Bordetella hinzii Antenatal Sepsis in a Pregnant Woman With Sickle Cell Disease and Intrauterine Fetal Demise: A rare and first case report from India
Abstract
Bordetella hinzii is a rare, opportunistic Gram-negative bacterium traditionally associated with poultry but increasingly identified as a human pathogen in immunocompromised individuals. We report the first Indian case of B. hinzii causing antenatal sepsis in a 27-year-old pregnant woman with homozygous sickle cell anaemia and β-thalassemia minor, leading to intrauterine fetal demise at 24 weeks of gestation. The patient presented with breathlessness, edema, and absent fetal movements. Laboratory results showed severe anaemia, leucocytosis, and raised inflammatory markers. Blood cultures yielded B. hinzii, confirmed by the VITEK 2 system (bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Étoile, France). The isolate was susceptible to meropenem, piperacillin/tazobactam, cefepime, ceftazidime, and co-trimoxazole, but resistant to aminoglycosides and ceftriaxone. The patient improved with empirical therapy, though fetal loss had occurred. This case highlights the emerging clinical significance of B. hinzii in high-risk pregnancies and the need for advanced microbiological tools and antimicrobial therapy in managing rare opportunistic infections.
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