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Detection of Shigella sonnei in a respiratory specimen in a patient with subacute atypical pneumonia

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Abstract

Background

Pneumonia caused by shigellosis with or without typical dysentery in immunocompetent patients is an uncommon entity.

Case report

We describe a case of pneumonia in an immunocompetent, previously healthy middle-aged man from Switzerland without relevant travel history which was presumably caused by Shigella sonnei. He was originally admitted for suspected lung cancer. The clinical picture was remarkable as the patient presented with cough and purulent sputum production, but otherwise no classical signs of pneumonia. Furthermore, there was no diarrhoeal episode in the recent history. It is an uncommon presentation of shigellosis in an immunocompetent person without underlying severe predisposing conditions.

Conclusion

We report an unusual identification of S. sonnei as the only identified pathogen from respiratory specimens, which we therefore consider the most likely etiology of this subacute atypical pneumonia. This case illustrates the importance of a complete work-up in a patient whose suspected malignancy could not be proven.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of General Internal Medicine, Kantonsspital Sankt Gallen, Rorschacher Str. 95, 9007, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland

    Hiwa Nahid & Désirée Staub

  2. National Centre for Enteropathogenic Bacteria and Listeria (NENT), Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland

    Herbert Hächler

  3. Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, Kantonsspital Sankt Gallen, Sankt Gallen, Switzerland

    Werner C. Albrich

Authors
  1. Hiwa Nahid
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  2. Désirée Staub
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  3. Herbert Hächler
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  4. Werner C. Albrich
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hiwa Nahid.

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The authors received no specific funding for this work.

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The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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Nahid, H., Staub, D., Hächler, H. et al. Detection of Shigella sonnei in a respiratory specimen in a patient with subacute atypical pneumonia. Infection 45, 241–244 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-016-0967-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s15010-016-0967-y

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