[A man with Campylobacter endocarditis, treatable as Campylobacter fetus following identification]

Abstract

A 48-year-old Dutch patient presented with general malaise, recurrent fever and weight loss. Routine cultures identified a Campylobacter in two blood cultures. When initial treatment with clarithromycin failed, the patient developed endocarditis. DNA sequencing identified Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus (C. fetus). The patient recovered after treatment of the infection with imipenem and gentamycin, based on the minimal inhibiting concentration. C. fetus is a rare cause of infection in humans and is mostly transmitted by handling infected animal material. The patient contracted the infection as a result of a puncture accident with a butcher's knife about a year previously whilst working in a slaughterhouse.