Fatal outcome of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae bacteremia in a patient withoropharyngeal cancer

Bacteremia due to Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae is rare; the most common pre sentation reported in the literature is endocarditis. We report a 32-year-o ld man with oropharyngeal cancer who developed aspiration pneumonia and E. rhusiopathiae bacteremia, and presented with fever, chills, dyspnea, and pr oductive cough with purulent sputum. Despite treatment with amoxicillin/cla vulanate and nutritional support for 9 days, he died of respiratory failure . He had no clinical evidence of endocarditis. He had no history of animal or occupational exposure, and might have been colonized with E. rhusiopathi ae in the oral cavity, followed by aspiration pneumonia and bacteremia. A f atal outcome in a patient with bacteremia due to E. rhusiopathiae without e ndocarditis is rare.