Bacteremia and hepatic abscess caused by Yersinia enterocolitica

Abstract

Yersinia enterocolitica is a Gram-negative coccobacillus that is distributed world-wide and whose natural reservoire is found in a great variety of animals. Transmission to humans mainly occurs through the faecal-oral path although cases have been described of transmission through blood transfusions. It is isolated within a gastro-intestinal clinical picture and it rarely produces extra-intestinal disorders such as bacteraemia, abscesses, cutaneous signs, etc. The latter have been associated with different underlying diseases such as alterations of the iron metabolism, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, malnutrition, tumours, immunosuppressant therapy and cirrhosis. We present the case of a diabetic patient who developed bacteraemia associated with hepatic abscess due to Yersinia enterocolitica.