6th May 2025

A 50-year-old male presents to hospital with new shortness of breath, orthopnoea and peripheral oedema.

A 50-year-old male presents to hospital with new shortness of breath, orthopnoea and peripheral oedema. He is found to have a diastolic murmur. He tells you that he had a febrile illness as a child when growing up in eastern Europe which was associated with joint swelling. What is the likely underlying causative organism?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.