First human case report of bloodstream infection caused by Kocuria indica in a patient with chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

BACKGROUND

Kocuria spp. are aerobic Gram-positive cocci and opportunistic pathogens. Although infections caused by Kocuria spp. have been reported, to the best of our knowledge, human infections caused by Kocuria indica have not been reported. Here, we report a case of pneumonia and bloodstream infection caused by K. indica.

CASE SUMMARY: This is the first reported case of human K. indica infection. A 19-year-old female with a history of chronic idiopathic intestinal pseudo-obstruction presented with fever, cough, and malaise. Blood cultures revealed clusters of Gram-positive cocci. The organism was initially identified as Kocuria rhizophila using the VITEK MS system but was confirmed as K. indica using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

CONCLUSION

Although K. indica is a rare pathogen, it should be considered in cases of positive blood cultures. Genetic analysis, including 16S rRNA gene sequencing, is essential for the identification of this organism.