Endocarditis caused by Pasteurella multocida

Pasturella multocida, a small gram-negative coccobacillus, is primarily a pathogen in animals, but can cause a variety of infections in humans. Infection usually follows a bite or contact with secretions from felines such as dogs or cats. Infection is usually followed by cellulitis, but the organism has been implicated in pneumonia, meningitis, liver abscess and osteomyelitis. Systemic infection is rare; only eleven cases of P. multicoda endocarditis have been reported in the English literature. We report a case of P. multocida endocarditis in a Saudi patient who had frequent contact with sheep, but in whomthere was no clear portal of entry of the organism. In addition, the patient had no co-morbid conditions and was not immunosuppressed. To our knowledge, this is the twelfth reported case of endocarditis by this unusual organism in the English literature. We review the previously reported eleven cases.