P103 | A strange case of <i>Neisseria sicca</i> pneumonia
Premises: Neisseria sicca is a bacterium of normal oral cavity microbial flora. Rarely is recognized as a pathogen in some cases of pneumonia, endocarditis and meningitis in immunocompromised patients. Only two cases of N. Sicca pneumonia have been reported in literature. Description: A man 72 years old was admitted to E.D. of AOU delle Marche for fever in following the positivity in the sputum culture of N. Sicca. From pathological history is reported multiple myeloma in immunosuppressor therapy. He was subjected to a chest CT scan which shown left basal pneumonia, oxygentherapy, empirical antibiotic therapy with teicoplanin and piperacillin/tazobactam and immunosuppressive therapy was stopped. We know how the onset of the symptoms can be traced back to the sudden death of the domestic cat caused by multiple outbreak pneumonia by N. Sicca: this is reported from the veterinary autopsy evaluation. To follow up, the patient appeared apyretic, asymptomatic and the control lung ultrasound showed resolution of the pneumonia, then the antibiotic treatment was interrupted. Conclusions: From the review of the international literature, N. sicca has been reported as the etiological agent of isolated cases of pneumonia and even rarer cases of meningitis, endocarditis and osteomyelitis. The clinical case reported supports the limited literature available: the clinical, laboratory and anamnestic findings are consistent with a diagnosis of N. sicca pneumonia. The clinical case shown a possible droplet transmission of N. sicca from animal to man, configuring a possible zoonosis.
Publication Details
- Journal
- Italian Journal of Medicine
- Published
- 2025-08-27
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2025.2298
- Primary Topic
- Bacterial Infections and Vaccines
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00