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To evaluate trends in bacterial causes of valvular endocarditis in swine, we retrospectively analyzed 321 cases diagnosed at Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (Ames, IA, USA) during May 2015--April 2020. Streptococcus gallolyticus was the causative agent for 7.59% of cases. This emerging infection in swine could aid study of endocarditis in humans.

Background Infectious endocarditis is an uncommon disease in dogs; however, its incidence and survival rates have increased owing to advances in the understanding of the disease and diagnostic techniques. For diagnosis, it is necessary to determine whether a dog suspected of being infected has any abnormalities that meet the modified Duke criteria. Staphylococcus spp., Streptococcus spp., and Escherichia coli are the most commonly isolated bacteria causing infective endocarditis in dogs, whereas the less commonly isolated bacteria include Pseudomonas spp. and Proteus spp. Case presentation A 5-year-old neutered male Maltese presented with lethargy, anorexia, anaemia, and pyrexia. A vegetative mass in the aortic valve was identified on echocardiography, and the possibility of endocarditis was considered. The dog’s fever, anorexia, and lethargy rapidly improved in response to the initial antibiotics and prednisolone, which was prescribed for a possible immune-mediated disorder. However, the dog’s condition deteriorated again after discontinuing antibiotics and tapering the prednisolone dose. During this period, Paenibacillus spp. was isolated from blood cultures. After prescribing antibiotics based on the sensitivity results and adding hydralazine to reduce afterload, the dog survived without recurrence of symptoms to date. Conclusions Paenibacillus spp. was identified as the causative agent of infectious endocarditis. A favourable prognosis can be expected if appropriate antibiotics in combination with medications that address the blood flow changes due to valve damage are used.

Background Factors associated with outcome in dogs diagnosed with infective endocarditis (IE) are not well characterized. Objectives Evaluate outcome and prognostic factors in dogs with IE. Animals One hundred and thirteen dogs with IE. Methods Medical records for dogs that fulfilled the modified Duke criteria between 2005 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Signalment, preexisting conditions, clinicopathologic findings, treatment regimen, and outcomes were recorded. Univariate logistic regression was performed to identify categorical factors associated with mortality, and then multivariate analysis was performed. Results Dogs were categorized as survivors (n = 47), non‐survivors (n = 57), or lost to follow‐up (n = 9). Survival to discharge and at 1 month was documented in 79 (70%) of 113 and 56 (54%) of 104 dogs, respectively, with median survival time (MST) of 72 days. Risk factors associated with mortality included development of congestive heart failure (odds ratio [OR], 11.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4‐97.8), thromboembolic events (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 2.3‐14.4), and acute kidney injury (OR, 6.2; 95% CI, 2.0‐18.8). Administration of antithrombotic medications was associated with survival (OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13‐0.97). Dogs that were not treated with antithrombotics had MST of 92 days, whereas dogs treated with antithrombotics did not reach MST during the study period. The heart valves involved and etiologic agent identified did not correlate with outcome. Conclusion and Clinical Importance Dogs with IE that had thromboembolic events, acute kidney injury, or congestive heart failure had higher risk of mortality. Administration of antithrombotics was associated with prolonged survival time.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens is a gram-positive bacterial species that is utilised as a probiotic in humans and animals. There are no reports of infective endocarditis (IE) in dogs. An 8-year-old, spayed, female Maltese presented with a 1-month history of fever, depression, weight loss, and hindlimb lameness. Laboratory test results indicated non-regenerative anaemia, neutrophilia, hyperglobulinemia, and proteinuria. Echocardiography revealed vegetation on the septal leaflet of the mitral valve and thromboemboli in the left atrium. Consecutive blood culture results revealed that the blood samples were consistently positive for Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, which is generally considered a probiotic bacterial species for animals. Broad-spectrum antibiotics (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefotaxime) and anticoagulants (clopidogrel and rivaroxaban) were administered for 4 months. The clinical signs were responsive to antibiotic treatment. After 4 months, the dog was no longer febrile and the size of the thromboemboli in the left atrium had decreased. Bacteria were no longer isolated in blood cultures after antibiotic therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of canine IE caused by bactaeremic infection with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens.

Background Bartonella spp. comprise a genus of bacteria that frequently cause persistent, often subclinical infection. Although many Bartonella spp. have been implicated in a variety of clinical presentations, Bartonella rochalimae has yet to be documented in association with a clinical presentation other than infectious endocarditis (IE) in dogs. Objectives To document a spectrum of clinical presentations accompanied by mild hematological abnormalities in B rochalimae‐infected dogs from the United States. Animals Eight dogs with documented B rochalimae infection. Methods Retrospective 10‐year study of B rochalimae naturally infected dogs. Clinical and clinicopathologic data, including medical history, CBC, serum biochemistry panel, urinalysis, echocardiogram, and comprehensive vector‐borne disease diagnostic panel results, were reviewed. Results Eight dogs were diagnosed with B rochalimae via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Five dogs were diagnosed with IE. Three dogs, PCR positive for B rochalimae, were diagnosed with seizures or antibiotic responsive lameness or during routine screening of a military working dog. Conclusions This case series provides support for an association between B rochalimae and IE and provides documentation of dogs infected with B rochalimae with other clinical diagnoses.

