Urinary tract infection caused by Actinobaculum schaalii: a urosepsis pathogen that should not be underestimated

Abstract

Introduction:Actinobaculum schaalii is a Gram-positive facultative anaerobic coccoid rod bacterium that grows slowly in culture. This bacterium was classified as a new genus in 1997 but is often overlooked or considered a contaminant because of both its resemblance to the normal bacterial flora on skin and mucosa and the overgrowth of other bacteria. During the past decade, A. schaalii has emerged as a more common urinary tract pathogen than previously thought. Case presentation:Here, we describe the case of a patient with an untreatedA. schaalii urinary tract infection that turned into urosepsis. Conclusion: This case shows that the invasive potential of this bacterium should not always be ruled out.