Abstract
We report a case of bacterial endocarditis due to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in a homeless man with no animal exposure. His course was complicated by an allergic reaction to ampicillin, urinary bladder infection, respiratory failure, and acute kidney injury. He recovered completely after aortic valve replacement and a 6-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone.
Highlights
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a gram-positive rod causing swine erysipelas. It is a zoonotic infection in humans, with meat and fish handlers being at greatest risk. It most commonly causes erysipeloid, a localized cellulitis caused by direct bacterial invasion of cuts or abrasions in the skin
We report the case of a patient with E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia complicated by renal failure, respiratory failure, and aortic valve endocarditis
Rhusiopathiae is the sole pathogenic member of the genus Erysipelothrix, which includes the species tonsillarum and a third as yet unnamed species [1, 2]. It was first isolated by Koch in 1880 [3] and was described as the causative agent in swine erysipelas in 1886 [4, 5]
Summary
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is a gram-positive rod causing swine erysipelas. It is a zoonotic infection in humans, with meat (swine) and fish handlers being at greatest risk. It most commonly causes erysipeloid, a localized cellulitis caused by direct bacterial invasion of cuts or abrasions in the skin. The skin infection can become generalized, and the organism can produce acute systemic septicemia. We report the case of a patient with E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia complicated by renal failure, respiratory failure, and aortic valve endocarditis
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