Forgotten Infection Friday: The Case of Erysipelothrix

This episode explains Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, an animal-associated bacterium that can enter through minor skin breaks—often from fish, meat, or livestock exposure—and cause a localized lesion called erysipeloid.It highlights diagnostic traps in diabetic foot care, the importance of occupational history (remember FISH: Fish exposure, Inoculation, Slowly expanding lesion, Heart involvement), the organism's intrinsic resistance to vancomycin, and the potential for systemic disease including endocarditis.