Korean J Clin Pathol.  1998 Dec;18(4):598-602.

A Case of Septicemia by Plesiomonas shigelloides

• Ha GY
• Suh JI
• Chong Y

Abstract

Plesiomonas shigelloides with positive reactions of oxidase and indole production is a species of facultative anaerobic gram-negative bacilli. It is an inhabitant of fresh surface water and has been isolated from surface water, fresh water fish, oysters, and various animals. It is not considered to be a part of normal human intestinal flora. In human, P. shigelloides has been associated with gastroenteritis and extraintestinal infection. There have been no previous reports of extraintestinal disease due to P. shigelloides in Korea. Rare extraintestinal infections include neonatal meningitis and septicemia, cellulitis pyometra and acute cholecystitis. The patients may take fatal courses even though they receive antiboiotic therapy. We report a case of sepsis caused by P. shigelloides in a 60-year-old male with diabetes mellitus who had undergone subtotal gastrectomy 8 years before. The patient presented with diarrhea, abdominal cramps, high fever and jaundice. Enlargement of the gallbladder was noted in an abdominal ultrasonogram. He had a history of drinking surface water 5 days ago. P. shigelloides was isolated from his blood, but he recovered after cephalosporin and aminoglycoside infusion and supportive therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of septicemia due to P. shigelloides in Korea.

Keyword

Plesiomonas shigelloides; Extraintestinal infection; Septicemia

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cellulitis
Cholecystitis, Acute
Colic
Diabetes Mellitus
Diarrhea
Drinking
Fever
Fresh Water
Gallbladder
Gastrectomy
Gastroenteritis
Humans
Jaundice
Korea
Male
Meningitis
Middle Aged
Ostreidae
Oxidoreductases
Plesiomonas*
Pyometra
Sepsis*
Ultrasonography
Water
Oxidoreductases
Water