside the heart of a patient at a London hospital, according to the Clinical Infection in Practice journal.

The 55-year-old shepherd, from Canterbury, had been given a heart stent seven months earlier when they were admitted to St Thomas Hospital with a fever.

An inspection of patient's aorta, an artery which pumps oxygenated blood to the rest of the body, eventually showed that a species unknown to medical science was inside the patient's body.

Blood tests had intially showed an infection of two kinds of bacteria, though one of the species could not be identified with conventional laboratory testing. To find out what the species was, the researchers used a hi-tech nanopore sequencer, which analyses DNA much faster than other techniques.

The results, published in International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, showed that it was a new species of Variovorax – a group of bacteria that lives in the soil. Analysis of the bacteria's chemistry and genome confirmed it as a new species, never before described by the scientific community.

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Lara Payne, Specialist Registrar at St Thomas’ Hospital, said the bacteria may have been contracted during lambing season, or while he was giving the animals medication. She wrote: "Further investigation suggested the patient became infected during the lambing season or while feeding the sheep anti-parasite medications, which was all done without gloves."

The shepherd's flock contained 1500 sheep, they wrote, and he had developed chronic dermatitis during busy periods - a condition which scientists said "likely served as a port of entry for environmental pathogens".

Researchers have named the novel bacteria Variovorax durovernensis, which is the Latin name for Canterbury. The scientists wrote in their findings: "To our knowledge, this is the first case of this Variovorax sp. identified causing human pathology." The scientists also said that the unusual case "highlights the importance of an open mind interpreting results from clinical samples", as some environments may be more likely to produce "atypical" infections.

Commenting on the use of nanopore sequencing, Adela Alcolea-Medina, researcher at King’s & Next Generation Sequencing Lead at Synnovis, added: "We are already using this technology in clinical practice to find out the microbes causing severe pneumonia in people admitted to intensive care. Once we know the cause of infection we can change the antibiotics accordingly – meaning patients get personalised and targeted treatment."

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas