What is Ewing's classification of the family Enterobacteriaceae?

From the Guidelines

Ewing's Classification of Family Enterobacteriaceae is a foundational system in clinical microbiology that organizes gram-negative bacteria into tribes based on biochemical properties and antigenic structures, which is crucial for identifying the causative agents of infections and guiding appropriate antibiotic therapy. The classification system divides Enterobacteriaceae into five main tribes: Escherichieae (including Escherichia coli), Klebsielleae (including Klebsiella and Enterobacter), Proteeae (including Proteus and Morganella), Salmonelleae (including Salmonella), and Yersinieae (including Yersinia) 1. Some key points about this classification system include:

• It helps microbiologists and clinicians identify and categorize these important pathogens based on their fermentation patterns, motility, and other biochemical characteristics.
• The system is particularly useful in clinical settings for identifying the causative agents of infections, which guides appropriate antibiotic therapy.
• Knowing that an infection is caused by a member of a specific tribe might suggest inherent resistance to certain antibiotics, as seen with the Proteeae tribe.
• Newer molecular classification methods, such as the Ambler classification system for carbapenemases, have supplemented Ewing's system, highlighting the importance of understanding the molecular mechanisms of resistance in guiding treatment strategies 1. Key aspects of the Ambler classification system include:
• Class A (K. pneumoniae carbapenemase, KPC)
• Class B (metallo-β-lactamases, MBLs: NDM, VIM, IMP)
• Class D (OXA-48-like) These classes confer variable susceptibility profiles that require different treatment strategies, emphasizing the need for rapid testing to identify specific carbapenemases and guide antibiotic therapy 1.

From the Research

Ewing's Classification of Family Enterobacteriaceae

There are no research papers to assist in answering this question, as the provided studies do not mention Ewing's Classification of Family Enterobacteriaceae.

Overview of Enterobacteriaceae

• Enterobacteriaceae are a large family of Gram-negative, non-spore-forming bacteria 2
• They include common nosocomial pathogens such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, and Enterobacter species 3
• Some members of this family are associated with both intestinal and extraintestinal diseases 2

Antibiotic Resistance in Enterobacteriaceae

• Resistance to antibiotics, especially β-lactam type, is increasingly dominated by the mobilization of continuously expressed single genes that encode efficient drug-modifying enzymes 4
• The emergence and spread of resistance in Enterobacteriaceae are complicating the treatment of serious nosocomial infections and threatening to create species resistant to all currently available agents 5, 6
• ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae have now emerged in the community as well, and are often associated with multidrug resistance 5, 6