Bacillus thuringiensis Bacteremia in a 30-Year-Old Intravenous Drug User: A Report of a Rare Case
Bacillus thuringiensis is a gram-positive bacterium used in agriculture, with rare human infections that typically occur in immunocompromised individuals through environmental exposure. This report discusses the case of a 30-year-old intravenous drug user and polysubstance abuser who developed bacte...
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| Published in: | Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) Vol. 16; no. 10; p. e71704 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Palo Alto (CA)
Cureus
17-10-2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Get full text |
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| Summary: | Bacillus thuringiensis is a gram-positive bacterium used in agriculture, with rare human infections that typically occur in immunocompromised individuals through environmental exposure. This report discusses the case of a 30-year-old intravenous drug user and polysubstance abuser who developed bacteremia due to Bacillus thuringiensis. The patient originally presented with fever and leg ulcers from injection sites, and he was successfully treated with vancomycin. This case underscores the importance of recognizing atypical pathogens like Bacillus thuringiensis in intravenous drug users, particularly when contaminated drug paraphernalia is involved. Although generally low in virulence, this bacterium can cause systemic infections under certain conditions. Prompt identification and treatment are crucial to prevent complications, highlighting the need for increased clinical awareness and appropriate microbiological investigations in this vulnerable population.Bacillus thuringiensis is a gram-positive bacterium used in agriculture, with rare human infections that typically occur in immunocompromised individuals through environmental exposure. This report discusses the case of a 30-year-old intravenous drug user and polysubstance abuser who developed bacteremia due to Bacillus thuringiensis. The patient originally presented with fever and leg ulcers from injection sites, and he was successfully treated with vancomycin. This case underscores the importance of recognizing atypical pathogens like Bacillus thuringiensis in intravenous drug users, particularly when contaminated drug paraphernalia is involved. Although generally low in virulence, this bacterium can cause systemic infections under certain conditions. Prompt identification and treatment are crucial to prevent complications, highlighting the need for increased clinical awareness and appropriate microbiological investigations in this vulnerable population. |
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| Bibliography: | ObjectType-Case Study-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-4 content type line 23 ObjectType-Report-1 ObjectType-Article-3 |
| ISSN: | 2168-8184 2168-8184 |
| DOI: | 10.7759/cureus.71704 |