Spingobacterium thalatophylum in H1N1 positive patient- first case report in India

Abstract

Spingobacterium previously known as Flavobacterium is gram negative, oxidase positive, non motile bacilli. Very few case reports have been reported so far. This case reports a 35 year old male with fever, headache, nasal discharge, sore throat, cough and severe breathlessness since three days. He was suspected for H1N1 and was admitted in Infectious disease ward. His throat swab was collected and sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune for Real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). The sample was positive for H1N1. He was intubated due to continuous breathlessness and after two days tracheal aspirate was sent for microbiological examination. Yellow colonies on Blood agar, biochemical reactions and sugar fermentation test revealed Spingobacterium thalatophylum. Patient was treated with levofloxacin and meropenem. The patient recovered and was discharged later. To best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of Spingobacterium thalatophylum in India.