A rare case of urosepsis caused by multidrug-resistant Escherichia hermannii in an immunocompetent toddler

Abstract

Escherichia hermannii is a gram-negative bacillus from the Enterobacteriaceae family. The formation of a yellow pigment distinguishes E. hermannii from Escherichia coli in the laboratory. This organism is a rare cause of invasive infections, initially thought to be a colonizer microbe with low- pathogenicity. Our report discusses a case of urosepsis caused by E. hermannii in a 17-month-old female patient with a complaint of fever and irritability and also a history of urinary tract infection (UTI) with nephrolithiasis. The isolated bacterium from urine and blood cultures was multidrug-resistant E. hermannii. The patient’s symptoms were improved after treatment with cotrimoxazole and imipenem. This case provides evidence that E. hermannii can be pathogenic and infect the urinary tract. Moreover, the bacterium isolated from this patient indicates that more resistant E. hermannii strains are forming.