Eubacterium bacteremia and colon cancer

Eubacterium callanderi bacteremia: A case report

Eubacterium species are a group of obligated anaerobic gram-positive bacilli that are recognized as commensals of the gastrointestinal tract flora. Cases of bacteremia mediated by Eubacterium are rare. This report describes a case of bacteremia caused by Eubacterium callanderi in an 82-year-old female with a history of a cecal perforation secondary to an obstructing sigmoid stricture. The results showed the utility of using whole genome sequencing to identify the causative agent and underlined the significance to identify anaerobic organisms in diagnostic microbiology practice and to perform antimicrobial susceptibility testing to guide therapy and enhance patient outcomes.

Eubacterium bacteremia - a retrospective observational study of a seldom found anaerobic pathogen

BACKGROUND

Human infections due to Eubacterium are rare and knowledge of the condition is limited. This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and outcome in patients with Eubacterium bacteremia.

METHODS

Episodes of Eubacterium bacteremia were identified through the clinical microbiology laboratory in Lund, Sweden. Medical records were retrospectively reviewed. Blood isolates of Eubacterium were collected and antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed with agar dilution.

RESULTS

Seventeen patients with Eubacterium bacteremia were identified of whom six had monomicrobial bacteremia. The incidence was 1.7 cases of Eubacterium bacteremia per million inhabitants and year. The median age was 67 years (interquartile range 63-79 years), and six patients had some form of malignancy. Most of the patients an abdominal focus of infection and the 30-day mortality was low (n = 1).

CONCLUSIONS

Invasive infections with Eubacterium have a low incidence. The condition has a low mortality and an abdominal focus of infection, and malignancy, is common.

A Surgical Case of Infected Popliteal Artery Aneurysm From Rare Bacteria, Eubacterium sp

A 79-year-old man presented to our hospital with complaints of a sudden worsening of swelling in the right popliteal fossa and fever persisting for a week. Upon close examination, an infected popliteal artery aneurysm (PAA) was identified. Given the risk of rupture, the patient was advised to undergo surgery. The surgical procedure involved resecting the infectious PAA using a lateral approach. Additionally, a bypass was performed from the superficial femoral artery to the below-knee artery, utilizing the great saphenous vein located at the posterior aspect of the knee. Surgical findings revealed a popliteal artery pseudoaneurysm. Preoperative blood cultures identified Eubacterium spp., and cultures of the inoperative aneurysm specimens confirmed the presence of the same bacteria. After surgery, inflammation quickly subsided, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day (POD) 41 after receiving transvenous antibiotic therapy. Although PAA accounts for approximately 80% of all peripheral arterial aneurysms, mycotic aneurysms are relatively rare. Eubacterium spp. is part of the human intestinal or oral flora, and very few reports of bacteremia have been published. The present case of bacteremia caused by Eubacterium sp. is very rare; to the best of our knowledge, no literature has been published on this topic.

Improvement of Gut Diversity and Composition after Direct-Acting Antivirals in HCV-Infected Patients with or without HIV Coinfection

BACKGROUND

The influence of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on the composition of gut microbiota in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients with or without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is unclear.

METHODS

We enrolled 62 patients with HCV monoinfection and 24 patients with HCV/HIV coinfection receiving elbasvir/grazoprevir from a clinical trial. Fecal specimens collected at pre-treatment and 12 weeks post-treatment were analyzed using amplicon-based 16S rRNA sequencing.

RESULTS

Sustained virological response (SVR12) rates in the mono- and co-infection groups were similar (98.4%vs.95.8%). Pre-treatment bacterial communities in the patient groups were less diverse and distinct from those of healthy controls. Compared with HCV-monoinfected patients, HCV/HIV-coinfected individuals showed comparable microbial alpha-diversity but displayed declined Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. The improvement of microbial dysbiosis was observed in responders achieving SVR12 across fibrosis stages but was not found in non-responders. Responders with low degree of fibrosis exhibited a recovery in alpha-diversity to level comparable with healthy controls. Reciprocal alterations of increased beneficial bacteria and reduced pathogenic bacteria were also observed in responders.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates short-term effect of DAAs in restoration of microbial dysbiosis. The favorable changes in gut microbiota profiles after viral eradication might potentially contribute towards the reduction of HCV-related complications among infected individuals.

Clinical and microbiological characteristics of bacteremia caused by Eggerthella, Paraeggerthella, and Eubacterium species at a university hospital in Taiwan from 2001 to 2010

We describe 16 patients with bacteremia caused by Eggerthella lenta (n = 7), Paraeggerthella hongkongensis (n = 3), Eubacterium limosum (n = 4), Eubacterium callanderi (n = 1), and concomitant Eubacterium limosum/Eggerthella lenta (n = 1). Nine (56%) patients had polymicrobial bacteremia. The overall 60-day mortality rate was 19%, and all deaths occurred in patients with E. lenta bacteremia.

Treatment Options for Primary Infected Aorta

A 71-year-old man, with a history of anterior-perineal bowel resection for previous malignancy, presented with a septic picture and back pain. Investigations revealed a primary infected aorta. At laparotomy an ileocolic tumor was also discovered and resected. Blood cultures prior to the operation were positive for Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus faecium was cultured from the actual aorta.