[A case report of Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus bacteremia]

An unusual case of Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus bacteremia was presented. A twenty four year old male was admitted to our hospital due to abdominal pain, general malaise, diarrhea, high fever, and hemoptysis. He was alcoholic and fond of eating raw liver. He had a history of partial gastrectomy and disturbance of pancreatic function. He showed pulmonary empyema, pleuritis, thrombophlebitis of lower legs, jaundice, hepatomegaly, diarrhea, pneumothorax, and low T3 low T4 syndrome. C. fetus subsp. fetus was detected from the venus blood and pleural effusion on admission. He was successfully treated by gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and minocycline. This is the fourth case of C. fetus subsp. fetus bacteremia in the Japanese literature. This microanerophilic gram negative curved bacillus has been increasingly associated with human disease and relapsing in nature, so protracted antimicrobial therapy was recommended.