J Korean Med Sci.  2009 Dec;24(6):1192-1194. 10.3346/jkms.2009.24.6.1192.

Primary Shewanella algae Bacteremia Mimicking Vibrio Septicemia

• Myung DS
• Jung YS
• Kang SJ
• Song YA
• Park KH
• Jung SI
• Kim SH
• Shin JH

• KMID: 1783154
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2009.24.6.1192

Abstract

Shewanella algae infections are rare in humans. Previously reported cases of S. algae have mainly been associated with direct contact with seawater. We report a case of primary S. algae bacteremia occurring after the ingestion of raw seafood in a patient with liver cirrhosis that presented a fulminent course of necrotizing fasciitis.

Keyword

Shewanella algae; Fasciitis, Necrotizing; Primary Bacteremia

MeSH Terms

Bacteremia/*blood
Fasciitis, Necrotizing/*microbiology
Fatal Outcome
Humans
Korea
Liver Cirrhosis/physiopathology
Male
Middle Aged
Seafood/microbiology
Sepsis/*microbiology
Shewanella/*pathogenicity
Vibrio/*pathogenicity
Vibrio Infections/*blood

Reference

1. Holt HM, Gahrn-Hansen B, Bruun B. Shewanella algae and Shewanella putrefaciens: clinical and microbiological characteristics. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2005. 11:347–352.

2. Chen YS, Liu YC, Yen MY, Wang JH, Wang JH, Wann SR, Cheng DL. Skin and soft-tissue manifestations of Shewanella putrefaciens infection. Clin Infect Dis. 1997. 25:225–229.

3. Domínguez H, Vogel BF, Gram L, Hoffmann S, Schaebel S. Shewanella algae bacteremia in two patients with lower leg ulcers. Clin Infect Dis. 1996. 22:1036–1039.

4. Vandepitte J, Debois J. Pseudomonas putrefaciens as a cause of bacteremia in humans. J Clin Microbiol. 1978. 7:70–72.

5. Otsuka T, Noda T, Noguchi A, Nakamura H, Ibaraki K, Yamaoka K. Shewanella infection in decompensated liver disease: a septic case. J Gastroenterol. 2007. 42:87–90.

6. Park SD, Shon HS, Joh NJ. Vibrio vulnificus septicemia in Korea: clinical and epidemiologic findings in seventy patients. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1991. 24:397–403.

7. Kim DM, Kang CI, Lee CS, Kim HB, Kim EC, Kim NJ, Oh MD, Choe KW. Treatment failure due to emergence of resistance to carbapenem during therapy for Shewanella algae bacteremia. J Clin Microbiol. 2006. 44:1172–1174.

8. Chang WJ, Pien FD. Marine-acquired infections. Hazards of the ocean environment. Postgrad Med. 1986. 80:30–41.

9. Reed KC, Crowell MC, Castro MD, Sloan ML. Skin and soft-tissue infections after injury in the ocean: culture methods and antibiotic therapy for marine bacteria. Mil Med. 1999. 164:198–201.

10. Gram L, Bundvad A, Melchiorsen J, Johansen C, Fonnesbech Vogel B. Occurence of Shewanella algae in Danish coastal water and effects of water temperature and culture conditions on its survival. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999. 65:3896–3900.

11. Tsai YH, Hsu RW, Huang TJ, Hsu WH, Huang KC, Li YY, Peng KT. Necrotizing soft-tissue infections and sepsis caused by Vibrio vulnificus compared with those cased by Aeromonas species. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2007. 89:631–636.

12. Holt HM, Søgaard P, Gahrn-Hansen B. Ear infections with Shewanella algae: a bacteriologic, clinical and epidemiologic study of 67 cases. Clin Microbiol Infect. 1997. 3:329–334.

13. Brink AJ, van Straten A, van Rensburg AJ. Shewanella (Pseudomonas) putrefaciens bacteremia. Clin Infect Dis. 1995. 20:1327–1332.

14. Simidu U, Kita-Tsukamoto K, Yasumoto T, Yotsu M. Taxonomy of four marine bacterial strains that produce tetradotoxin. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1990. 40:331–336.

15. Nozue H, Hayashi T, Hashimoto Y, Ezaki T, Hamasaki K, Ohwada K, Terawaki Y. Isolation and characterization of Shewanella algae from human clinical speciems and emendation of the description of S. algae Simidu et al., 1990, 335. Int J Syst Bacteriol. 1992. 42:628–634.

16. Drancourt M, Bollet C, Carlioz A, Martelin R, Gayral JP, Raoult D. 16S ribosomal DNA sequence analysis of a large collection of environmental and clinical unidentifiable bacterial isolates. J Clin Microbiol. 2000. 38:3623–3630.

17. Vogel BF, Jørgensen K, Christensen H, Olsen JE, Gram L. Differentiation of Shewanella putrefaciens and Shewanella algae on the basis of whole-cell protein profiles, ribotyping, phenotypic characterization, and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1997. 63:2189–2199.

18. Khashe S, Janda JM. Biochemical and pathogenic properties of Shewanella algae and Shewanella putrefaciens. J Clin Microbiol. 1998. 36:783–787.

19. Liu JW, Lee IK, Tang HJ, Ko WC, Lee HC, Liu YC, Hsueh PR, Chuang YC. Prognostic factors and antibiotics in Vibrio vulnificus septicemia. Arch Intern Med. 2006. 166:2117–2123.

20. Kuo YL, Shieh SJ, Chiu HY, Lee JW. Necrotizing fasciitis caused by Vibrio vulnificus: epidemiology, clinical findings, treatment and prevention. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2007. 26:785–792.