Infective Endocarditis by Pasteurella Species: A Systematic Review

Pasteurella spp. are non-motile, facultative anaerobic, Gram-negative coccobacilli that are commonly found in the oral cavity and the gastrointestinal tract of some animals and are known to be the cause of infections. Usually, infections by Pasteurella spp. in humans is more common in the context of an animal bite leading to a skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI). Infective endocarditis (IE) is rarely caused by Pasteurella spp.; however, it can pose diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas due to its rarity. The aim of the present study was to systematically review all cases of IE by Pasteurella spp. in the literature. A systematic review was performed of PubMed, Scopus and the Cochrane Library (through 20 December 2021) for studies providing data on epidemiology and clinical and microbiological characteristics as well as data on treatment and outcomes of IE by Pasteurella spp. A total of 28 studies containing data for 28 patients were included. Prosthetic valve was present in 21.4% of patients. The aorta was the most commonly involved intracardiac site. Fever, sepsis, septic shock and heart failure were the most common clinical presentations. Cephalosporins, aminopenicillins and penicillin were the antimicrobials used most commonly. Overall mortality was 17.9%.