Infectious endocarditis caused by Bartonella henselae associated with infected pets: two case reports

Abstract

Background Blood culture-negative infective endocarditis is a potentially severe disease that can be associated with infectious agents such as Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetti, Tropheryma whipplei, and some fungi. Case presentation Reported here are two cases of blood culture-negative infective endocarditis in patients with severe aortic and mitral regurgitation in Brazil; the first case is a 47-year-old white man and the second is a 62-year-old white woman. Bartonella henselae deoxyribonucleic acid was detectable in the blood samples and cardiac valve with vegetation paraffin-fixed tissue samples. Additionally, an investigation was carried out on patients’ pets, within the context of One Health, and serum samples collected from cats and dogs were reactive by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Conclusions Even though the frequency of bartonellosis in Brazil is unknown, physicians should be aware of the possibility of blood culture-negative infective endocarditis caused by Bartonella, particularly in patients with weight loss, kidney changes, and epidemiological history for domestic animals.

A comparison of Bartonella henselae infection in immunocompetent and immunocompromised mice

“…However, one case study found vegetation of the aortic valve and an abscess near the mitral valve interfering with its function. Histopathological examination revealed infiltrates of mononuclear cells and macrophages, vascular neoformation, and fibrosis [ 43 ]. These findings are more advanced but still correlate to the findings in the mouse heart tissues.…”