Slackia exigua, an emerging anaerobic pathogen – isolation from a case of polymicrobial peritonitis and review of literature

Abstract

Intra-abdominal infections (IAI) are surgical emergencies ranging from appendicitis to peritonitis and intrahepatic infections. Anaerobic bacteria including Bacteroides spp. and Clostridium spp. cause 30–50 % of these infections.Slackia exigua (S.exigua) is an obligate anaerobe part of the human oral microbiota and has been associated with periodontal problems. In this report, we describe a rare occurrence of polymicrobial infection with four anaerobes including S. exigua in a patient with peritonitis caused by a hidden ileal perforation.