First bacteraemic human infection with Escherichia albertii

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Escherichia albertii is a facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative bacterium.
• This species has been previously isolated from human gastrointestinal infections and various wild bird species.

Observation:

• A case of febrile infection linked to Escherichia albertii bacteraemia is presented.
• The patient was a 76-year-old woman with a history of gastric dysplasia.

Findings:

• This report details the first documented instance of Escherichia albertii causing bacteraemia in a human patient.
• The infection presented with fever in the context of underlying gastric dysplasia.

Implications:

• This finding expands the known clinical spectrum of Escherichia albertii infections in humans.
• It underscores the importance of considering Escherichia albertii as a potential pathogen in immunocompromised or elderly patients.
• Further research is warranted to understand the pathogenicity and epidemiology of Escherichia albertii in human infections.