Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. A new cause of infectious and eosinophilic pneumonia.

Plain-English summary

A 28-year-old veterinary student became very sick with a high fever, a cough, and an increase in a type of white blood cell called eosinophils, which can indicate an allergic reaction or infection. Doctors found a bacteria called Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, which usually causes infections in livestock, in samples taken from the student's lungs. This bacteria has never been known to cause pneumonia in people before, as it typically leads to swollen lymph nodes instead. After starting treatment with erythromycin, the student's eosinophil levels and specific antibodies against the bacteria improved, although another type of antibody continued to rise. Overall, the treatment was effective in reducing some of the symptoms and the immune response to the bacteria.