Citrobacter freundii complex
What does it mean if your Citrobacter freundii complex result is too high?
Citrobacter freundii Complex Elevated
Taxonomic Classification
- Domain: Bacteria
- Phylum: Proteobacteria
- Class: Gammaproteobacteria
- Order: Enterobacterales
- Family: Enterobacteriaceae
- Genus: Citrobacter
- Species Complex: C. freundii complex
Description
The Citrobacter freundii complex is a group of closely related, facultatively anaerobic, gram-negative bacteria within the Enterobacteriaceae family. These organisms are widely distributed in nature, commonly found in soil, water, sewage, food, and the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals. The complex includes multiple species, with the most notable being:
- Citrobacter freundii
- Citrobacter youngae
- Citrobacter braakii
- Citrobacter werkmanii
- Citrobacter gillenii
Key Characteristics
- Rod-shaped bacteria
- Motile due to peritrichous flagella
- Non-spore-forming
- Capable of fermenting glucose and other carbohydrates
- Citrate-positive (can utilize citrate as a sole carbon source)
Clinical Significance
The C. freundii complex is an opportunistic pathogen, particularly in healthcare settings, where it can cause various infections.
Nosocomial Infections
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Respiratory tract infections
- Wound infections
- Bloodstream infections (bacteremia)
Gastrointestinal Disturbances
- Can cause diarrheal diseases, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.
- May have a potential role in inflammatory bowel conditions.
Neonatal Infections
- Neonatal meningitis (rare but severe)
- Neonatal sepsis
Antimicrobial Resistance
- Increasing prevalence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains.
- Some strains produce extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs), making them resistant to multiple beta-lactam antibiotics.
- Carbapenem resistance has been reported in certain isolates, complicating treatment options.
Diagnosis
- Culture and biochemical identification
- MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry for rapid species identification
- Molecular methods (e.g., 16S rRNA sequencing) for precise species differentiation
Treatment Considerations
Management should be tailored based on infection site, severity, and antimicrobial susceptibility results.
Antibiotic Therapy
- Fluoroquinolones: Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin
- Carbapenems: Meropenem, Imipenem (reserved for resistant strains)
- Cephalosporins (Third/Fourth-Generation): Ceftriaxone, Cefepime
- Aminoglycosides: Gentamicin, Amikacin (often used in combination therapy)
Duration of Treatment
- Typically 7–14 days, depending on the site and severity of infection.
Alternative Approaches
- Herbal Antimicrobials: Some plant-derived compounds have demonstrated activity against Citrobacter spp. in vitro, though clinical evidence remains limited.
- Probiotics: May aid in restoring gut microbiome balance, particularly after antibiotic treatment.
Precautions
- Check for antibiotic allergies before prescribing.
- Monitor for side effects and drug interactions.
- Practice antibiotic stewardship to prevent resistance development.
Prevention and Control
Infection Control Measures
- Strict hand hygiene in healthcare settings.
- Thorough environmental cleaning and disinfection to prevent cross-contamination.
- Appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers.
Water and Food Safety
- Ensure proper treatment of drinking water to prevent bacterial contamination.
- Follow food safety protocols to reduce the risk of foodborne transmission.
Antibiotic Stewardship
- Implement programs to optimize antibiotic use and limit unnecessary prescriptions to reduce resistance development.
Surveillance
- Monitor outbreaks, particularly in hospital settings.
- Track antimicrobial resistance patterns to adjust treatment protocols accordingly.
Conclusion
The Citrobacter freundii complex consists of opportunistic pathogens that have become increasingly relevant in clinical settings, particularly due to their growing antibiotic resistance. Proper identification, targeted treatment, and strict infection control measures are essential in managing these infections effectively. Ongoing research and surveillance are crucial for understanding their pathogenic mechanisms and developing improved strategies for treatment and prevention.
All Your Lab Results.
One Simple Dashboard.
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results Easily
Import, Track, and Share Your Lab Results
Import lab results from multiple providers, track changes over time, customize your reference ranges, and get clear explanations for each result. Everything is stored securely, exportable in one organized file, and shareable with your doctor—or anyone you choose.
Cancel or upgrade anytime
Laboratories
Bring All Your Lab Results Together — In One Place
We accept reports from any lab, so you can easily collect and organize all your health information in one secure spot.
Pricing Table
Gather Your Lab History — and Finally Make Sense of It
Finally, Your Lab Results Organized and Clear
Personal plans
$79/ year
Advanced Plan
Access your lab reports, explanations, and tracking tools.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 5 reports entered for you
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
$250/ once
Unlimited Account
Pay once, access everything—no monthly fees, no limits.
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track all results with visual tools
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export your full lab history anytime
- Share results securely with anyone
- Receive 10 reports entered for you
- No subscriptions. No extra fees.
$45/ month
Pro Monthly
Designed for professionals managing their clients' lab reports
- Import lab results from any provider
- Track lab results for multiple clients
- Customize reference ranges per client
- Export lab histories and reports
- Begin with first report entered by us
- Cancel or upgrade anytime
About membership
What's included in a Healthmatters membership
Import Lab Results from Any Source
See Your Health Timeline
Understand What Your Results Mean
Visualize Your Results
Data Entry Service for Your Reports
Securely Share With Anyone You Trust
Let Your Lab Results Tell the Full Story
Once your results are in one place, see the bigger picture — track trends over time, compare data side by side, export your full history, and share securely with anyone you trust.
Bring all your results together to compare, track progress, export your history, and share securely.
What Healthmatters Members Are Saying
Frequently asked questions
Healthmatters is a personal health dashboard that helps you organize and understand your lab results. It collects and displays your medical test data from any lab in one secure, easy-to-use platform.
- Individuals who want to track and understand their health over time.
- Health professionals, such as doctors, nutritionists, and wellness coaches, need to manage and interpret lab data for their clients.
With a Healthmatters account, you can:
- Upload lab reports from any lab
- View your data in interactive graphs, tables, and timelines
- Track trends and monitor changes over time
- Customize your reference ranges
- Export and share your full lab history
- Access your results anytime, from any device
Professionals can also analyze client data more efficiently and save time managing lab reports.
Healthmatters.io personal account provides in-depth research on 10000+ biomarkers, including information and suggestions for test panels such as, but not limited to:
- The GI Effects® Comprehensive Stool Profile,
- GI-MAP,
- The NutrEval FMV®,
- The ION Profile,
- Amino Acids Profile,
- Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones (DUTCH),
- Organic Acids Test,
- Organix Comprehensive Profile,
- Toxic Metals,
- Complete Blood Count (CBC),
- Metabolic panel,
- Thyroid panel,
- Lipid Panel,
- Urinalysis,
- And many, many more.
You can combine all test reports inside your Healthmatters account and keep them in one place. It gives you an excellent overview of all your health data. Once you retest, you can add new results and compare them.
If you are still determining whether Healthmatters support your lab results, the rule is that if you can test it, you can upload it to Healthmatters.
We implement proven measures to keep your data safe.
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put industry-leading security standards in place to help protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of the information under our control. We use procedural, physical, and electronic security methods designed to prevent unauthorized people from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. All data is backed up multiple times a day and encrypted using SSL certificates. See our Privacy Policy for more details.