What is it about?
Salmonella enterica subspecies arizonae is a bacterium usually found in reptiles and only rarely causes disease in humans, mainly in people with a weakened immune system. We describe a 43-year-old Italian man with low levels of antibodies (hypoglobulinemia) who came to our hospital with sepsis and diarrhoea. The bacterium was isolated from his stool, and he fully recovered after oral ciprofloxacin. We also reviewed the few cases of this infection previously reported in Europe.
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Why is it important?
Infections caused by S. arizonae are rare in Europe and may be missed. This report reminds clinicians to consider unusual Salmonella subspecies in immunocompromised patients, and to ask about contact with reptiles or travel, as these exposures guide diagnosis and prevention.
Perspectives
Rare infections are a constant reminder of how important a thorough patient history is. Reviewing all European cases also helped us understand the typical profile of patients at risk.
Professor Stefano Di Bella
Universita degli Studi di Trieste
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Salmonella enterica ssp. arizonae infection in a 43-year-old Italian man with hypoglobulinemia: a case report and review of the literature, Journal of Medical Case Reports, January 2011, Springer Science + Business Media,
DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-5-323.
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