Clostridium perfringens meningitis, Plesiomonas shigelloides sepsis: A lethal combination

Anaerobic bacterial meningitis is rare. It is extremely unusual without a portal of entry as most cases reported have been associated with trauma or neurosurgery.

We describe this rare case of clostridium meningitis and plesiomonas sepsis in an immunocompetent adult. A 71 year old man with diabetes presented with acute onset severe headaches, obtundation and signs of severe hemolysis following a 2 week game hunting trip in the Swiss Alps. His clinical status progressed rapidly; he died 3 hours after initial presentation. Post mortem lumbar puncture was performed with CSF analysis suggestive of bacterial meningitis. Clostridium perfringens was eventually recovered from the CSF as well as in the blood. Plesiomonas shigelloides was recovered from the blood as well.

This is the first case of blood stream infection with these two organisms in a single patient without an obvious portal of entry.