Pasteurella multocida Bacteremia in an Immunocompromised Patient With Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Case...

Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) is a facultative anaerobic Gram-negative coccobacillus that represents a rare cause of systemic infection in immunocompromised patients. This report presents the case of a 59-year-old man with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus, recently undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy, halted due to cytopenias, including neutropenia. The patient, who owned a cat but denied any recent bites or scratches, developed bacteremia caused by P. multocida with presumed pulmonary and renal foci. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with intravenous cephalosporins led to clinical improvement. This case highlights the need to consider zoonotic pathogens in vulnerable patients and the importance of early therapeutic intervention. A brief review of current literature on P. multocida is included, underscoring diagnostic challenges and treatment approaches for this rare entity.