Bartonella species are bacterial pathogens responsible for Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) with various clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting febrile illnesses to severe systemic infections. Diagnosis is often...Bartonella species are bacterial pathogens responsible for Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) with various clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting febrile illnesses to severe systemic infections. Diagnosis is often challenging due to its insidious nature and variable presentation based on the body’s immune status. Such a scenario emerged when a 25-year-old male presented to our hospital with nonspecific symptoms of Fever of unknown origin that were not responding to antibiotics until a timely diagnosis of Bartonella infection. This case report highlights the importance of considering Bartonella as a potential etiology in patients with prolonged Fever of unknown origin, especially in endemic regions.展开更多
Background Multi-locus sequence typing （MLST） is widely used to explore the population structure of numerous bacterial pathogens. However, for genotypically-restricted pathogens, the sensitivity of MLST is limited b...Background Multi-locus sequence typing （MLST） is widely used to explore the population structure of numerous bacterial pathogens. However, for genotypically-restricted pathogens, the sensitivity of MLST is limited by a paucity of variation within selected loci. For Bartonella henselae （B. henselae）, although the MLST scheme currently used has been proven useful in defining the overall population structure of the species, its reliability for the accurate delineation of closely-related sequence types, between which allelic variation is usually limited to, at most, one or two nucleotide polymorphisms. Exploitation of high-throughput sequencing data allows a more informed selection of MLST loci and thus, potentially, a means of enhancing the sensitivity of the schemes they comprise. Methods We carried out SOLID resequencing on 12 representative B. henselae isolates and explored these data using single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） analysis. We determined the number and distribution of SNPs in the genes targeted by the established MLST scheme and modified the position of loci within these genes to capture as much genetic variation as possible. Results Using genome-wide SNP data, we found the distribution of SNPs within each open reading frame （ORF） of MLST loci, which were not represented by the established B. henselae MLST scheme. We then modified the position of loci in the MLST scheme to better reflect the polymorphism in the ORF as a whole. The use of amended loci in this scheme allowed previously indistinguishable ST1 strains to be differentiated. However, the diversity of B. henselae was still rare in China. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the use of SNP analysis to facilitate the selection of MLST loci to augment the currently-described scheme for B. henselae. And the diversity among B. henselae strains in China is markedly less than that observed in B. henselae populations elsewhere in the world.展开更多
Neuroretinitis is characterized by optic disc swelling with macular star,and affects 1%-2%of the patients with Bartonella henselae infection.This condition needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of unila...Neuroretinitis is characterized by optic disc swelling with macular star,and affects 1%-2%of the patients with Bartonella henselae infection.This condition needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of unilateral optic neuropathy in young adults.A 44-year-old woman presented with a progressive visual loss in right eye that was described as a central scotoma with altered color perception.Medical history was negative except for Hashimoto's thyroiditis.The examination evidenced a relative afferent pupillary defect in right eye and marked papillary oedema involving the macular region.Brain and orbits magnetic resonance imaging were normal,and fundoscopy showed star-shaped hard exudates.Autoimmune and infective screening revealed IgM and IgG antibodies against Bartonella henselae,suggesting for recent cat-scratch disease.She was treated with high-dose intravenous steroids and doxycycline.One month later she fully recovered,and she had no relapses.We diagnosed a Bartonella henselae neuroretinitis(finally the patient recalled she had stroked stray cats,not being scratched).In conclusion time course and absence of pain differentiate neuroretinitis from other optic neuropathies.Fundoscopic image of macular star is a clue for diagnosis,and visual recovery is usually excellent.展开更多
