Disseminated Pasteurella multocida in a patient with liver cirrhosis and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis - The role of cirrhosis-associated immune dysfunction

A Case of Persistent Pasteurella multocida Cellulitis Complicated With Large Endocarditis Vegetation

In the realm of infective endocarditis, a distinct and infrequent player emerges - Pasteurella multocida, an organism more commonly associated with zoonotic infections, now warranting careful consideration in this unique case report. P . multocida is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic cocco-bacillus and a common member of the oral bacterial flora of cats and dogs. In humans, it commonly causes skin and wound infections after bites and scratches. Disseminated P . multocida infection seeded into the heart valve is very rare and has only been reported in about one case per year worldwide with only 42 cases found in the literature and only five cases reported to have underlying liver cirrhosis as in our case. This is a case of a 73-year-old female with a past medical history of Child-Pugh B liver cirrhosis secondary to primary biliary cholangitis with portal hypertension, splenomegaly, pancytopenia, severe aortic stenosis, and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation presented to hospital with generalized weakness, fever, and new lower extremity rash 48 hours after last dose of antibiotic. She had recent hospitalization for left lower extremity cellulitis and P. multocida bacteremia and received 14 days of high-dose oral amoxicillin-clavulanate with negative blood culture prior to discharge. She occasionally helps her son to feed his cats and dog whenever he travels. She was readmitted and a repeat blood culture showed P. multocida. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed a 1.9 cm × 1 cm mobile mass attached to the anterior mitral valve leaflet, which was new compared to the prior study obtained during her first admission. She was not a suitable candidate for valve surgery due to her comorbidities. P. multocida was found to be susceptible to penicillin, ampicillin, levofloxacin with negative beta lactamase. Her cellulitis, fever, and bacteremia eventually resolved with intravenous antibiotics. She was ultimately discharged with a two-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone, continued with oral levofloxacin to complete six weeks of total treatment, and followed by long-term penicillin suppression. In this case report, we delve into a rare and intriguing clinical presentation of P . multocida endocarditis. Our patient is the second reported case which showed complication of native mitral valve endocarditis even in the setting of bacteremia resolution. This report sheds light on the challenging diagnosis and management of this uncommon yet clinically significant condition, highlighting the importance of vigilant and prompt intervention in cases of infective endocarditis with atypical causative agents.

Clinical features of pasteurellosis without an animal bite or scratch in comparison with bite/scratch pasteurellosis

Pasteurellosis is a common zoonotic infection that occurs after an animal bite or scratch (B/S). We compared the clinical features of six patients with non-B/S pasteurellosis with those of 14 patients with B/S infections. Pasteurella multocida was identified with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry in all six non-B/S infections, whereas 13 of the 14 B/S infections were identified with diagnostic kits. The non-B/S infections were pneumonia (n = 3), skin and soft tissue infections (n = 2), and bacteremia (n = 1). Pneumonia occurred in two patients with underlying pulmonary disease, whereas ventilator-associated pneumonia developed in one patient with cerebral infarction. Pasteurella multocida was isolated from a blood specimen and nasal swab from a patient with liver cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class C) and diabetes. Cellulitis developed in one patient with diabetes and normal-pressure hydrocephalus, who had an open wound following a fall, and in one patient with diabetes and a foot ulcer. Three patients with non-B/S infections had no pet and no episode of recent animal contact. The rate of moderate-to-severe comorbidities was significantly higher in patients with non-B/S infections than in those with B/S infections (100% and 14.3%, respectively, p < 0.001). In conclusion, non-B/S infections can develop in patients with chronic pulmonary disease, invasive mechanical ventilation, or open wounds, or who are immunocompromised, irrespective of obvious animal exposure. In contrast to B/S infections, non-B/S pasteurellosis should be considered opportunistic.

Pasteurella multocida bacteraemia with liver abscess

A previously healthy woman in her mid-70s presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, fever, intermittent chills and malaise for 1 week. She was clinically septic with raised inflammatory markers. Her blood culture revealed Pasteurella multocida, which was susceptible to penicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. CT of liver revealed an abscess of 8.0×7.9×8.5 cm at the left lobe of the liver. However, the abscess was not amenable for surgical or radiological drainage. She was a farmer and had close contact with her pet cats. She was occasionally scratched by her cats when caring for them. The liver abscess resolved completely without drainage after prolonged antimicrobial therapy of 109 days. She commenced on 63 days of intravenous antimicrobials and 46 days of oral amoxicillin-clavulanic acid. This case illustrated P. multocida bacteraemia with a large liver abscess in an immunocompetent adult after non-bite exposure.

Bloodstream infection, peritonitis, and pneumonia caused by Pasteurella multocida in a patient with liver cirrhosis despite no animal contact: case report and literature review

Pasteurella multocida is an opportunistic pathogen. Previously reported infections associated with P. multocida have often been linked to contact with cats, dogs, and other animals. Cases of systemic multiple-site infections following P. multocida infection are rare. This case study presents a 49-year-old middle-aged man with post-hepatitis B cirrhosis and no history of animal contact. The patient was admitted with symptoms of fever accompanied by diarrhea, abdominal distension, and cough. Blood tests showed elevated levels of CRP, PCT, and IL-6, and blood culture revealed the growth of P. multocida. CT scans revealed a large amount of abdominal effusion, a small amount of pleural effusion, and pulmonary infection foci. The patient's condition improved after successive administration of ceftriaxone and levofloxacin to fight the infection, and abdominal puncture and drainage. Multiple-site infections caused by P. multocida are rarely encountered in patients with liver cirrhosis but without animal contact, which could be regarded as serious conditions warranting careful attention in terms of clinical diagnosis and treatment.

An autopsy case of infective aortic aneurysm with Pasteurella multocida infection: clinicopathological appearance and a review of literatures

Here, we showed our clinicopathological findings of infected aortic aneurysm (IAA) with Pasteurella multocida, which is a Gram-negative coccobacillus and is part of the normal oral flora of many animals. The patient was a 76-year-old male animal owner with a history of diabetes mellitus, alcoholic liver damage, and laryngeal cancer. He died 16 days after admission without undergoing operation because of poor general condition. Autopsy showed saccular outpouching with loss of the existing aortic wall and marked neutrophilic infiltration in the suprarenal abdominal aorta. Rupture was not evident. A polymerase chain reaction assay using DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimen of the aneurysmal wall detected the Pasteurella multocida gene, therefore we conclude that the present case was IAA of native aorta with Pasteurella multocida infection. A review of the literature showed that IAA of native aorta with Pasteurella multocida infection is opportunistic and that liver disorder, alcohol addiction, diabetes mellitus, and animal bite may increase its risk. On the other hand, aortic endograft infection with Pasteurella multocida frequently occurred without an immunocompromised state. Pasteurella multocida may be a distinct causative microorganism in IAA, and/or sepsis when the participant is an animal owner.