Infective endocarditis due to C. fetus: an opportunistic infection in a patient with AIDS

Campylobacter fetus is a rare zoonotic cause of infective endocarditis (IE) that occurs most commonly in persons with predisposing conditions, such as immunodeficiencies and/or structural heart disease.

This case highlights native tricuspid valve IE due to C. fetus occurring in a patient with concomitant diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) treated with combination beta-lactam antimicrobial therapy without immediate surgical candidacy following initial presentation with prolonged constitutional symptoms.

Patients with AIDS are at-risk for opportunistic infections, including those that are less commonly investigated and potentially without obvious epidemiologic risk factors, such as C. fetus. However, despite being a fastidious organism, C. fetus bacteremia can be diagnosed using widely available blood culture methods. Treatment requires rapid initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy and surgical evaluation in most cases of IE.