RESUMEN
Enterobacter cloacae is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the genus Enterobacter. It mostly causes nosocomial infections, especially in children, the elderly and those with underlying diseases. However, cases of community-acquired bacteraemia caused by E. cloacae have been reported. The increasing inclination of E. cloacae to cause multidrug-resistant infections has made it particularly challenging to treat. A 25-month-old male child presented to a rural hospital in The Gambia with a one-week history of persistent high-grade fever, dyspnoea, and anorexia. Two days before presentation, he began to have generalized tonic-clonic seizures. On examination, he was found to be febrile, dyspnoeic, pale, and tachycardic. He had a modified Glasgow Coma Scale score of 9/15. Investigations revealed an elevated C-reactive protein, low haemoglobin, and elevated white blood cell count. Cerebrospinal fluid culture did not yield any growth. E. cloacae was isolated from a blood culture taken on the day of admission. The pathogen was resistant to all available antibiotics. He was transfused with whole blood and initially treated empirically with amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and gentamicin. The former was changed to cefuroxime because the child had not improved. The child died nine days after admission. Although E. cloacae is primarily known for causing nosocomial infections, fatal community-acquired infections also occur. This case report demonstrates the difficulty in treating multidrug-resistant E. cloacae in a low-resource setting and its propensity to cause fatal infections.
RESUMEN
Key Clinical Message: Ochrobactrum anthropi (O. anthropi), a rare opportunistic pathogen, caused sepsis in a malnourished 15-month-old African child. Early detection and appropriate antibiotics led to full recovery, highlighting the importance of robust surveillance for emerging pathogens in vulnerable populations. Abstract: While rarely causing infections, O. anthropi, a non-fermenting, obligately aerobic, flagellated gram-negative bacillus, demonstrates oxidase positivity and indole negativity. Traditionally, Ochrobactrum spp is considered a low threat due to its environmental abundance and mild virulence. It is, however, a multidrug-resistant bacteria known for causing opportunistic infections in humans. O. anthropi is typically associated with catheter-related bloodstream infections. The first documented case was in 1998; most cases have been reported in developed countries. We present a case of O. anthropi sepsis in a malnourished child in sub-Saharan Africa. We report a case involving a 15-month-old African female who presented with symptoms and signs of protein-energy malnutrition and sepsis. The blood culture revealed O.anthropi. We treated the child with the empirical first-line antibiotics per the national guidelines, intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin for a week, and the child fully recovered. This report describes a rare case of O. anthropi sepsis with malnutrition in an African female child. O. anthropi is an emerging pathogen causing opportunistic infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. We report that early bacterial detection, appropriate antibiotic susceptibility and antimicrobial management based on local antibiogram data may be essential for excellent patient outcomes. Additionally, we recommend more robust surveillance to detect such rare emerging pathogens.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a gram-negative bacteria known for causing opportunistic and nosocomial infections in humans. S. maltophilia is an emerging pathogen of concern due to it's increasing prevalence, diverse disease spectrum, intrinsic multi-drug resistance and high mortality rates in immunocompromised individuals. S. maltophilia is a rare cause of neonatal sepsis associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The bacterium's multi-drug resistance poses a considerable challenge for treatment, with various mechanisms contributing to its resistance. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case involving a 40-h-old male African neonate who exhibited symptoms of neonatal sepsis. The blood culture revealed Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, which was sensitive to ciprofloxacin and gentamicin but resistant to other antibiotics. Lumbar puncture for CSF could not be done because the father declined. We treated the newborn with the empirical first-line antibiotics as per the national guideline intravenous ampicillin and gentamicin for six days, and the child recovered fully with a repeated negative blood culture. CONCLUSIONS: This report describes a neonatal sepsis case caused by S. maltophilia, a multi-drug resistant bacteria and a rare cause of neonatal sepsis. We report that early detection of the bacterial and antimicrobial management based on local antibiogram data may be essential for successful patient's management.