Escherichia coli bacteremia, meningitis, and hemochromatosis

A 67-year-old man with Escherichia coli bacteremia and meningitis was found to have hemochromatosis. To my knowledge this is the first documented case of E coli meningitis occurring in the setting of hemochromatosis. The case raises issues regarding the role of chronic liver disease in the pathogenesis of gram-negative sepsis and the impact of iron loading on host immunocompetence and bacterial virulence.