Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure
Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. In humans, it can manifest clinically as an acute or chronic disease and endocarditis, the most frequent complication of chronic Q fever is associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality. We report a severe case of endocardit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1220205/full |
| _version_ | 1797754707663388672 |
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| author | Silvia Bozza Silvia Bozza Alessandro Graziani Monica Borghi Daniele Marini Michele Duranti Barbara Camilloni Barbara Camilloni |
| author_facet | Silvia Bozza Silvia Bozza Alessandro Graziani Monica Borghi Daniele Marini Michele Duranti Barbara Camilloni Barbara Camilloni |
| author_sort | Silvia Bozza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Q fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. In humans, it can manifest clinically as an acute or chronic disease and endocarditis, the most frequent complication of chronic Q fever is associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality. We report a severe case of endocarditis in a 55-year-old man with a history of aortic valve replacement affected by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and living in a non-endemic area for C. burnetii. After two episodes of fever of unknown origin (FUO), occurring 2 years apart and characterized by negative blood cultures, a serological diagnosis of Q fever endocarditis was performed even though the patient did not refer to possible past exposure to C. burnetii. Since people with preexisting valvular heart disease, when infected with C. burnetii, have reported a 40% risk of Q fever endocarditis, clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for infective endocarditis in all patients with FUO even when the exposure to C. burnetii appears to be unlikely. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:37:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-355f3d6cf2054b35a1a21c68a610d5b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-858X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:37:27Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Medicine |
| spelling | doaj.art-355f3d6cf2054b35a1a21c68a610d5b82023-08-04T08:09:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Medicine2296-858X2023-08-011010.3389/fmed.2023.12202051220205Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposureSilvia Bozza0Silvia Bozza1Alessandro Graziani2Monica Borghi3Daniele Marini4Michele Duranti5Barbara Camilloni6Barbara Camilloni7Microbiology and Clinical Microbiology Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, ItalyMicrobiology Unit, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, ItalyMicrobiology and Clinical Microbiology Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, ItalyIstituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e delle Marche, Perugia, ItalyMicrobiology and Clinical Microbiology Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, ItalyDepartment of Diagnostic Imaging, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, ItalyMicrobiology and Clinical Microbiology Section, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Perugia, ItalyMicrobiology Unit, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, ItalyQ fever is a worldwide zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii. In humans, it can manifest clinically as an acute or chronic disease and endocarditis, the most frequent complication of chronic Q fever is associated with the greatest morbidity and mortality. We report a severe case of endocarditis in a 55-year-old man with a history of aortic valve replacement affected by monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), and living in a non-endemic area for C. burnetii. After two episodes of fever of unknown origin (FUO), occurring 2 years apart and characterized by negative blood cultures, a serological diagnosis of Q fever endocarditis was performed even though the patient did not refer to possible past exposure to C. burnetii. Since people with preexisting valvular heart disease, when infected with C. burnetii, have reported a 40% risk of Q fever endocarditis, clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for infective endocarditis in all patients with FUO even when the exposure to C. burnetii appears to be unlikely.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1220205/fullCoxiella burnetiiendocarditisnegative blood cultureQ feverserological diagnosis |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Bozza Silvia Bozza Alessandro Graziani Monica Borghi Daniele Marini Michele Duranti Barbara Camilloni Barbara Camilloni Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure Frontiers in Medicine Coxiella burnetii endocarditis negative blood culture Q fever serological diagnosis |
| title | Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure |
| title_full | Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure |
| title_fullStr | Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure |
| title_full_unstemmed | Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure |
| title_short | Case report: Coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure |
| title_sort | case report coxiella burnetii endocarditis in the absence of evident exposure |
| topic | Coxiella burnetii endocarditis negative blood culture Q fever serological diagnosis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2023.1220205/full |
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