Bartonella henselaesurvives after the storage period of red blood cell units: is it transmissible by transfusion?

Abstract

Bartonella henselae is the agent of cat scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis. Blood donors can be asymptomatic carriers of B. henselae and the risk for transmission by transfusion should be considered. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that B. henselae remains viable in red blood cell (RBC) units at the end of the storage period. Two RBC units were split into two portions. One portion was inoculated with B. henselae and the other was used as a control. All units were stored at 4 degrees C for 35 days. Aliquots were collected on a weekly basis for culture in a dish with chocolate agar, ideal for the cultivation of this agent. Samples were collected on days 1 and 35 and taken for culture in Bact/Alert R blood culture bottles. Aliquots taken simultaneously were fixed in Karnovsky's medium for subsequent electron microscopy evaluation. Samples from infected bags successfully isolated B. henselae by chocolate agar culture, although Bact/Alert R blood culture bottles remained negative. Bartonella spp. structures within erythrocytes were confirmed by electron microscopy. The viability of B. henselae was demonstrated after a storage period of RBC units. These data reinforce the possibility of infection by transfusion of blood units collected from asymptomatic blood donors.

Molecular characterisation of Bartonella species in cats from São Luís, state of Maranhão, north-eastern Brazil

“…berkhoffii and B. henselae transmission to children in utero or during caesarean section has been reported (Breitschwerdt et al 2010b). In addition, the ability of B. henselae to adhere and invade mature human erythrocytes (Pitassi et al 2007) and remain viable in red blood cells after 35 days of storage at 4ºC (Magalhães et al 2008) underscore the possibility that these organisms may be transmitted by blood transfusion (Magalhães et al 2009, Velho 2009). Although immunocompromised patients may present with a systemic and fatal disease, immunocompetent individuals infected with Bartonella spp may develop non-specific and usually non-life-threatening clinical symptoms that have a significant impact on quality of life (Breitschwerdt et al 2008, 2010a, b, Kaiser et al 2011, Kalogeropoulos et al 2011.…”

Human bartonellosis: seroepidemiological and clinical features with an emphasis on data from Brazil - A review

“…Contact with animals and vectors seem to be the most important mode of transmission, although recent studies have shown the ability of Bartonella to survive in stored blood for more than 35 days with the potential for transfusion-associated infection (Magalhães et al 2007).…”

Bartonellosis in Cats and Its Role in Public Health

“…Besides, it was impossible to detect, in an free fleas environment, venereal transmission among bacteremic animals and among the queen and her kittens during the pregnancy and neonatal period (Abbot et al, 1997;Guptill et al, 1997;Guptill et al, 1998). However, another study showed the possibility of transmiting the agent B. henselae by blood transfusions (Magalhães et al, 2008).…”