Although the etiological agent of brucellosis has been known for many years, this widespread infection remains one of the greatest enigmas in modern medicine. Perhaps the principal source of confusion is the difficulty of establishing a definite diagnosis of brucellosis. This is particularly true of the chronic form of this disease. While the history, clinical picture, laboratory procedures, in...

BACKGROUND Both endocarditis and Bartonella infections are neglected public health problems, especially in rural Asia. Bartonella endocarditis has been described from wealthier countries in Asia, Japan, Korea, Thailand and India but there are no reports from poorer countries, such as the Lao PDR (Laos), probably because people have neglected to look. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We conducte...

Brucella endocarditis was diagnosed in two patients with acute renal failure. Both patients had major aortic insufficiency, congestive cardiac failure and clinical and laboratory signs of an active infection, although adequate antibacterial therapy had already been introduced. Replacement of the aortic valve, together with the aortic root in one of the cases, were carried out as emergency proce...