Neisseria macacae infective endocarditis: first case report in China.

Background: Neisseria macacae is a gram‑negative diplococcus rarely implicated in human disease.

Case Presentation: We report a case of infective endocarditis in a 60-year-old male with intermittent fever. Physical examination revealed a systolic murmur. Laboratory tests showed significant inflammation. Cardiac ultrasound demonstrated a tricuspid valve vegetation. Blood cultures were positive for N. macacae, identified using VITEK 2 COMPACT, MALDI-TOF MS, and 16S rRNA sequencing. The bacterium was susceptible to ceftriaxone and meropenem. Initial treatment with meropenem, followed by the addition of ceftriaxone after pathogen identification and susceptibility testing, led to significant improvement in inflammatory markers. Subsequent tricuspid valve surgery was successful.

Conclusions: This case highlights the need to consider N. macacae in unexplained fever or infective endocarditis and underscores the value of advanced microbiological identification techniques.