Chromobacterium violaceum cellulitis and sepsis following cutaneous marine trauma.

Chromobacterium violaceum is a gram-negative bacillary organism that characteristically produces the purple pigment violacein. Documented as the cause of clinically relevant human infections in only 35 cases in the United States, C violaceum is particularly seen in patients with a history of cutaneous injury or trauma. We report the case of an 18-year-old woman who was struck by a propeller in a boating accident and sustained multiple deep lacerations of her right lower extremity.