Shewanella putrefaciens: An Emerging Cause of Nosocomial Pneumonia

Abstract

Gram-negative infections are a rising concern faced by the medical community. Approximately 30% of nosocomial bloodstream infections in intensive care units in the United States are caused by these gram-negative species. Emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms further complicate this issue. In this article, we report a case of an 84-year-old Caucasian male who was diagnosed with Shewanella pneumonia treated with cefepime with minimal to no improvement in his symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third reported case of Shewanella putrefaciens nosocomial pneumonia and first case of bacteremia secondary to pneumonia by Shewanella putrefaciens.