Abstract
Paenibacillus larvae causes American foulbrood in honey bees. We describe P. larvae bacteremia in 5 injection drug users who had self-injected honey-prepared methadone proven to contain P. larvae spores. That such preparations may be contaminated with spores of this organism is not well known among pharmacists, physicians, and addicts.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Bacteremia / microbiology*
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Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
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Honey / microbiology
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Humans
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Methadone / administration & dosage
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Paenibacillus / isolation & purification*
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Paenibacillus / physiology*
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Spores, Bacterial / isolation & purification
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Spores, Bacterial / physiology
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Substance Abuse, Intravenous / complications*