Rare Fatal Event of Multidrug-resistant Shigella Septicemia and Cryptococcal Meningitis in an Immunocompromised Host

Abstract

Bacteriemia due to Shigella spp. is a rare event. However, an individual with impaired immunity remains at risk of such invasion where the infective dose is as low as 10 viable bacilli. This case report describes one such fatal event where a 40-year-old immunocompromised male presented to a tertiary-level healthcare facility with a history of diarrhea for 10 days and seizures. Prompt microbiological workup established multidrug-resistant Shigella flexneri septicemia and cryptococcal meningitis.