Bifidobacterium longum vertebrodiscitis in a patient with cirrhosis and prostate cancer

•This is the first reported case of Bifidobacterium longum causing vertebrodiscitis.•MALDITOF MS and 16S rRNA gene sequencing offer reliable means of identification to Bifidobacterium species level.•The clinical outcome was good following antibiotic treatment with penicillin and clindamycin.•Undiagnosed predisposing conditions should be considered in patients with serious disease caused by a low virulence organism.

Bifidobacterium species are anaerobic, Gram-positive bacilli that colonize the human intestinal tract and oral cavity. They are an infrequent cause of invasive human infection. We report a case of Bifidobacterium longum lumbar vertebrodiscitis in a 71 year old man who was subsequently diagnosed with liver cirrhosis and prostate cancer. The clinical outcome was good following antibiotic treatment with penicillin and clindamycin. The laboratory identification of Bifidobacterium species and risk factors for invasive infection are discussed.