CORYNEBACTERIUM MACGINLEYI HAS TO DATE BEEN ISOLATED EXCLUSIVELY FROMCONJUNCTIVAL SWABS

Fifteen strains of Corynebacterium macginleyi were exclusively isolate d from conjunctival swabs of patients with either conjunctivitis or co rneal ulcers, Up to now, only three C. macginleyi strains had been des cribed in the literature. The characteristics of the 15 patients from whom C. macginleyi was isolated are outlined, characteristics useful f or the identification of C. macginleyi are described, and the antimicr obial susceptibility pattern of the species is provided. C, macginleyi is uniformly susceptible to penicillins, quinolones, and aminoglycosi des. Although considered to be of rather low pathogenicity C, macginle yi seems to have the potential to cause superinfections in selected pa tients with ocular surface problems.