Campylobacter fetus Bacteremia Presenting with Bilateral Lower Leg Cellulitis in an Immunocompetent Adult
Abstract
Campylobacter fetus is a species of the Campylobacter genus that often causes bacteremia in immunocompromised patients. Although cellulitis due to C. fetus has been previously described, bilateral involvement is rare. We herein report the case of an 87-year-old woman without immunodeficiency, who presented with fever and bilateral leg pain. An examination showed inflammatory changes in both lower legs, and blood cultures showed the growth of C. fetus. Antimicrobial therapy was initiated with meropenem, de-escalated to ampicillin, and then switched to oral amoxicillin, which resulted in a clinical improvement. This case highlights that C. fetus can cause bacteremia and bilateral cellulitis, even in an immunocompetent adult, thereby underscoring the importance of blood cultures.
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BibTeX
@article{shirota2026campylobacter,
title = {{Campylobacter fetus Bacteremia Presenting with Bilateral Lower Leg Cellulitis in an Immunocompetent Adult}},
author = {Shogo Shirota and Yuki Omura and Taku Ogawa},
journal = {Internal Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.2169/internalmedicine.6710-25},
url = {https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/65/18/65_6710-25/_article},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Campylobacter fetus Bacteremia Presenting with Bilateral Lower Leg Cellulitis in an Immunocompetent Adult
AU - Shogo Shirota
AU - Yuki Omura
AU - Taku Ogawa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/15
JO - Internal Medicine
DO - 10.2169/internalmedicine.6710-25
UR - https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/65/18/65_6710-25/_article
AB - Campylobacter fetus is a species of the Campylobacter genus that often causes bacteremia in immunocompromised patients. Although cellulitis due to C. fetus has been previously described, bilateral involvement is rare. We herein report the case of an 87-year-old woman without immunodeficiency, who presented with fever and bilateral leg pain. An examination showed inflammatory changes in both lower legs, and blood cultures showed the growth of C. fetus. Antimicrobial therapy was initiated with meropenem, de-escalated to ampicillin, and then switched to oral amoxicillin, which resulted in a clinical improvement. This case highlights that C. fetus can cause bacteremia and bilateral cellulitis, even in an immunocompetent adult, thereby underscoring the importance of blood cultures.
SN - 1349-7235
SN - 0918-2918
ER -