Invasive Listeria monocytogenes Gastroenteritis Leading to Stupor, Bacteremia, Fever, and Diarrhea: A Rare Life-Threatening Condition

Abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive, rod-shaped organism that can cause serious infections such as meningitis, invasive gastroenteritis, and endocarditis. Every year 1600 people in the United States are affected, with significant mortality of 260 people annually. Listeria gastroenteritis has the third highest mortality rate among all the food-borne infection. Invasive listeriosis most commonly affect pregnant women, those in extremes of ages, people with comorbid diseases, and people with weakened immune response. In this article, we present a rare case of invasive Listeria gastroenteritis in an 83-year-old female with multiple comorbid conditions and past medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and multiple risk factors who was brought to the hospital with altered mental status. She had history of fever, abdominal pain, and watery diarrhea up to 14 episodes in 24 hours for the last 7 days. Her stool culture grew Listeria monocytogenes sensitive to penicillin. She was started on penicillin for 2 weeks. She had subsequently complete resolution of fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. High index of suspicion is the key to ensure timely initiation of appropriate empirical treatment in the setting of invasive gastroenteritis, especially in people who have high risk factors for listeriosis. We recommend raising awareness in the health care profession about invasive listeriosis in the need of time. Intravenous ampicillin or penicillin G is the treatment of choice, with meropenem as an alternative.

Long Non-coding RNA LincRNA-EPS Inhibits Host Defense Against Listeria monocytogenes Infection

“…L. monocytogenes is a gram-positive, facultative intracellular pathogen and is the causative agent of foodborne listeriosis. In immunocompromised individuals L. monocytogenes can lead to gastritis, septicemia and meningitis (Gellin and Broome, 1989;Mehmood et al, 2017); whereas, in pregnant women this pathogen can cause infection to the fetus and septic abortion (Pamer, 2004).…”

Fructus mume Extracts Alleviate Diarrhea in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving the Combination Therapy of Lapatinib and Capecitabine

“…All patients from two groups have light or no work to avoid emotional stress or over exertion. Work has been reported to be associated with breast cancer progression ( Mehmood et al, 2017 ) and diarrhea ( Thorn and Kerekes, 2001 ). ‘Light’ work was defined as flexed postures, walking and repeated movements, which are involved with the upper limb and light weights ( Al-Dasooqi et al, 2013 ).…”

“…Moderate to severe diarrhea (an increase of four to six stools over baseline daily) was reported in 20% of patients’ in the pivotal trial ( Geyer et al, 2006 ). Diarrhea can result in dose reduction, delays, poor life quality, high cost for health care, and even life threatening complications sometimes ( Mehmood et al, 2017 ).…”

The Long Non-coding RNAs: Paramount Regulators of the NLRP3 Inflammasome

“…Although they are abundantly expressed, their expression is significantly downregulated by LPS, the microbial ligand (86). Recently, various reports are surfacing in support of the role of lncRNA EPS as a host defense system during infections (87). LncRNA EPS is expressed in macrophage cells to regulate the expression of immune response genes (IRGs).…”