Urine Infection - streptococcus gallolyticus

[Janet25]

I recently went to GP with urine infection symptoms and was treated with antibiotics however once the results came back from the lab the antibiotics were changed to another type as the original ones were resistant.

I’ve still got back ache and ache under my rib on the right side and my GP said she had not actually heard of my infection type before as they all tend to come back as E-Coli. However I did the terrible mistake of googling and it appears that it can be present in colorectal cancer which has now got me paranoid! I’m hoping that someone can allay my fears..

Streptococcus gallolyticus (a type of group D streptococcus) is quite rare as a cause of disease. As your GP said, about 90% of urinary tract infections are caused by Escherichia coli (E coli), with small numbers being due to other infections, including - very rarely - group B (S agalactiae) and group D (S bovis group, which includes S gallolyticus) streptococci. In textbooks, S gallolyticus is described as a cause of infective endocarditis: infection of the cells lining the heart, which is common among intravenous drug users but otherwise usually only occurs in people with structural disorders of the heart. It does occasionally cause urinary tract infections.

It is a particular risk in people with colorectal cancer, as it can more readily reach the bloodstream in these patients. I think the hits you've had on Google will be about the importance of checking patients with S gallolyticus bacteraemia (i.e. blood infection) for colorectal cancer because patients without this cancer are very unlikely to get the bacteria in their blood. I can't think why this would be a concern for people with S gallolyticus urinary tract infections.

Thank you so much for replying, my bloods have all been ok it has only been a urine infection which does seem to have cleared up but they have sent more urine to the lab this week to be sure.
I suppose the other thing is why, but I doubt I would ever know that 🤔

I once had a horrible UTI that returned after finishing antibiotics. Only then did they identify the bacteria involved and it turned out to be citrobacter. I gathered that was quite unusual because someone had scribbled on the lab report “Is she OK?”

Anyway, the second lot of antibiotics sorted me out and I was fine. Hopefully the same will apply to you!

Thanks Haworthia, I’m guessing you never found out the reason and it was just one of those things? I wouldn’t be so anxious if the GP hadn’t of said that she had never heard of it and on the lab report it does say can usually be linked to bowel problems .

Yes, just one of those things. I’m usually quite stringent when it comes to toilet wiping etc and I’m not prone to UTIs in the slightest. Have only had two my whole life... touch wood.

I’m the same I had my first UTI 3 years ago whilst pregnant, then I developed another one just after Christmas which they put down to sexual activity and now this one which seems to be a more aggressive bacteria.