A rare cause of infective endocarditis; Lactococcus garvieae

Abstract

Lactococcus genus was separated from Streptococcus genus in 1985 on the basis of genetic analysis and is one of the eight species of this facultatively anaerobic, catalase negative, Gram-positive cocci [1]. It was responsible for bovine mastitis, infection in fish [2] and is a rarity in human. It is only rarely isolated in human with few case reports of this organisms presented with infective endocarditis [3], osteomylitis [4] and liver abscess [5]. We report a case of Lactococcus garvieae native valve infective endocarditis with underlying chronic rheumatic heart disease which was successfully treated with antibiotic.