Infections Caused by Beta-Lactamase-Producing Fusobacterium Spp. In Children

Fusobacteria are often implicated in infections that originate from the indigenous bacterial flora of the respiratory, genital and gastrointestinal tracts.1 The role of Fusobacterium spp. in pediatric infections became more important in recent years because of the emergence of penicillin resistance through the production of beta-lactamase by members of the species that was first noted in the early 1980s.2, 3 This publication summarizes my experience in the past 14 years in the recovery of beta-lactamase-producing fusobacterial species in pediatric patients.