A case of bacteremia caused by Campylobacter fetus: an unusual presentation in an infant

Bacteremia due to Campylobacter spp. is rarely reported, and Campylobacter fetus is the species most commonly exhibiting vascular tropism, as occurred in this case report describing the diagnosis of C. fetus bacteremia in an infant presenting with respiratory tract infection. A 5-month-old baby, with undiagnosed failure to thrive, presented to the acute care service with a high fever and respiratory symptoms of 2 days duration. The initial clinical and laboratory diagnosis suggested bacteremia, but there was difficulty with recovery and identification of the organism from blood. Subsequent laboratory testing confirmed C. fetus as the etiological agent. Campylobacter isolated from blood culture bottles may give atypical laboratory features, rendering its identification challenging. Thus, such an infrequent species might be underestimated in frequency, and it should be considered in diagnostic laboratories, when a gram-negative organism with atypical findings is encountered in respiratory samples or blood culture bottles.