Lactobacillus-Cause of Death

Abstract

Lactobacillus, a nonspore-forming gram-positive rod, is a facultative anaerobic organism. It is a commensal of human mucosal tissues and is a nonpathogenic flora of the mouth, gut, and female genital tract. Lactobacillus has been used as a probiotic bacteria to treat diarrhea and is also present in dairy foods. It is hence commonly used. Lactobacillus endocarditis, an exceedingly unusual disorder, is accompanied by high mortality and poor response to treatment. We report a 64-year-old man with nonspecific symptoms of infective endocarditis due to Lactobacillus. Despite adequate therapy, the patient experienced both an embolic and hemorrhagic stroke and subsequently died.