Chryseobacterium indologenes: Distinguishing pathogen from contaminant in a neonate

Chryseobacterium indologenes (C. indologenes) is a rarely described clinical isolate, especially in pediatric patients. We report the second case of C. indologenes isolated from a neonatal endotracheal tube in an infant with Escherichia coli septicemia. The challenge of distinguishing colonization, contamination and infection for this microorganism is discussed. Additionally, the resistance of C. indologenes to antibiotics used in pediatric medicine is raised as a significant challenge for therapeutic measures. We review nine cases of pediatric C. indologenes infection published in the English medical literature. C. indologenes is likely of low pathogenicity in the pediatric population.