Polymicrobial bacteremia caused by Escherichia coli, Edwardsiella tarda, and Shewanella putrefaciens

Edwardsiella tarda, a member of Enterobacteriaceae, is found in freshwater and marine environments and in animals living in these environments. This bacterium is primarily associated with gastrointestinal diseases, and has been isolated from stool specimens obtained from persons with or without clinical infectious diseases. Shewanella putrefaciens, a saprophytic gram-negative rod, is rarely responsible for clinical syndromes in humans. Debilitated status and exposure to aquatic environments are the major predisposing factors for E. tarda or S. putrefaciens infection. A 61-year-old woman was febrile with diarrhea 8 hours after ingesting shark meat, and two sets of blood cultures grew Escherichia coli, E. tarda and S. putrefaciens at the same time. She was successfully treated with antibiotics. We present this rare case of polymicrobial bacteremia caused by E. coli, E. tarda and S. putrefaciens without underlying disease, which is the first found in Taiwan. This rare case of febrile diarrhea with consequent polymicrobial bacteremia emphasizes that attention should always be extended to these unusual pathogens.