CASE REPORT article
Front. Med.
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Pathogenesis and Therapy
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1626567
Bloodstream infection caused by coinfection of Actinomyces turicensis and Gemella morbillorum:A case report and literature review
Provisionally accepted
- People’s Hospital of Xiushan County, Xiushan, China
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This CARE-guided report details a rare case of bloodstream infection caused by coinfection of Actinomyces turicensis and Gemella morbillorum in a 69-year-old male with diabetic foot. Actinomyces turicensis and Gemella morbillorum are an opportunistic pathogen that rarely causes human infection, while bloodstream infection is more rarely. They are tend to occur in immunocompromised individuals and are highly susceptible to mixed infections with other opportunistic pathogens. Actinomyces turicensis and Gemella morbillorum can cause invasive infections, including bloodstream infection, abscess, endocarditis and other infectious diseases. We reported a 69-year-old male with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated by a chronic, neuropathic, right-first-toe ulcer (Wagner grade 4 with underlying osteomyelitis), presented with chills, fever, and foot pain. Cultures of blood and purulent secretions from the foot revealed a mixed infection that was predominantly caused by Actinomyces turicensis and Gemella morbillorum. After 9 days of treatment with antibiotics, the patient exhibited a satisfactory recovery and he was discharged from the hospital. Clinicians should pay attention to disseminated infections caused by Actinomyces turicensis and Gemella morbillorum. Timely microbiological examinations and accurate identification methods are conducive to early diagnosis. The prognosis is relatively favorable with appropriate antibiotics, lesion removal, and other therapeutic measures.
Keywords: Actinomyces turicensis, Gemella morbillorum, Bloodstream infection, Diabetic Foot, Coinfection, case report
Received: 11 May 2025; Accepted: 28 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Li, Zhu, Yang and You. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Chengdong You, People’s Hospital of Xiushan County, Xiushan, China
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