A Rare Case of Ralstonia pickettii Infection in a Patient Undergoing Thyroid Surgery

The incidence of infection by Ralstonia is increasing. Several reports describing infection by these bacteria in immunocompromised patients have been published. In this study, we reported a case of Ralstonia pickettii infection in a patient with normal immunity.

A woman presented with fever after thyroid surgery. We identified R. pickettii in her blood culture using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The patient’s condition improved clinically upon treatment with levofloxacin.

Our report highlights the potential of Ralstonia to cause sepsis in patients with normal immunity and emphasizes the importance of blood culture testing when a hospitalized patient has an unexplained high fever.