In humans, one of the major factors associated with infective endocarditis (IE) is the concurrent presence of periodontal disease (PD). However, in veterinary medicine, the relevance of PD in the evolution of dogs' endocarditis remains poorly understood. In order to try to establish a correlation between mouth-associated Enterococcus spp. and infective endocarditis in dogs, the present study evaluated the presence and diversity of enterococci in the gum and heart of dogs with PD. Samples were collected during necropsy of 32 dogs with PD and visually diagnosed with IE, which died of natural causes or euthanasia. Enterococci were isolated, identified and further characterized by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE); susceptibility to antimicrobial agents and pathogenicity potential was also evaluated. In seven sampled animals, PFGE-patterns, resistance and virulence profiles were found to be identical between mouth and heart enterococci obtained from the same dog, allowing the establishment of an association between enterococcal periodontal disease and endocarditis in dogs. These findings represent a crucial step towards understanding the pathogenesis of PD-driven IE, and constitute a major progress in veterinary medicine.

Background Infective endocarditis is a rare but severe condition associated with a high mortality rate in small animal patients. This condition is caused by a microbial (most often bacterial) infection of the valvular portion of the endocardium, from which proliferative and/or erosive lesions on the cardiac valves or immediately adjacent structures develop. The two most commonly affected cardiac valves are the aortic and mitral valves. Case presentation We report the clinical case of a 4-year old male neutered Bull terrier, 27.6 kg, body condition score 4/9, that presented with a 3-months history of pyrexia and general weakness. The patient history also revealed a transient left hind limb lameness (grade 2/4), which coincided with the onset of clinical signs about 3 months before presentation. On physical examination, a left-sided systolic heart murmur (grade 3/6) with the same intensity at the left heart base and apex, and an irregularly irregular heart rhythm were noted. Electrocardiography showed ventricular premature complexes, and echocardiography revealed lesions consistent with endocarditis involving the aortic and mitral valve. Bacterial culture of blood yielded a positive result, and the organism isolated was identified as Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae . The extended patient history revealed that the dog lived close to a farm housing pigs and other livestock. Conclusion We report a rare case of the premortal diagnosis of infective bacterial endocarditis in a dog due to E. rhusiopathiae infection. Most reports about this condition are from necropsy series. This clinical case report emphasizes that E. rhusiopathiae infection and bacteremia should be considered as a differential diagnosis in dogs with suspected infective endocarditis, especially in dogs living in rural areas with access to livestock and particularly farm pigs. Also, particular emphasis should be placed on the zoonotic potential of this infectious disease.

Background Bartonella koehlerae has been recently described as a new cat- and cat fleas-associated agent of culture-negative human endocarditis. It has been also encountered in one dog from Israel and six dogs from the USA, but other clinically relevant reports involving this bacterium are lacking. Results A 7-year-old intact male mixed dog presented with clinico-pathological signs consistent with mitral endocarditis and cutaneous hemangiosarcoma. Molecular studies revealed the presence of Bartonella koehlerae DNA in samples from blood and mitral valve tissue. Conclusions This is the first description of B. koehlerae in Spain, corroborating that it can also be detected in dogs. Bartonella koehlerae infection should also be considered in Spain in humans and dogs presenting with clinical disease suggestive of it, such as culture-negative endocarditis.

A 15-year-old, female cockatoo (Cacatua alba) was presented with a history of intermittent cloacal prolapse of 1-year duration. After each prolapse, the owner would digitally reduce the distended cloacal tissue within approximately 12–24 hours, for short-term resolution. The cockatoo was examined 3 times over a 7-month period and received supportive care with leuprolide acetate, behavioral modification, and diet change. After the third examination, the owner decided to proceed with a surgical cloacopexy. Five days after the last examination and before the procedure was scheduled, the cockatoo was reexamined for acute onset of weakness, anorexia, lethargy, and right-leg paresis. Despite supportive treatment, the cockatoo's clinical condition declined, and it went into respiratory arrest. Resuscitative efforts, including manual ventilation and cardiovascular support, were unsuccessful, and the bird died. Results of postmortem examination revealed vegetative endocarditis with intralesional bacteria cultured as Staphylococcus aureus, right-hindlimb myonecrosis, hepatitis, and nephritis. We suspect that the source of the hematogenous S aureus infection in this cockatoo was translocation from the owner's skin from the repeated manual manipulation and replacement of the prolapsed cloacal tissue.

Background Bacterial endocarditis is a recognised disease in humans and animals. In humans, infection with Coxiella burnetii can cause endocarditis, but this has not been investigated thoroughly in animals. Endocarditis in cattle is a common post-mortem finding in abattoirs and studies have identified Trueperella pyogenes as a major cause. Despite exposure of cattle to C. burnetii , the significance of this particular bacterium for development and progression of endocarditis has not been studied in detail. Cardiac valves of cattle affected with endocarditis ( n  = 100) were examined by histology, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Serum was examined for anti- C. burnetii antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results Serology revealed that 70% of the cattle were positive for antibodies to C. burnetii , while PCR analysis identified 25% of endocarditis valve samples as being positive. C. burnetii was not detected by FISH, probably due to the low infection levels. Most cattle had chronic valvular vegetative endocarditis with lesions being characterised by a core of fibrous tissue covered by significant amounts of fibrin, sometimes with areas of liquefaction, and with a coagulum covering the surface. In a few cases, including the case with the highest infection level, lesions were characterized by extensive fibrosis and calcification. Histologically, bacteria other than C. burnetii were observed in most cases. Conclusions The presence of C. burnetii DNA is relatively common in cattle affected with valvular endocarditis. The role of C. burnetii remains however unknown as lesions did not differ between C. burnetii infected and non-infected cattle and because T. pyogenes –like bacteria were present in the inflamed valves; a bacterium able to induce the observed lesions. Heart valves of normal cattle should be investigated to assess if C. burnetii may be present without preexisting lesions.