Volume 27, Number 12—December 2021
Research Letter
Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica Monomicrobial Bacteremia in a Homeless Man
Omar Harfouch
, Paul M. Luethy, Mandee Noval, and Jonathan D. Baghdadi
, Paul M. Luethy, Mandee Noval, and Jonathan D. Baghdadi
Table
Published cases of Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica bloodstream infection*
| Country of origin (reference) | Age, y/sex; housing status; presentation | Bacteria identified on blood cultures | Microbiology tools used | Antimicrobial agents and duration of treatment | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France (2) |
60/F; homeless; fatigue and ulcers to the scalp |
W. chitiniclastica |
16S rRNA sequencing |
Ceftriaxone; duration not defined |
Survival |
| Argentina (3) |
70/M; homeless; altered mental status, septic shock, and plaques in the inguinal region |
W. chitiniclastica |
16S rRNA sequencing |
Ciprofloxacin and ampicillin/sulbactam; duration not defined |
Death |
| Washington, USA (4) |
57/M; stable home; wet gangrene of the ankle, septic shock, and multi-organ failure |
Propionibacterium acnes, Staphylococcus hominis, and Wohlfahrtiimonas species |
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA sequencing |
No mention of antimicrobials used |
Death |
| Ohio, USA (5) |
41/F; stable home; abdominal pain and sacral osteomyelitis |
Proteus mirabilis and W. chitiniclastica |
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry |
Vancomycin, cefepime, and metronidazole; duration of 6 wks |
Death from Clostridioides difficile infection |
| Indiana, USA (6) |
37/M; not specified; necrotizing infection of lower extremities |
W. chitiniclastica, Ignatzschineria Indica, and Providencia stuartii |
Not specified |
Piperacillin/tazobactam, clindamycin and vancomycin, then cefepime; duration of 10 d |
Survival |
| United Kingdom (7) |
82/F; stable home; unconscious |
W. chitiniclastica, P. mirabilis, Providencia rettgeri, and Staphylococcus aureus |
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA sequencing |
Cefuroxime, metronidazole, and clarithromycin, then flucloxacillin; duration of 7 d |
Survival |
| Australia (8) |
54/M; stable home; unconscious, septic shock and myasis of the foot and toes |
W. chitiniclastica and Morganella morganii |
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry |
Piperacillin/tazobactam, then meropenem, then ciprofloxacin; duration of 3 wks |
Survival |
| Hawaii, USA (9) |
72/M; stable home; unconscious, septic shock, and myasis of the umbilical cord |
Escherichia coli and W. chitiniclastica |
16S rRNA sequencing |
Piperacillin/tazobactam, clindamycin, and vancomycin; duration not specified |
Death |
| Japan (10) |
75/M; homeless; unconscious |
Peptoniphilus harei on initial blood cultures. On day 20, P. mirabilis, M. morganii, Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Bacteroides fragilis, and W. chitiniclastica |
MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and 16S rRNA sequencing |
Cefazolin, then vancomycin, cefepime, and metronidazole; duration not specified |
Survival |
| North Dakota, USA (Appendix reference 11) |
70/M; stable home; fall |
W. chitiniclastica |
Not specified |
Levofloxacin; duration not specified |
Survival |
| Pennsylvania, USA (Appendix reference 12) | 82/M; stable home; fall and confusion, myasis of the lower extremities and toes | Staphylococcus aureus, W. chitiniclastica, and I. indica | MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry | Daptomycin for 6 wks Ceftriaxone for 2 wks | Survival |
*Appendix. MALDI-TOF, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight.
References
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