Disseminated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae with Secondary Prosthetic Hip Joint Infection: A Case of Successful Identification and Management in a Regional Hospital.

Abstract

This article reports a case of a 72-year-old man with bilateral total hip joint replacements who suffered cuts to his hands while butchering a wild boar. He presented to the emergency department with fevers and unilateral hip pain. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (E. rhusiopathiae) was isolated on hip aspirate and blood cultures. E. rhusiopathiae is a well-recognized zoonotic infection in humans, particularly in at-risk hosts, most commonly infecting swine. Infection is spread by ingestion or through skin abrasion. This illustrates an example of successful operative and perioperative management of prosthetic joint infection secondary to E. rhusiopathiae, particularly microbiological identification, within a multispecialty team of physicians and surgeons.