Acinetobacter bacteremia following a hamster bite in a child with history of kidney transplant

Abstract

Acinetobacter is an uncommon cause of serious infection in healthy individuals. Here we describe a case of Acinetobacter bacteremia in a 5-year-old kidney transplant patient following a hamster bite. Although most Acinetobacter infections occur following soil contamination of wounds, the organism is a natural constituent of oral flora in many animals, and can thus pose a risk to immunocompromised pet owners. Systemic Acinetobacter infection should therefore be considered in the differential diagnosis of febrile infections in immunocompromised children who are exposed to pets.

Keywords

Acinetobacter - hamster - immune-compromise - kidney transplant - animal bite - infection - pet ownership and child