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Case Report: A rare culprit of severe pulmonary infection in children: prevotella

Cheng Y, Peng L, Liu D, Zhong L, Liu Y, Yang T

Frontiers in pediatrics, 2026

Abstract

Background: To characterize the clinical features, diagnostic pitfalls, and treatment of severe pediatric pulmonary infection caused by Prevotella species.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical data, the diagnostic workflow, antimicrobial regimens, and outcomes of two children with severe Prevotella pulmonary infection.

Results: Case 1 was an 11-year-old boy with necrotizing pneumonia, and Case 2 was a 13-year-old boy with retained foreign-body aspiration. Both patients responded poorly to initial cephalosporin-based therapy. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid identified Prevotella nanceiensis (sequence count 299,022; relative abundance 92.24%) and Prevotella oralis (210,449; 67.98%) within 24 h, whereas anaerobic culture (Case 1) became positive after 4 days. Based on mNGS results antibiotics were adjusted to metronidazole plus a carbapenem ( meropenem for Case 1; imipenem-cilastatin for Case 2), and both children received adjunctive pulmonary rehabilitation before discharge. They subsequently recovered and were discharged.

Conclusion: Severe Prevotella pulmonary infection in children has non-specific manifestations and may respond poorly to conventional beta-lactam therapy, leading to delayed diagnosis. mNGS enables rapid pathogen identification and supports targeted anti-anaerobic treatment. For severe or complicated cases refractory to empirical therapy, metronidazole combined with a carbapenem may be an effective…

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