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Salmonella enterica serovar Virchow meningitis in a young man in Italy: a case report
Daniela Lombardi, Silvana Malaspina, Angela Strippoli
1Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immuno-Mediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. ida.luzzi@iss.it.
Introduction:
Salmonella enterica is a leading cause of foodborne infections worldwide and includes more than 2500 different serovars, causing primarily gastroenteritis. However, the infection may occur elsewhere and produce characteristic clinical syndromes. Meningitis is a rare complication that occurs in less than 1% of clinical salmonellosis.
Case Presentation:
We describe a case of Salmonella Virchow meningitis in a 36-year-old Caucasian man presenting with headache in the occipital region, associated fever, nausea and vomiting, dyspnea and ambulatory difficulty. The cerebrospinal fluid culture showed growth of Salmonella, later confirmed to be Salmonella enterica serovar Virchow.
Conclusions:
Salmonella Virchow infection is rare and this report highlights the risk of meningitis as a presentation of salmonellosis. To the best of our knowledge this is the first Italian case of meningitis due to Salmonella Virchow in a young adult. The probable route of transmission remains unclear and a long carriage state after a previous episode of gastroenteritis should be considered.
Insights
Salmonella Virchow meningitis is a rare complication of Salmonella enterica infections. This case highlights the importance of considering meningitis in patients with salmonellosis, even in young adults.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Neurology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Salmonella enterica causes widespread foodborne illness, with over 2500 serovars.
- Gastroenteritis is the primary clinical syndrome, but invasive infections can occur.
- Meningitis is a rare complication of salmonellosis, affecting less than 1% of cases.
Observation:
- A 36-year-old man presented with occipital headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, dyspnea, and difficulty walking.
- Cerebrospinal fluid culture revealed Salmonella growth.
- The isolate was identified as Salmonella enterica serovar Virchow.
Findings:
- This case represents the first reported instance of Salmonella Virchow meningitis in a young adult in Italy.
- Salmonella Virchow infection, particularly meningitis, is exceptionally rare.
Implications:
- This report underscores the potential for Salmonella infections to manifest as meningitis.
- The route of transmission for this case remains undetermined.
- A prolonged carrier state following prior gastroenteritis is a possible contributing factor.
