We report a case of a 55-year-old immunocompromised female who presented to the emergency department with severe diarrhea and vomiting following travel to the Philippines.
Stool bacteriology revealed a mixed infection involving an enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and two distinct strains of enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC). During hospitalization, urine and blood culture tested positive for one of the diarrheagenic EAEC strains, necessitating urinary catheterization, intensive care, and antimicrobial treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, followed by meropenem. Although known to occasionally cause urinary tract infections, EAEC have not been previously associated with sepsis. Our report highlights the potential of EAEC to cause severe extraintestinal infections.
Written by:
Herzog K, Engeler Dusel J, Hugentobler M, Beutin L, Sägesser G, Stephan R, Hächler H, Nüesch-Inderbinen M. Are you the author?
Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Cantonal Hospital Frauenfeld, 8501, Frauenfeld, Switzerland.
Reference: Infection. 2014 Apr;42(2):441-4.
doi: 10.1007/s15010-013-0569-x
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24323785
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