Campylobacter coli enteritis associated with Campylobacter fetus bacteremia, spondylodiscitis, and late CIED-related endocarditis, a case report

Campylobacter sp. is widely considered a leading causative agent of bacterial food-borne gastrointestinal illness. Discitis and endocarditis caused by Campylobacter spp. are extremely rare. We describe the case of a 94-year-old man who was admitted for recent lumbar pain, diarrhea, and fever. C. fetus and C. coli were identified by MALDI-TOF from blood and stool samples respectively. MRI of the spine showed L5–S1 discitis. Patient was treated with 6 weeks of amoxicillin with clinical and microbiological response until cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) related endocarditis occurred four weeks after the end of the antibiotic treatment. He was treated with another 6 weeks amoxicillin regimen, with a favorable outcome after a 6-month follow-up. Enteric infection with Campylobacter spp. in a debilitated patient should raise the possibility of a co-infection with another more invasive species such as C. fetus, leading to systemic invasion. In case of Campylobacter fetus bacteremia, a search for endocarditis and spondylodiscitis is recommended even in the absence of specific clinical signs.