Chryseobacterium gleum in a man with prostatectomy in Senegal: a case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND: Here we report a rare case of a urinary tract infection due to Chryseobacterium gleum. This widely distributed Gram-negative bacillus is an uncommon human pathogen and is typically associated with health care settings. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe a case of urinary tract infection caused by Chryseobacterium gleum in a 68-year-old man of Wolof ethnicity (an ethnic group in Senegal, West Africa) who presented to our Department of Urology in a university teaching hospital (Hôpital Aristide Le Dantec) in Dakar, Senegal, 1 month after prostatectomy. The strain isolated from a urine sample was identified as Chryseobacterium gleum by mass spectrometry (Vitek matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization, time-of-flight, bioMérieux) and confirmed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid sequencing. The organism was resistant to a wide range of antibiotics, including carbapenem, due to a resident metallo-β-lactamase gene that shared 99% of amino-acid identity with Chryseobacterium gleum class B enzym. CONCLUSIONS: Infection by Chryseobacterium gleum is infrequent, and no such case has been previously reported in Africa. Despite its low virulence, Chryseobacterium gleum should be considered a potential opportunistic and emerging pathogen. Further studies on the epidemiology, pathogenicity, and resistance mechanisms of Chryseobacterium gleum are needed for better diagnosis and management.