Raoultella ornithinolytica: A Case Series of Clinical Presentations and its Role in Various Infections from a Tertiary Care Centre in Tumkur, Karnataka, India

Abstract

Raoultella ornithinolytica (R. ornithinolytica), a Gram-negative bacillus, has characteristics resembling those of Klebsiella spp. This bacterium is present in soil and aquatic environments and seldom causes Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs). However, clinical features and outcomes of human infections caused by R. ornithinolytica have been reported for only a limited number of cases. Here, multiple cases of adult patients with clinical features of community-acquired infections at different body sites are presented. R. ornithinolytica was identified in the laboratory from respective samples sent for culture and sensitivity. These patients were treated with good outcomes. R. ornithinolytica is a saprophyte known to cause secondary infections in patients with risk factors and sometimes exhibits antibiotic resistance. However, all the patients presented to the institution recovered fully from the infections and were discharged.