Discovery of over 30 unknown bacteria species might help find new treatments

Researchers have discovered over 30 new species of bacteria in patient samples at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.

According to a study published inBMC Microbiologyjournal, some of these newly-found bacteria can pave the wayfor new avenues of research and treatments for related infections due to their clinical relevance.

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Dr Daniel Goldenberger, the study's lead author, said, "Such direct links between newly identified species of bacteria and their clinical relevance have rarely been published in the past."

The study focuses on how knowing pathogens in the world that infect humans can make treating them easier.

Since 2014, Goldenberger and his team have collected and analysed patient samples, studying 61 unknown bacterial pathogens from people with several medical conditions.

Sequencing these bacterial genomes using traditional methods was difficult for them. So, they turned to a relatively new method for their analysis. Using an algorithm, they compared the sequences with known strains and identified 35 new species.

Among these, seven were clinically relevant, meaning they can cause infections. The researchers classed the other 26 bacteria as "difficult to identify."

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The study noted that most newly identified bacteria belonged to two genera: Corynebacterium (six species) and Schaalia (five species). "We can find many species in these two genera in the natural human skin microbiome and the mucosa. This is why they are frequently underestimated, and research into them is sparse," added Goldenberger. But they are harmful once they enter the bloodstream.

Furthermore, according to the study, one of the "difficult to identify" bacteria found in a dog bite wound on a patient's thumb might be a novel and emerging pathogen. A Canadian group first isolated the bacteria from wounds caused by dog or cat bites in 2022.

The team will continue to work on this study by collecting and sequencing samples from patients at the University of Hospital Basel. Over 20 species added to the list will hopefully aid future diagnosis and treatment of infections.

"Publicly available clinical and genomic data may help understand [bacterial organisms] clinical and ecological role," the study authors wrote in their conclusion. "Our identification of 35 novel strains, seven of which appear to be clinically relevant, shows the wide range of undescribed pathogens yet to be defined."

(With inputs from agencies)