Nosocomial outbreak of Corynebacterium striatum infection in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

We describe an unusual cluster of Corynebacterium striatum infections in 21 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) admitted to a medium-size respiratory unit. Eleven isolates from eight patients occurred simultaneously within a month. C. striatum is a potentially pathogenic microorganism with the ability to produce nosocomial infectious outbreaks and respiratory colonization in patients with advanced COPD.