Case Report
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Clin Cases. Oct 6, 2023; 11(28): 6961-6966
Published online Oct 6, 2023. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i28.6961
Intracranial infection and sepsis in infants caused by Salmonella derby: A case report
Jing-Lu Yu, Li-Li Jiang, Rong Dong, Si-Yu Liu
Jing-Lu Yu, Li-Li Jiang, Si-Yu Liu, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
Rong Dong, Department of Neonatology, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China
Author contributions: Yu JL and Jiang LL contributed to manuscript writing and editing, and data collection; Jiang LL and Dong R contributed to data analysis; Liu SY contributed to conceptualization and supervision; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript; Yu JL and Jiang LL contributed equally to this work.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this report and any accompanying images.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
CARE Checklist (2016) statement: The authors have read the CARE Checklist (2016), and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the CARE Checklist (2016).
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Si-Yu Liu, MD, Deputy Director, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, No. 289 Kuocang Road, Liandu District, Lishui 323000, Zhejiang Province, China. 77744832@qq.com
Received: July 30, 2023
Peer-review started: July 30, 2023
First decision: August 9, 2023
Revised: August 20, 2023
Accepted: September 6, 2023
Article in press: September 6, 2023
Published online: October 6, 2023
Processing time: 57 Days and 4.2 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND

Salmonella derby (S. derby) is a Gram-negative diplococcus that is common in the digestive tract. Infected patients generally experience symptoms such as fever and diarrhea. Mild cases are mostly self-healing gastroenteritis, and severe cases can cause fatal typhoid fever. Clinical cases are more common in children. The most common form of S. derby infection is self-healing gastroenteritis, in which, fever lasts for about 2 d and diarrhea for < 7 d. S. derby can often cause bacterial conjunctivitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, peritonitis and urethritis. However, intracranial infections in infants caused by S. derby are rare in clinical practice and have not been reported before in China.

CASE SUMMARY

A 4-mo-old female infant had recurrent fever for 2 wk, with a maximum body temperature of around 39.4°C. Treatment for infectious fever in a local hospital was ineffective, and she was admitted to our hospital. Before admission, there was one sudden convulsion, characterized by unclear consciousness, limb twitching, gaze in both eyes, and slight cyanosis on the face. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture was positive for Gram-negative bacilli, which conformed to S. derby. After treatment with meropenem and ceftriaxone antibiotics, the patient was discharged home in a clinically stable state after 4 wk of treatment.

CONCLUSION

We reported a rare case of S. derby cultured in CSF. S. derby enters the CSF through the blood–brain barrier, causing purulent meningitis. If not treated timeously, it can lead to serious, life-threatening infection.

Keywords: Salmonella derby; Infants; Cerebrospinal fluid; Case report

Core Tip:Salmonella spp. are common foodborne pathogens that causes various infections through contaminated food or water through the mouth. Among them, Salmonella derby is an important zoonotic pathogen, and healthy individuals can also be carriers, often causing symptoms such as sepsis and food poisoning. In rare cases, patients can develop bacterial encephalitis. Antimicrobial treatment should be given based on bacterial culture and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and take into consideration any contraindications.