Brucella anthropi bacteremia: Persistent bacteremia with minimal symptoms

Abstract

Brucella anthropi, an aerobic, glucose-nonfermenting gram-negative rod, is predominantly an opportunistic pathogen affecting immunosuppressed patients. This case report describes a 27-year-old woman with systemic lupus erythematosus who developed persistent B. anthropi bacteremia following a pregnancy termination. Despite her stable condition and minimal symptoms, including transient fever, blood cultures revealed persistent bacteremia. Initial treatment with ceftazidime was ineffective due to resistance, leading to a switch to ciprofloxacin, which ultimately resolved the bacteremia. This case underscores the challenges in identifying the source of infection in the absence of typical symptoms and highlights the importance of vigilance in monitoring for persistent bacteremia, even in clinically stable patients. Our findings suggest that symptom improvement does not guarantee the resolution of bacteremia, propose follow-up blood cultures to ensure effective management of B. anthropi bacteremia.