Bartonella henselae is a Gram-negative bacterium and is the causative agent of cat scratch disease.In humans,infections with B.henselae can result in acute or chronic systemic infections with diverse clinical symptoms...Bartonella henselae is a Gram-negative bacterium and is the causative agent of cat scratch disease.In humans,infections with B.henselae can result in acute or chronic systemic infections with diverse clinical symptoms.The current treatment for Bartonella infections with antibiotics such as doxycycline and rifampin is not always effective,presumably due in part to bacterial persistence.There are various anecdotal reports of herbal extracts used for treating patients with persistent Bartonella infections but their activity on B.henselae is unknown.In order to identify more effective therapies for persistent Bartonella infections,in this study,we tested the antimicrobial activity of botanical and herbal medicines and screened an herbal product collection against stationary phase B.henselae in vitro using a SYBR Green I/propidium iodide viability assay.We identified five herbal product extracts(at 1.67 mg/mL or 2.5mg/mL),including Cryptolepis sanguinolenta,Juglans nigra,Polygonum cuspidatum,Scutellaria baicalensis,and Scutellaria barbata,that had high activity against stationary phase B.henselae.Among them,C.sanguinolenta,J.nigra,and P.cuspidatum could eradicate all stationary phase B.henselae cells within 7days at 0.83 mg/mL or 1.25 mg/mL in drug exposure time-kill assays,whereas S.baicalensis and S.barbata showed relatively poor activity.These top hits were active against both stationary phase nongrowing B.henselae and log phase growing B.henselae in minimum inhibitory concentration testing.These findings may have implications for improved treatment of persistent Bartonella infections.展开更多
An 11 year old, hispanic girl with a history of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia was admitted to the hospital for symptoms compatible with Bartonella henselae infection. The first molecularly diagnosed case of diss...An 11 year old, hispanic girl with a history of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia was admitted to the hospital for symptoms compatible with Bartonella henselae infection. The first molecularly diagnosed case of disseminated Bartonella henselae infection was reported in an immunocompromised patient in Lima, Peru. The analysis was confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction and automated sequencing of a liver biopsy sample, even though the serologic tests were negative. In conclusion, Bartonella spp. infection should have a particular diagnostic consideration in immunocompromised patients with fever of unknown origin and further investigation regarding the patient's past exposures with cats should also be elicited.展开更多
Brazilian spotted fever and bartonellosis are zoonotic, emerging and under diagnosed diseases. Pets may be co-infected by multiple pathogens and become transmissions sources to humans. The study reports the first case...Brazilian spotted fever and bartonellosis are zoonotic, emerging and under diagnosed diseases. Pets may be co-infected by multiple pathogens and become transmissions sources to humans. The study reports the first case of active co-infection by Brazilian spotted fever and bartonellosis based on serological evidence. The authors aim to demonstrate the importance of performing systematic syndromic investigations on nonspecific febrile syndromes, guided by the epidemiological history and considering the possibility of co-infection by zoonosis sharing the same ecological niche.展开更多
文摘Bartonella species are bacterial pathogens responsible for Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) with various clinical manifestations, ranging from self-limiting febrile illnesses to severe systemic infections. Diagnosis is often challenging due to its insidious nature and variable presentation based on the body’s immune status. Such a scenario emerged when a 25-year-old male presented to our hospital with nonspecific symptoms of Fever of unknown origin that were not responding to antibiotics until a timely diagnosis of Bartonella infection. This case report highlights the importance of considering Bartonella as a potential etiology in patients with prolonged Fever of unknown origin, especially in endemic regions.
文摘Background Multi-locus sequence typing （MLST） is widely used to explore the population structure of numerous bacterial pathogens. However, for genotypically-restricted pathogens, the sensitivity of MLST is limited by a paucity of variation within selected loci. For Bartonella henselae （B. henselae）, although the MLST scheme currently used has been proven useful in defining the overall population structure of the species, its reliability for the accurate delineation of closely-related sequence types, between which allelic variation is usually limited to, at most, one or two nucleotide polymorphisms. Exploitation of high-throughput sequencing data allows a more informed selection of MLST loci and thus, potentially, a means of enhancing the sensitivity of the schemes they comprise. Methods We carried out SOLID resequencing on 12 representative B. henselae isolates and explored these data using single nucleotide polymorphism （SNP） analysis. We determined the number and distribution of SNPs in the genes targeted by the established MLST scheme and modified the position of loci within these genes to capture as much genetic variation as possible. Results Using genome-wide SNP data, we found the distribution of SNPs within each open reading frame （ORF） of MLST loci, which were not represented by the established B. henselae MLST scheme. We then modified the position of loci in the MLST scheme to better reflect the polymorphism in the ORF as a whole. The use of amended loci in this scheme allowed previously indistinguishable ST1 strains to be differentiated. However, the diversity of B. henselae was still rare in China. Conclusions Our study demonstrates the use of SNP analysis to facilitate the selection of MLST loci to augment the currently-described scheme for B. henselae. And the diversity among B. henselae strains in China is markedly less than that observed in B. henselae populations elsewhere in the world.
