Sepsis From Multisystem Infection With Multidrug-Resistant Raoultella ornithinolytica

Raoultella (R.) ornithinolytica is a gram-negative, encapsulated aerobe or facultative anaerobe belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. It is distinguished from other members in the family with a negative indole test, growth at 10(o)C, production of histamine, a negative D-melezitose test, and metabolism of ornithine. R. ornithinolytica is a versatile organism found in different habitats, including soil, water, and plants, as well as colonizing the human gastrointestinal tract and throat. It was considered to cause opportunistic infection in humans but is increasingly being implicated in infections in immunocompetent individuals. Raoultella ornithinolytica causes infection in different clinical settings. Sepsis from Raoultella ornithinolytica is increasing among humans, and it is considered an emerging infectious agent in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent people. There is an increasing level of antibiotic resistance among isolates with reports of multidrug resistance. We report the case of a 95-year-old man with multidrug-resistant R. ornithinolytica multisystem infection and review the literature.

Automated summary

Raoultella ornithinolytica is a versatile bacterium that can be found in various habitats, including soil, water, plants, and the human gastrointestinal tract and throat. It was originally thought to cause opportunistic infections, but it is increasingly being implicated in infections in immunocompetent individuals. This bacterium causes infections in different clinical settings, with an increasing incidence of sepsis among humans. There is also a growing concern over multidrug resistance in isolates of Raoultella ornithinolytica.