A case of multiple splenic abscesses due to Enterococcus hirae

Abstract

Introduction: Enterococci are prevalent human pathogens that display increasing resistance to antimicrobial agents. Twelve species pathogenic for humans have been described to date, including the most common human isolates, Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium. Enterococcus hirae is a known member of the intestinal flora of several domestic animal species but rarely encountered in humans. Case presentation: We report a case of multiple splenic abscesses caused by E. hirae in an adult patient diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The patient responded to combined therapy with antibiotics plus splenectomy. Conclusion: Only 9 human infections due to E. hirae have been reported in the literature. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of splenic abscess and septicemia caused by E. hirae.