Dysgonic fermenter-2 septicemia

A 62 yr-old man with a recent history of dog bite and a past history of splenectomy developed septicemia and signs suggestive of a generalized Schwartzman reaction, including fever, hypotension, symmetrical peripheral gangrene and laboratory evidence of consumptive coagulopathy. The causative organism was a Dysgonic Fermenter-2 (DF-2), a designation given to an unnamed group of Gram-negative rod shaped bacteria. This organism has not previously been reported in Australia. A review of documented cases of serious infection suggests that splenectomy and dog bite are predisposing factors to disease caused by this organism.