Streptococcus thermophilus bacteraemia in a patient with transient bowel ischaemia secondary to polycythaemia

Abstract

Introduction: The ability of Streptococcus thermophilus to convert lactose into lactic acid has long been utilized by the dairy industry. A seemingly low-pathogenicity organism, to the best of our knowledge there have been no previously published reports linking the consumption of foodstuffs to bacteraemia caused by this bacterium. Case presentation: Here we present a case of a regular consumer of Activia yoghurt who developed S. thermophilus bacteraemia, probably due to transient bowel ischaemia secondary to polycythaemia. Conclusion: The isolation of this bacterium from blood cultures may indicate underlying large bowel pathology and should not necessarily be dismissed as contamination.