Bordetella bronchiseptica empyema in patient with chronic alcohol use disorder

Bordetella bronchiseptica is a veterinary pathogen that is rarely isolated in immunocompetent humans, and few cases have been recorded where alcoholism is the primary compromising factor. Furthermore, patients who contracted this pathogen have not been recorded developing a lung empyema that requires thoracic intervention. We present a case of a woman with chronic alcohol use disorder who contracted Bordetella bronchiseptica that required a prolonged course of antibiotics and thoracostomy tube placement.