Infective endocarditis caused by an unusual gram-negative rod,Rahnella aquatilis

An 11-month-old girl with congenital heart disease developed infective endocarditis. Blood cultures revealed an unusual gram-negative rod,Rahnella aquatilis. The patient was successfully treated with a combination of netilmicin and ceftazidime. This is the first case report of infective endocarditis caused by this organism.R. aquatilis should be recognized as a clinical pathogen capable of causing life-threatening infection in children and adults.