In humans, '' Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae'' infections most commonly present in a mild

cutaneous Skin is the layer of usually soft, flexible outer tissue covering the body of a vertebrate animal, with three main functions: protection, regulation, and sensation. Other animal coverings, such as the arthropod exoskeleton, have different d ...

form known as erysipeloid or fish poisoning. ''E. rhusiopathiae'' can cause an indolent

cellulitis Cellulitis is usually a bacterial infection involving the inner layers of the skin. It specifically affects the dermis and subcutaneous fat. Signs and symptoms include an area of redness which increases in size over a few days. The borders of ...

, more commonly in individuals who handle fish and raw meat. ''Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae'' also causes Swine Erysipelas. It is common in domestic pigs and can be transmitted to humans who work with swine. It gains entry typically by abrasions in the hand.

Bacteremia Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are infections of blood caused by blood-borne pathogens. The detection of microbes in the blood (most commonly accomplished by blood cultures) is always abnormal. A bloodstream infection is different from sepsis, wh ...

and

endocarditis Endocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves. Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, o ...

are uncommon but serious sequelae. Due to the rarity of reported human cases, ''E. rhusiopathiae'' infections are frequently misidentified at presentation.

Diagnosis

Violaceous swelling with severe pain but without pus (Which differentiates from pus forming streptococcal and staphylococcal erysipelas)

Erysipeloid of Rosenbach

Erysipeloid of Rosenbach is a cutaneous condition most frequently characterized by a purplish marginated swelling on the hands. The eponym Rosenbach's disease is in reference to the milder type of the condition and is named after

Friedrich Julius Rosenbach Friedrich Julius Rosenbach, also known as Anton Julius Friedrich Rosenbach, (16 December 1842 – 6 December 1923) was a German physician and microbiologist. He is credited for differentiating ''Staphylococcus aureus'' and ''Staphylococcus albus' ...

. Early work on the condition in US fishermen was carried out by Klaunders and colleagues.

Treatment

The treatment of choice is a single dose of

benzathine benzylpenicillin Benzathine benzylpenicillin, also known as benzathine penicillin G (BPG), is an antibiotic medication useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. Specifically it is used to treat strep throat, diphtheria, syphilis, and yaws ...

given by

intramuscular injection Intramuscular injection, often abbreviated IM, is the medical injection, injection of a substance into a muscle. In medicine, it is one of several methods for parenteral, parenteral administration of medications. Intramuscular injection may be ...

, or a five-day to one-week course of either oral penicillin or intramuscular

procaine benzylpenicillin Procaine benzylpenicillin also known as penicillin G procaine, is an antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. Specifically it is used for syphilis, anthrax, mouth infections, pneumonia, diphtheria, cellulitis, a ...

. Retrieved on October 28, 2008. Freely available with registration.

Erythromycin Erythromycin is an antibiotic used for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. This includes respiratory tract infections, skin infections, chlamydia infections, pelvic inflammatory disease, and syphilis. It may also be used ...

doxycycline Doxycycline is a Broad-spectrum antibiotic, broad-spectrum antibiotic of the Tetracycline antibiotics, tetracycline class used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria and certain parasites. It is used to treat pneumonia, bacterial p ...

may be given instead to people who are allergic to penicillin. ''E. rhusiopathiae'' is intrinsically resistant to

vancomycin Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic medication used to treat certain bacterial infections. It is administered intravenously ( injection into a vein) to treat complicated skin infections, bloodstream infections, endocarditis, bone an ...

References

External links

{{Bacterial cutaneous infections Bacterium-related cutaneous conditions Zoonotic bacterial diseases Zoonoses