Abstract
We report the case of a patient with a Salmonella Kapemba infection, who suffered, 3 weeks after a holiday in Israel, occurrences of high fever and lower back pain for 10 days and icterus for 2 days before admission. Laboratory findings revealed a slight cholestasis and elevation of acute phase protein levels. In the blood culture a Salmonella Kapemba-type organism was cultured. The patient was afebrile for 10 days after hospitalization and then suddenly developed a temperature of 40 degrees C again. At the same time leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and a rise of D-dimer levels were detected. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit for a few days, because a disseminated intravascular coagulation was suspected. With magnetic resonance imaging and bone scintigraphy no osteomyelitis or abscess formation could be found. A transesophageal ultrasonography of the heart revealed no signs of endocarditis. In multiple stool cultures no salmonellas could be detected. After antibiotic treatment with ciprofloxacin the fever and lower back pain subsided, and the patient was discharged a fortnight later. This is the first reported case of typhoid fever due to the bacterium Salmonella Kapemba.