Anaerobiospirillium succiniciproducens bacteraemia

We describe a case of A. succiniciproducens bacteraemia in a thirty-four-year-old  man  with  decompensated  chronic  liver  disease  associated  with  a  fatal outcome. A. succiniciproducens  infections  are  rare.  The  organism  has  distinctive spiral morphology on Gram staining and unlike most other spiral bacteria, it is able to  grow  in  blood  cultures  and  on  blood  agar.    It  is  a  strict  anaerobe  but demonstrates  metronidazole  resistance.   An  appreciation  of  this  resistance  is necessary for an appropriate initial choice of antibiotic therapy.  Often there is a poor  response  even  to  appropriate  antibiotic  therapy  and  there  is  a  high associated mortality.