First case report on Empedobacter falsenii bacteremia

Empedobacter falsenii, formerly known as Wautersiella falsenii, was first described in 2006. It is a non-motile, non-fermenting, gram-negative rod, which grows aerobically. A handful of case reports have described its isolation from respiratory, urinary and abscess samples. Besides clinical specimens, it has also been isolated from metalworking fluids and aerosols, carpet surfaces and polluted soils. However, to our knowledge, this is the first case report that describes bacteremia from Empedobacter falsenii. We present a 56-year-old male with liver cirrhosis, congestive heart failure and substance abuse disorder, who was admitted in a community hospital in the Bronx, New York for bacteremia of the said organism. This bacterium may serve as a reservoir for resistance genes, such as ERB, tetX and aadS, posing dangers to immunocompromised or hospitalized patients, highlighting the need to study this organism further.