Clostridium Tetani Bacteremia From a Suspected Cutaneous Source

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiology
• Genomics

Background:

• Bacteremia, the presence of bacteria in the bloodstream, is an uncommon complication of Clostridium tetani infections.
• Existing literature documents only two prior cases of C. tetani bacteremia, both suspected to originate from a gastrointestinal source.

Observation:

• This report presents a case of an elderly male patient diagnosed with C. tetani bacteremia.
• The bacteremia was confirmed through whole-genome sequencing.
• The presumed source of infection was cutaneous, differing from previously reported gastrointestinal origins.

Findings:

• The patient presented with C. tetani bacteremia without the typical neuromuscular symptoms associated with tetanus.
• Genome sequencing provided definitive proof of C. tetani presence in the bloodstream.
• The identified source was a potential skin infection, a novel finding in C. tetani bacteremia cases.

Implications:

• This case expands the known spectrum of C. tetani infection presentations.
• It highlights the possibility of cutaneous sources for C. tetani bacteremia.
• The findings underscore the importance of considering diverse sources in diagnosing rare bacterial infections, even in the absence of classic symptoms.