An unusual case of Herbaspirillum huttiense bacteraemia in a haemodialysis patient

Herbaspirillum spp. is a common environmental bacterium usually found in soil, plant roots, and water. It is rarely associated with infection in immunocompromised patients, and rarely reported infections in immunocompetent patients. We report the first case of a Herbaspirillum huttiense bacteraemia in a non-neutropenic home haemodialysis patient. A 57-year-old male presented to our hospital with a 3-day history of malaise, fevers, rigours, and anorexia following dialysis through his central line. On examination, he was pyrexic (temperature 38.7°C) with splinter haemorrhages noted, but no other signs of infection were present. Blood cultures revealed a polymicrobial infection, with Serratia liquefaciens and Corynebacterium jeikeium isolated from the central line and Herbaspirillum sp. was isolated from both the central line and a peripheral culture. A later peripheral blood culture following central line removal isolated Herbaspirillum huttiense. Regular biological testing of his home water supply and dialysate detected no colony forming units of non-fermenting gram-negative bacilli. He was initially treated with ceftriaxone and vancomycin initially, followed by ertapenem and vancomycin. Intravenous antibiotics were ceased following 5 days after central line removal and he made an uneventful recovery.