Heart valve inflammation is medically known as endocarditis. While the immune system in healthy individuals can fight off and eliminate infectious agents, in people with heart valve disease, microbes can settle on the heart valve. This leads to a serious heart valve infection called "infective endocarditis". Infective endocarditis can be highly resistant to antibiotic treatment. Patients may present with symptoms such as unexplained fever and signs of infection in blood tests. Due to patients seeking medical attention with a wide range of varied and non-specific complaints, diagnosing infective endocarditis can often be challenging.