A fatal incidence of Yersinia enterocolitica meningitis. Case report

Yersinia enterocolitica is commonly seen as a gastrointestinal infection and is an extremely rare cause of bacterial meningitis. We report a case of Y. enterocolitica meningitis in a man in his 90 s. The patient presented with seizures, a diffuse pupillary response and a fever. An emergency CT scan of the brain showed no abnormalities, and he was initially treated empirically for bacterial meningitis. The microbiological diagnosis was made by culture of cerebrospinal fluid. Although relevant antibiotics were quickly provided and infectious parameters improved, he never regained consciousness and passed away after 12 days of hospitalization. Y. enterocolitica was later cultured from a package of pork brawn from his refrigerator, making it the likely source of infection.