Enterococcus thailandicus identified in respiratory samples in a critically ill patient: clinical report and mini...

Enterococci are commensal bacteria of the digestive and genitourinary flora of humans and animals. In humans, enterococci can cause sepsis of urinary or abdominal origin. Compared to Enterococcus faecium and Enteroccocus faecalis, Enterococcus thailandicus is one of the least characterized members of the genus Enterococcus. E. thailandicus has been rarely associated with human pathology.

We describe the first report of E. thailandicus in respiratory samples, and the third one in an intra-abdominal infected collection. Clinical isolates of E. thailandicus were cultured on Luria-Bertani medium at 37°C for 24 h. A review of the current literature regarding E. thailandicus in humans was performed. All published contributions on PubMed were found using the term ''Enterococcus thailandicus''.

We describe a 73-year-old patient with acute abdomen due to duodenal perforation. After surgical and endoscopic treatment, the patient developed pneumonia. Bronchoscopy showed diffuse purulent secretions and raised, cream-coloured pseudomembranes. Microbiological analysis from a subhepatic collection and respiratory samples identified E. thailandicus. Following adequate antibiotic treatment, the patient recovered. After six reports from Belgium, Romania, Spain, Germany and Japan, this is the seventh case of E. thailandicus in humans.

The current case describes the first report of E. thailandicus in respiratory samples in a critically ill patient and adds further evidence on the possible pathological impact of this bacterium in humans. Although E. thailandicus has a low clinical virulence today, continuous reporting of new potential pathogens could increase our understanding and improve interpretation of the role of rare enterococci in human pathology.