Anaerobic pathogen dominating the gut microbiota as a rare cause of bloodstream infection

The study is aimed at reporting on the first case of a clinically significant bloodstream infection caused by the anaerobic pathogen Prevotella copri and on the relationship to a Prevotella-dominated gut microbiota in a heart failure elderly patient. Importantly, the case strengthens the pathogenicity of P. copri in the elderly persons, who seem to have a predilection for anaerobic bacteremia. More importantly, the case suggests that the gut may be a source of bloodstream infections caused by this rare anaerobic pathogen. The study poses the basis for future investigations that assess whether the gut microbiota profiling may be helpful for the precise identification of patients at high risk of bloodstream infections.