Abiotrophia defectiva: A rare gut pathogen resulting endocarditis in inflammatory bowel disease

Abiotrophia defectiva (formerly referred to as nutritionally variant Streptococcus) is a normal flora of the human gastrointestinal tract. Abiotrophia defectiva is associated with high morbidity and mortality, yet timely diagnosis is challenging. Higher incidence of endocarditis was reported among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) from a retrospective study. We highlighted the diagnostic and management challenges of a case of rare subacute endocarditis by Abiotrophia defectiva in an IBD patient without predisposing valvular defect, prior central catheter insertion or intravenous drug abuse, suggesting gut translocation as a possible etiology of infective endocarditis among IBD patients. J Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 7(4):217-219