Two cases of Ruminococcus gnavus bacteremia associated with diverticulitis.

We report two cases of bacteremia with the anaerobic bacterium Ruminococcus gnavus. In both cases, the bacteremia was associated with diverticular disease. Preliminary conventional identification suggested peptostreptococci, and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis did not produce scores high enough for species identification. Finally, the bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing.