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Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia 2019Bartonellosis are diseases caused by any kind of Bartonella species. The infection manifests as asymptomatic bacteremia to potentially fatal disorders. Many species are... (Review)
Review
Bartonellosis are diseases caused by any kind of Bartonella species. The infection manifests as asymptomatic bacteremia to potentially fatal disorders. Many species are pathogenic to humans, but three are responsible for most clinical symptoms: Bartonella bacilliformis, Bartonella quintana, and Bartonella henselae. Peruvian wart, caused by B. bacilliformis, may be indistinguishable from bacillary angiomatosis caused by the other two species. Other cutaneous manifestations include maculo-papular rash in trench fever, papules or nodules in cat scratch disease, and vasculitis (often associated with endocarditis). In addition, febrile morbilliform rash, purpura, urticaria, erythema nodosum, erythema multiforme, erythema marginatus, granuloma annularis, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, granulomatous reactions, and angioproliferative reactions may occur. Considering the broad spectrum of infection and the potential complications associated with Bartonella spp., the infection should be considered by physicians more frequently among the differential diagnoses of idiopathic conditions. Health professionals and researchers often neglected this diseases.
Topics: Bartonella; Bartonella Infections; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Skin Diseases, Bacterial; Transfusion Reaction
PubMed: 31780437
DOI: 10.1016/j.abd.2019.09.024 -
Revue Medicale de Liege Jul 2020We present three clinical cases to show the diversity of clinical presentations of Bartonella henselae infection, from classical adenopathy to disseminated form. It is...
We present three clinical cases to show the diversity of clinical presentations of Bartonella henselae infection, from classical adenopathy to disseminated form. It is an infection that leads to diagnostic wandering, due to a lack of explicit history and the variety of clinical manifestations. Antibiotic therapy is rarely necessary because it has a spontaneously favourable evolution in the majority of cases.
Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bartonella henselae; Cat-Scratch Disease; Humans
PubMed: 32779899
DOI: No ID Found -
Parasites & Vectors Jun 2023Hedgehogs are small synanthropic mammals that live in rural areas as well as in urban and suburban areas. They can be reservoirs of several microorganisms, including... (Review)
Review
Hedgehogs are small synanthropic mammals that live in rural areas as well as in urban and suburban areas. They can be reservoirs of several microorganisms, including certain pathogenic agents that cause human and animal public health issues. Hedgehogs are often parasitized by blood-sucking arthropods, mainly hard ticks and fleas, which in turn can also carry various vector-born microorganisms of zoonotic importance. Many biotic factors, such as urbanization and agricultural mechanization, have resulted in the destruction of the hedgehog's natural habitats, leading these animals to take refuge near human dwellings, seeking food and shelter in parks and gardens and exposing humans to zoonotic agents that can be transmitted either directly by them or indirectly by their ectoparasites. In this review, we focus on the microorganisms detected in arthropods sampled from hedgehogs worldwide. Several microorganisms have been reported in ticks collected from these animals, including various Borrelia spp., Anaplasma spp., Ehrlichia spp., and Rickettsia spp. species as well as Coxiella burnetii and Leptospira spp. As for fleas, C. burnetii, Rickettsia spp., Wolbachia spp., Mycobacterium spp. and various Bartonella species have been reported. The detection of these microorganisms in arthropods does not necessarily mean that they can be transmitted to humans and animals. While the vector capacity and competence of fleas and ticks for some of these microorganisms has been proven, in other cases the microorganisms may have simply been ingested with blood taken from an infected host. Further investigations are needed to clarify this issue. As hedgehogs are protected animals, handling them is highly regulated, making it difficult to conduct epidemiological studies on them. Their ectoparasites represent a very interesting source of information on microorganisms circulating in populations of these animals, especially vector-born ones.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Arthropods; Hedgehogs; Rickettsia; Bartonella; Mammals; Siphonaptera; Ticks; Flea Infestations
PubMed: 37349802
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05764-7 -
Diagnostic Pathology Jan 2022Immunohistochemistry (IHC) using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies is a useful diagnostic method for detecting pathogen antigens in fixed tissues, complementing the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Immunohistochemistry (IHC) using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies is a useful diagnostic method for detecting pathogen antigens in fixed tissues, complementing the direct diagnosis of infectious diseases by PCR and culture on fresh tissues. It was first implemented in a seminal publication by Albert Coons in 1941.
MAIN BODY
Of 14,198 publications retrieved from the PubMed, Google, Google Scholar and Science Direct databases up to December 2021, 230 were selected for a review of IHC techniques, protocols and results. The methodological evolutions of IHC and its application to the diagnosis of infectious diseases, more specifically lice-borne diseases, sexually transmitted diseases and skin infections, were critically examined. A total of 59 different pathogens have been detected once in 22 different tissues and organs; and yet non-cultured, fastidious and intracellular pathogens accounted for the vast majority of pathogens detected by IHC. Auto-IHC, incorporating patient serum as the primary antibody, applied to diseased heart valves surgically collected from blood culture-negative endocarditis patients, detected unidentified Gram-positive cocci and microorganisms which were subsequently identified as Coxiella burnetii, Bartonella quintana, Bartonella henselae and Tropheryma whipplei. The application of IHC to ancient tissues dated between the ends of the Ptolemaic period to over 70 years ago, have also contributed to paleomicrobiology diagnoses.
CONCLUSION
IHC plays an important role in diagnostic of infectious diseases in tissue samples. Paleo-auto-IHC derived from auto-IHC, is under development for detecting non-identified pathogens from ancient specimens.
Topics: Bartonella quintana; Communicable Diseases; Coxiella burnetii; Heart Valves; Humans; Polymerase Chain Reaction
PubMed: 35094696
DOI: 10.1186/s13000-022-01197-5 -
Epidemiology and Infection Sep 2023Rodents and shrews are major reservoirs of various pathogens that are related to zoonotic infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate co-infections...
Rodents and shrews are major reservoirs of various pathogens that are related to zoonotic infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate co-infections of zoonotic pathogens in rodents and shrews trapped in four provinces of China. We sampled different rodent and shrew communities within and around human settlements in four provinces of China and characterised several important zoonotic viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens by PCR methods and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 864 rodents and shrews belonging to 24 and 13 species from were captured, respectively. For viral pathogens, two species of hantavirus (Hantaan orthohantavirus and Caobang orthohantavirus) were identified in 3.47% of rodents and shrews. The overall prevalence of spp., Anaplasmataceae, spp., spp., Spotted fever group Rickettsiae, spp., and were 31.25%, 8.91%, 4.17%, 3.94%, 3.59%, 3.47%, and 0.58%, respectively. Furthermore, the highest co-infection status of three pathogens was observed among spp., spp., and Anaplasmataceae with a co-infection rate of 0.46%. Our results suggested that species distribution and co-infections of zoonotic pathogens were prevalent in rodents and shrews, highlighting the necessity of active surveillance for zoonotic pathogens in wild mammals in wider regions.
Topics: Animals; Bartonella; China; Coinfection; Leptospira; Phylogeny; Rodentia; Shrews
PubMed: 37675640
DOI: 10.1017/S0950268823001450 -
PloS One 2020During the two World Wars, Bartonella quintana was responsible for trench fever and is now recognised as an agent of re-emerging infection. Many reports have indicated...
During the two World Wars, Bartonella quintana was responsible for trench fever and is now recognised as an agent of re-emerging infection. Many reports have indicated widespread B. quintana exposure since the 1990s. In order to evaluate its prevalence in ancient populations, we used real-time PCR to detect B. quintana DNA in 400 teeth collected from 145 individuals dating from the 1st to 19th centuries in nine archaeological sites, with the presence of negative controls. Fisher's exact test was used to compare the prevalence of B. quintana in civil and military populations. B. quintana DNA was confirmed in a total of 28/145 (19.3%) individuals, comprising 78 citizens and 67 soldiers, 20.1% and 17.9% of which were positive for B. quintana bacteraemia, respectively. This study analysed previous studies on these ancient samples and showed that the presence of B. quintana infection followed the course of time in human history; a total of 14/15 sites from five European countries had a positive prevalence. The positive rate in soldiers was higher than those of civilians, with 20% and 18.8%, respectively, in the 18th and 19th centuries, but the difference in frequency was not significant. These results confirmed the role of dental pulp in diagnosing B. quintana bacteraemia in ancient populations and showed the incidence of B. quintana in both civilians and soldiers.
Topics: Bacteremia; Bartonella quintana; DNA, Bacterial; Dental Pulp; Europe; Fossils; Humans; Military Personnel; Paleodontology; Prevalence; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Tooth; Trench Fever
PubMed: 33147255
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239526 -
CMAJ Open 2022are gram-negative bacilli not identified by routine bacterial culture. The objectives of this study were to review the results of all serologic testing for ordered in... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
are gram-negative bacilli not identified by routine bacterial culture. The objectives of this study were to review the results of all serologic testing for ordered in Manitoba, Canada, and to review cases with positive test results among adults to assess species identification, risk factors, clinical manifestations and outcomes.
METHODS
This retrospective study included all serologic tests ordered in Manitoba and performed at the National Microbiology Laboratory, Winnipeg, from Jan. 1, 2010, until Dec. 31, 2020. We analyzed the aggregate data for all serologic tests for for patients of all ages. We reviewed the charts of adult (age ≥ 18 yr) patients with serologic positivity for who had a medical chart at 1 of Winnipeg's 2 largest hospitals (Health Sciences Centre and St. Boniface Hospital) to extract clinical and demographic data and create a case series. Descriptive statistics were performed.
RESULTS
During the study period, 1014 serologic tests were ordered in adult and pediatric patients, of which 24 (2.4%) gave a positive result. Sixteen adults (12 men and 4 women; mean age 48 yr) seen at a participating hospital had a positive result. Molecular species-level identification occurred on explanted cardiac valves in 5 (31%) of the 16 cases; was identified in all 5. Six patients (38%) were diagnosed with probable infection, for a total of 11 cases (69%); 8 (73%) of the 11 had endocarditis. Four cases of infection (36%) were associated with rural residence. Four cases (25%) of probable were identified; 2 patients had fever and lymphadenopathy, and 2 had endocarditis. The remaining patient was deemed to have a false-positive result as his titre was at the threshold for positivity, his serologic test gave a negative result, and his clinical syndrome was not suggestive of infection. Two patients died; both had multivalvular endocarditis with ruptured intracranial mycotic aneurysms.
INTERPRETATION
was a common cause of serologic positivity among adults in Manitoba in 2010-2020 and was associated with endocarditis and systemic embolization. As is transmitted by body lice, active case finding for people who lack suitable housing, both in urban and rural settings, should prioritize those with elevated titres to receive echocardiography and detect endocarditis before systemic embolization occurs.
Topics: Adult; Bartonella; Canada; Child; Endocarditis; Endocarditis, Bacterial; Female; Humans; Male; Manitoba; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 35640989
DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20210180 -
Parasites & Vectors Mar 2022Species of the genus Bartonella are facultative intracellular alphaproteobacteria with zoonotic potential. Bartonella infections in humans range from mild with... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Species of the genus Bartonella are facultative intracellular alphaproteobacteria with zoonotic potential. Bartonella infections in humans range from mild with unspecific symptoms to life threatening, and can be transmitted via arthropod vectors or through direct contact with infected hosts, although the latter mode of transmission is rare. Among the small mammals that harbour Bartonella spp., rodents are the most speciose group and harbour the highest diversity of these parasites. Human-rodent interactions are not unlikely as many rodent species live in proximity to humans. However, a surprisingly low number of clinical cases of bartonellosis related to rodent-associated Bartonella spp. have thus far been recorded in humans.
METHODS
The main purpose of this review is to determine explanatory factors for this unexpected finding, by taking a closer look at published clinical cases of bartonellosis connected with rodent-associated Bartonella species, some of which have been newly described in recent years. Thus, another focus of this review are these recently proposed species.
CONCLUSIONS
Worldwide, only 24 cases of bartonellosis caused by rodent-associated bartonellae have been reported in humans. Possible reasons for this low number of cases in comparison to the high prevalences of Bartonella in small mammal species are (i) a lack of awareness amongst physicians of Bartonella infections in humans in general, and especially those caused by rodent-associated bartonellae; and (ii) a frequent lack of the sophisticated equipment required for the confirmation of Bartonella infections in laboratories that undertake routine diagnostic testing. As regards recently described Bartonella spp., there are presently 14 rodent-associated Candidatus taxa. In contrast to species which have been taxonomically classified, there is no official process for the review of proposed Candidatus species and their names before they are published. This had led to the use of malformed names that are not based on the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Researchers are thus encouraged to propose Candidatus names to the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes for approval before publishing them, and only to propose new species of Bartonella when the relevant datasets allow them to be clearly differentiated from known species and subspecies.
Topics: Animals; Arthropod Vectors; Bartonella; Bartonella Infections; Humans; Parasites; Rodentia
PubMed: 35361285
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05162-5 -
Zoonoses and Public Health Sep 2022Bartonella spp. and haemoplasmas are pathogens of veterinary and medical interest with ectoparasites mainly involved in their transmission. This study aimed at molecular...
Bartonella spp. and haemoplasmas are pathogens of veterinary and medical interest with ectoparasites mainly involved in their transmission. This study aimed at molecular detection of Bartonella spp. and haemoplasmas in cats (n = 93) and dogs (n = 96), and their related fleas (n = 189) from countries in East and Southeast Asia. Ctenocephalides felis was the dominant flea species infesting both cats (97.85%) and dogs (75%) followed by Ctenocephalides orientis in dogs (18.75%) and rarely in cats (5.2%). Bartonella spp. DNA was only detected in blood samples of flea-infested cats (21.51%) (p < .0001, OR = 27.70) with Bartonella henselae more frequently detected than Bartonella clarridgeiae in cat hosts (15.05%, 6.45%) and their associated fleas (17.24%, 13.79%). Out of three Bartonella-positive fleas from dogs, two Ct. orientis fleas carried Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and Bartonella clarridgeiae, while the 3rd flea (Ct. felis) carried Candidatus Bartonella merieuxii. Felines represented a risk factor for Bartonella spp. infections, where fleas collected from cats (32.25%) presented an increased likelihood for Bartonella spp. occurrence (p < .0001, OR = 14.76) than those from dogs (3.13%). Moreover, when analysing infectious status, higher Bartonella spp. DNA loads were detected in fleas from bacteraemic cats compared to those from non-bacteraemic ones (p < .05). The haemoplasma occurrence was 16.13% (15/93) and 4.17% (4/96) in cat and dog blood samples from different countries (i.e. Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand), with cats more at risk of infection (p < .01, OR = 5.96) than dogs. Unlike Bartonella spp., there was no evidence for flea involvement in the hemoplasmas' transmission cycle, thus supporting the hypothesis of non-vectorial transmission for these pathogens. In conclusion, client-owned cats and dogs living in East and Southeast Asia countries are exposed to vector-borne pathogens with fleas from cats playing a key role in Bartonella spp. transmission, thus posing a high risk of infection for humans sharing the same environment.
Topics: Animals; Asia, Southeastern; Bacterial Load; Bartonella; Bartonella Infections; Cat Diseases; Cats; Ctenocephalides; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Flea Infestations; Humans; Mycoplasma; Siphonaptera
PubMed: 35545848
DOI: 10.1111/zph.12959 -
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Jul 2022Bartonella species are facultative intracellular bacteria and recognized worldwide as emerging zoonotic pathogens. Bartonella were isolated or identified by polymerase...
Bartonella species are facultative intracellular bacteria and recognized worldwide as emerging zoonotic pathogens. Bartonella were isolated or identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in bats and their ectoparasites worldwide, whereas the association between them was scarce, especially in Asia. In this study, a retrospective analysis with frozen samples was carried out to identify the genetic diversity of Bartonella in bats and their ectoparasites and to investigate the relationships of Bartonella carried by bats and their ectoparasites. Bats and their ectoparasites (bat flies and bat mites) were collected from caves in Hubei Province, Central China, from May 2018 to July 2020. Bartonella were screened by PCR amplification and sequencing of three genes (gltA, rpoB, and ftsZ). Bats, bat flies, and bat mites carried diverse novel Bartonella genotypes with a high prevalence. The sharing of some Bartonella genotypes between bats and bat flies or bat mites indicated a potential role of bat flies and bat mites as vectors of bartonellae, while the higher genetic diversity of Bartonella in bat flies than that in bats might be due to the vertical transmission of this bacterium in bat flies. Therefore, bat flies might also act as reservoirs of Bartonella. In addition, human-pathogenic B. mayotimonesis was identified in both bats and their ectoparasites, which expanded our knowledge on the geographic distribution of this bacterium and suggested a potential bat origin with bat flies and bat mites playing important roles in the maintenance and transmission of Bartonella.
Topics: Animals; Bartonella; Bartonella Infections; Chiroptera; Diptera; Genotype; Humans; Phylogeny; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 34695291
DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14357