Bartonella clarridgeiae infection in a patient with aortic root abscess and endocarditis

.Bartonellaspecies are increasingly recognized as agents of culture-negative endocarditis. However, to date, almost all human cases have been associated with two members of the genus,Bartonella henselaeand Bartonella quintana. B. henselae infections are zoonotic, with domestic cats serving as reservoir hosts for the pathogen.Bartonella clarridgeiaealso exploits cats as reservoir hosts, but its zoonotic potential is far less established. Case presentation. A 34-year-old male presented with palpitations after a history of aortic incompetence. During surgery for an aortic valve replacement, two vegetations were found on the aortic valve. PCR analysis of the vegetation demonstrated the presence ofBartonellaspecies and so the patient was treated post-operatively with ceftriaxone and doxycycline, making a good recovery. Further PCR-based analysis of the patient’s aortic vegetation confirmed the presence ofB. clarridgeiae . Conclusion. This report expands the number ofBartonellaspecies associated with endocarditis and provides clear evidence thatB. clarridgeiaeshould be considered a zoonotic pathogen.