Psychrobacter bacteraemia in a cirrhotic patient after the consumption of raw geoduck clam

Wai K Leung; Viola C Y Chow; Martin C W Chan; Julia M L Ling; Joseph J Y Sung

doi:10.1016/j.jinf.2005.08.031

Psychrobacter bacteraemia in a cirrhotic patient after the consumption of raw geoduck clam

J Infect. 2006 Jun;52(6):e169-71. doi: 10.1016/j.jinf.2005.08.031. Epub 2005 Oct 25.

Authors

Wai K Leung¹, Viola C Y Chow, Martin C W Chan, Julia M L Ling, Joseph J Y Sung

Affiliation

¹ Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China. wkleung@cuhk.edu.hk

PMID: 16253331
DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2005.08.031

Abstract

Psychrobacter species rarely cause infections in human. We reported herein a 62-year-old cirrhotic patient who presented with fever and diarrhoea after the consumption of raw geoduck clam. Blood culture grew Psychrobacter phenylpyruvicus which was sensitive to most anti-microbial agents. The patient responded promptly to intravenous antibiotics. This is the first report of human infection with this unusual organism which illustrates the potential health hazards of eating raw geoduck clam in patients with advanced liver disease.

Publication types

Case Reports

MeSH terms

Ampicillin / administration & dosage
Animals
Anti-Infective Agents / administration & dosage
Bacteremia / drug therapy
Bacteremia / etiology
Bacteremia / transmission*
Bivalvia / microbiology*
Ceftazidime / administration & dosage
Food Microbiology
Foodborne Diseases / drug therapy
Foodborne Diseases / etiology*
Humans
Liver Cirrhosis / complications*
Male
Metronidazole / administration & dosage
Middle Aged
Moraxellaceae Infections / drug therapy
Moraxellaceae Infections / etiology
Moraxellaceae Infections / transmission*
Psychrobacter / isolation & purification
Psychrobacter / pathogenicity*
Seafood / microbiology
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Anti-Infective Agents
Metronidazole
Ampicillin
Ceftazidime