Neisseria oralis Spondylodiscitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

The pathogenicity and potential virulence of commensal <i>Neisseria</i> spp.<i> </i>are not fully understood, but growing literature describes cases of opportunistic infections in humans, including invasive or life-threatening presentations even in the absence of immunosuppression. We report the first case of spontaneous <i>Neisseria oralis</i> spondylodiscitis in an otherwise healthy immunocompetent adult, with no formally identified portal of entry. The infection was cured after six weeks of oral ciprofloxacin. <i>Neisseria oralis</i> is an emerging pathogen and can be involved in invasive infections even in immunocompetent individuals. Iterative changes in the taxonomy within the genus <i>Neisseria</i> over the years might have led to biases in the reporting of such cases.