Two cases of severe sepsis caused by Bacillus pumilus in neonatal infants.

Bacillus pumilus is an environmental contaminant that has been rarely associated with clinical infections. Here, two cases of severe sepsis caused by B. pumilus are described in two full-term neonates; one in a female infant with no factors predisposing her to infection and the other in a male infant requiring mechanical ventilation and an intravenous catheter. In both cases, the micro-organism was recovered from repeated blood cultures and was identified using biochemical assays and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Both infants were successfully treated with vancomycin. This report reveals the potential role of B. pumilus as a bloodstream pathogen during infancy.