Identification of Elizabethkingia species by MALDI-MS proteotyping. Elizabethkingia

Elizabethkingia species, which are isolated from clinical and environmental samples, are emerging opportunistic pathogens with high mortality rate in clinical settings worldwide. Taxonomically, Elizabethkingia species are composed of seven species of E. anophelis, E. argenteiflava, E. bruuniana, E. meningoseptica, E. miricola, E. ursingii and E. occulta. This study demonstrates the potential of routine MALDI-MS-based methods for early classification of Elizabethkingia species in clinical laboratories.