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Acute conjunctivitis caused by Ewingella americana

Sofia Maraki1

  • 1Department of Clinical Microbiology, Parasitology, Zoonoses and Geographical Medicine, University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, Greece. sofiamaraki@in.gr

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
|September 25, 2012
PubMed

Insights

A rare bacterial eye infection, Ewingella americana conjunctivitis, was successfully treated in a healthy child. This case highlights the bacterium as a potential cause of conjunctivitis, emphasizing prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Microbiology

Background:

  • Conjunctivitis is a common eye infection, typically caused by viruses or bacteria.
  • Ewingella americana is a gram-negative bacterium rarely associated with human infections.

Observation:

  • A healthy child presented with purulent conjunctivitis in both eyes.
  • Cultures of the conjunctival exudate confirmed the presence of Ewingella americana.

Findings:

  • This is the first reported case of Ewingella americana causing conjunctivitis in a pediatric patient.
  • The infection resolved completely following treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate.

Implications:

  • Ewingella americana should be recognized as a potential, albeit rare, pathogen in cases of bacterial conjunctivitis.
  • This case underscores the importance of microbiological culture for identifying unusual pathogens in eye infections.

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