An Unusual Case of Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis.

Mycobacterium chimaera is a slow-growing nontuberculous mycobacterium. It has been identified as a contaminant during open-heart surgery. It contaminates water in heater-cooler units that then become aerosolized, contaminating the surgical field. We report a 56-year-old male who presented with culture-negative endocarditis six years after his initial open-heart surgery.