Recurrent Subcutaneous Abscess from Co-Infection with Prototheca wickerhamii and Mycobacterium haemophilum: mNGS Misdiagnosis as Leprosy
Abstract
Prototheca wickerhamii (P. wickerhamii) and Mycobacterium haemophilum (M. haemophilum) are both opportunistic pathogens that could cause infections in immunocompromised populations. However, these infections rarely occur in individuals with normal immunity. We reported a 39-year-old immunocompetent man presented with recurrent subcutaneous abscess on fingers who developed a co-infection of P. wickerhamii and M. haemophilum. To our knowledge, this is the first reported co-infection involving P. wickerhamii and M. haemophilum. The diagnosis was complicated by mNGS misidentifying M. haemophilum as Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae) (98% sequence similarity) and overlooking P. wickerhamii. This case underscores the critical need to correlate mNGS results with clinical features and use complementary diagnostic methods to avoid errors. The combination of traditional and molecular methods can improve diagnostic accuracy.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield. A case study in Eastern Zimbabwe
- Alarming situation of emerging H5 and H7 avian influenza and effective control strategies
- Livestock and food security: vulnerability to population growth and climate change
- Atmosphere–ocean oxygen and productivity dynamics during early animal radiations
- Characterization of the global distribution and diversified plasmid reservoirs of the colistin resistance gene mcr-9
- The global seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in pigs: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.