文摘Neuroretinitis is characterized by optic disc swelling with macular star,and affects 1%-2%of the patients with Bartonella henselae infection.This condition needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis of unilateral optic neuropathy in young adults.A 44-year-old woman presented with a progressive visual loss in right eye that was described as a central scotoma with altered color perception.Medical history was negative except for Hashimoto's thyroiditis.The examination evidenced a relative afferent pupillary defect in right eye and marked papillary oedema involving the macular region.Brain and orbits magnetic resonance imaging were normal,and fundoscopy showed star-shaped hard exudates.Autoimmune and infective screening revealed IgM and IgG antibodies against Bartonella henselae,suggesting for recent cat-scratch disease.She was treated with high-dose intravenous steroids and doxycycline.One month later she fully recovered,and she had no relapses.We diagnosed a Bartonella henselae neuroretinitis(finally the patient recalled she had stroked stray cats,not being scratched).In conclusion time course and absence of pain differentiate neuroretinitis from other optic neuropathies.Fundoscopic image of macular star is a clue for diagnosis,and visual recovery is usually excellent.
基金supported by Bay Area Lyme Foundation,the Steven&Alexandra Cohen Foundation,LivLyme Foundation,and the Einstein-Sim Family Charitable Fund.The funders had no role in study design,data collection and interpretation,writing of the manuscript,or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
文摘Bartonella henselae is a Gram-negative bacterium and is the causative agent of cat scratch disease.In humans,infections with B.henselae can result in acute or chronic systemic infections with diverse clinical symptoms.The current treatment for Bartonella infections with antibiotics such as doxycycline and rifampin is not always effective,presumably due in part to bacterial persistence.There are various anecdotal reports of herbal extracts used for treating patients with persistent Bartonella infections but their activity on B.henselae is unknown.In order to identify more effective therapies for persistent Bartonella infections,in this study,we tested the antimicrobial activity of botanical and herbal medicines and screened an herbal product collection against stationary phase B.henselae in vitro using a SYBR Green I/propidium iodide viability assay.We identified five herbal product extracts(at 1.67 mg/mL or 2.5mg/mL),including Cryptolepis sanguinolenta,Juglans nigra,Polygonum cuspidatum,Scutellaria baicalensis,and Scutellaria barbata,that had high activity against stationary phase B.henselae.Among them,C.sanguinolenta,J.nigra,and P.cuspidatum could eradicate all stationary phase B.henselae cells within 7days at 0.83 mg/mL or 1.25 mg/mL in drug exposure time-kill assays,whereas S.baicalensis and S.barbata showed relatively poor activity.These top hits were active against both stationary phase nongrowing B.henselae and log phase growing B.henselae in minimum inhibitory concentration testing.These findings may have implications for improved treatment of persistent Bartonella infections.
基金partially supported by the Programa Nacional de Innovación para la Competitividady Productividad(Innóvate Perú).under the contract 117-PNICP-PIAP-2015
文摘An 11 year old, hispanic girl with a history of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia was admitted to the hospital for symptoms compatible with Bartonella henselae infection. The first molecularly diagnosed case of disseminated Bartonella henselae infection was reported in an immunocompromised patient in Lima, Peru. The analysis was confirmed by Polymerase Chain Reaction and automated sequencing of a liver biopsy sample, even though the serologic tests were negative. In conclusion, Bartonella spp. infection should have a particular diagnostic consideration in immunocompromised patients with fever of unknown origin and further investigation regarding the patient's past exposures with cats should also be elicited.
文摘Brazilian spotted fever and bartonellosis are zoonotic, emerging and under diagnosed diseases. Pets may be co-infected by multiple pathogens and become transmissions sources to humans. The study reports the first case of active co-infection by Brazilian spotted fever and bartonellosis based on serological evidence. The authors aim to demonstrate the importance of performing systematic syndromic investigations on nonspecific febrile syndromes, guided by the epidemiological history and considering the possibility of co-infection by zoonosis sharing the same ecological niche.
