Bordetella bronchiseptica pneumonia in a patient with lung cancer; a case report of a rare infection

Background: Bordetella bronchiseptica (B. bronchiseptica) is a frequent cause of respiratory infections in animals but rarely causes serious infection in humans. We present a rare case of B. bronchiseptica pneumonia in a patient with lung cancer. Case presentation: A 52-year-old white male with non small cell lung cancer developed fever during treatment with nivolumab. A persistent productive cough and a deterioration in his clinical condition led to his hospitalization for evaluation. Bronchoscopy was performed and a diagnosis of B. bronchiseptica pneumonia was made. The infection was successfully managed by antiobiotic therapy. Conclusions: B. bronchiseptica is a pathogen that can cause serious infection in humans, especially in immunocompromised or immunoincompetent individuals. In our patient it showed unusual resistance to cephalosporins and poor sensitivity to amikacin. To our knowledge this is the first case of such an infection in a lung cancer patient undergoing treatment with nivolumab. When B. bronchiseptica is identified, the possibility of a nosocomial transmission must be considered.