Shewanella algae – A Novel Organism Causing Bacteremia: A Rare Case and Literature Review

Abstract

Shewanella species are distributed ubiquitously in the soil and water, being common in the marine habitat. Although these bacilli were thought to be rarely pathogenic, there has been an increasing number of reports of them being implicated in a wide variety of clinically significant infections. Three distinct species were initially recognized by MacDonell and Colwell. They were Shewanella putrefaciens, hanedai and benthica. Shewanella algae, which is the most common human clinical isolate, was believed to be a strain of Shewanella putrefaciens by some authors, and was later grouped as a separate and distinct entity. With multi-drug resistance on the rise and the lack of large-scale systemic studies, we describe a case of bacteremia caused by this rare organism. We hope to increase the awareness among care providers on the same.

Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Linalool against Shewanella putrefaciens

“…Shewanella putrefaciens, the Gram-negative motile bacteria belonging to the family Shewanellaceae, is a seafood spoilage organism (SSO) for cryopreserved fresh fish, that is S. putrefaciens is still a great threat to seafood even under cold storage condition [ 5 ]. This opportunistic bacteria is also associated with various clinically important infections and diseases, especially in the tropics and during summer months in temperate zones [ 6 ]. Adding preservatives to inhibit the growth of putrefying bacteria has become a feasible method.…”

The Fulminating Course of Infection Caused by Shewanella algae: A Case Report

“…Resistance to piperacillin-tazobactam, imipenem, and meropenem had also been reported in some cases. 24 …”

Shewanella algae bacteraemia in a patient with a chronic ulcer after contact with seawater on vacation in Turkey: A case report from a German maximum-care hospital

“…Shewanella algae is the predominant species in the family of Shewanellaceae causing human infections. Its' ability to produce toxins can result in severe skin and soft tissue infections followed by systemic infections [ 1 ]. Infections are seen especially in immunocompromised patients with pre-existing damage of cutaneous integrity [ 2 , 3 ].…”