TABLE 1.

Characteristics of four cases of infection caused by E. rhusiopathiae

Case no.	Patient's agea (yrs)	Occupation/source	Specimen type	Clinical data	Microbiological concern
1	61	Farm worker/cattle, horses, and swine	Blood	Polyarthralgias, bacteremia, renal involvement	Both colony and cell morphologies suggested polymicrobial infection
2	67	None known	Synovial fluid, right elbow	CLL, septic arthritis	Grew in broth only, on day 4
3	69	Butcher/meat	Tissue, index finger	Classic erysipeloid	Grew in broth only, on day 7
4	45	Cattle rancher/cattle	Peritoneal fluid	CAPD,b peritonitis	Only two colonies on solid medium; resembled Enterococcus spp.

^aAll patients were male. 

^bCAPD, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.