Serial Testing from a 3-Day Collection Period by Use of the Bartonella Alphaproteobacteria Growth Medium Platform May Enhance the Sensitivity of Bartonella Species Detection in Bacteremic Human Patients

Abstract

Patients with infection from bacteremic Bartonella spp., tested using Bartonella Alphaproteobacteria growth medium (BAPGM), were retrospectively categorized into one of two groups that included those whose blood was collected once (group 1; n ‫؍‬ 55) or three times (group 2; n ