Infective endocarditis due to <i>C. fetus</i> : an opportunistic infection in a patient with AIDS

Patients with AIDS are at-risk for opportunistic infections, including those that are less commonly investigated and potentially without obvious epidemiologic risk factors, such as <i>C. fetus</i>. However, despite being a fastidious organism, <i>C. fetus</i> bacteremia can be diagnosed using widely available blood culture methods. Treatment requires rapid initiation of effective antimicrobial therapy and surgical evaluation in most cases of IE.