title: Empedobacter brevis Bacteremia in a Patient Infected with HIV: Case Report and Review of Literature.
abstract: Clinical disease caused by Empedobacter brevis (E. brevis) is very rare. We report the first case of E. brevis bacteremia in a patient with HIV and review the current literature. A 69-year-old man with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and CD4 count of 319 presented with chief complaints of black tarry stools, nausea and vomiting for 2 days. Physical exam was significant for abdominal pain on palpation with no rebound or guarding. His total leukocyte count was 32,000 cells/μL with 82% neutrophils and 9% bands. Emergent colonoscopy and endoscopic esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed esophageal candidiasis, a nonbleeding gastric ulcer, and diverticulosis. Blood cultures drawn on days 1, 2, and 3 of hospitalization grew E. brevis. Patient improved with intravenous antibiotics. This case is unusual, raising the possibility of gastrointestinal colonization as a source of the patient's bacteremia. In conclusion, E. brevis is an emerging pathogen that can cause serious health care associated infections.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, USA.
authors.forename: Syed
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bokhari
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, USA.
authors.forename: Naeem
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, USA.
authors.forename: Manisha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, USA.
authors.forename: Richard B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Cindrich
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center, Bronx, NY 10457, USA.
authors.forename: Cosmina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeana