Microbiology
Thin gram-positive rod.
Epidemiologic Risks
Causes disease in swine (insert your own cheap shot here; Congress being the easiest) and persists for long periods of time in fish, crabs, whales and other animals.
It causes "whale finger." In people, whales I suppose, get flipper disease.
Trauma from the aforementioned animals leads to disease.
Syndromes
A) erysipeloid, a localized skin lesion that acts like an indolent cellulitis. It can spread distally, not proximally.
B) a diffuse skin eruption with systemic symptoms, and
C) bacteremia with or without endocarditis.
Treatment
Penicillin OR imipenem OR ciprofloxacin.
Notes
Resistant to Vancomycin; macrolides and tetracyclines are unreliable.
Last update: 05/05/18