Doctors have treated the first case of rice-related food poisoning affecting the genital area.
A 38-year-old man sought help from urologists after experiencing redness, swelling and crusting on his penis, which had persisted for the better part of a week.
Further investigation revealed that the worrying symptoms had begun shortly after suffering a bout of severe diarrhea and vomiting.
Doctors at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon, where he was treated, took a sample from the man’s penis to check for infection.
They found evidence of the bacteria Bacillus cereus, which is commonly found in rice that has been left out at room temperature for too long and can cause illness and stomach upset if eaten.
He presented to a urology clinic in Lebanon after experiencing painful swelling and redness of his penis, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms for a week.
Doctors concluded that the man’s unusual genital infection had been caused by an episode of diarrhea and vomiting that occurred almost immediately after having “vigorous sexual intercourse” with his wife.
Intimate intercourse can increase the risk of bacteria penetrating the skin due to changes in blood vessels.
The bacteria are said to have come into direct contact with the patient’s groin.
Doctors commented that it was “unusual” to see Bacillus cereus on the skin, let alone the genitals.
This was the “first case in the literature” of food poisoning of the penis.
The father of two was treated with a topical antibiotic called fusidic acid, commonly used to treat eye infections.
The patient was also told to wash the area “properly” and avoid sexual intercourse and masturbation until it healed.
The type of bacteria that infected your penis, Bacillus cereus, is commonly found contaminated with rice.
One month after the infection, the patient reported that he had no burning or discomfort in the genital area and the infection did not return.
Doctors explain that Bacillus cereus can cause nausea just 30 minutes after eating.
Symptoms are relatively mild and usually last about 24 hours, according to the NHS.
The patient had eaten a meal containing rice with his family just one day before his symptoms began.
The study, published in the journal Annals of Medicine and Surgery, noted that penile infections usually occur after an injury that creates an open wound and typically involve group A streptococcus bacteria.
The study authors wrote: “In this current case, it is plausible that diarrhea and vomitus that contaminated the penis after intercourse are likely the source of the skin infection.”