Annals of Clinical Microbiology, The official Journal of the Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology
Case report

A Case of Haemophilus parainfluenzae Endocarditis

Ji Hoon Huh, Sook Young Bae, Jang Su Kim, Kap No Lee, Chang Kyu Lee

Department of Laboratory Medicine, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding to Chang Kyu Lee, E-mail: cklee@korea.ac.kr

Ann Clin Microbiol 2009;12(2):78-81.
Copyright © Korean Society of Clinical Microbiology.

Abstract

The HACEK group of bacteria (Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Haphrophilus, H. paraphrophilus, Actinobacilus actinomycetemcomitans, Cardiobacterium hominis, Eikenella corodens, and Kingella kingae) are the normal flora of the upper respiratory tract and oropharynx. The organisms infect abnormal cardiac valves, causing subacute native endocarditis or prosthetic valve endocarditis more than one year after valve surgery. Haemophilus species are responsible for only 0.5∼1% of all infective endocarditis cases. Embolization occurs in 60% and the mortality rate ranges from 16∼45% of cases of infective endocarditis caused by Hparainfluenzae. We experienced a case of infective endocarditis due to Hparainfluenzae in a 37-year-old male admitted with high fever, chills, nausea & vomiting, chest discomfort, and blurred vision. The organism was isolated from a blood culture and was identified as H. parainfluenzae by factor V requirement, negativity at urea, positivity at ornithine decarboxylase, and acid production from glucose and maltose. The patient was treated with antibiotics and symptoms and signs were improved. (Korean J Clin Microbiol 2009;12:78-81)

Keywords

Haemophilus parainfluenzae, HACEK bacteria, Infective endocarditis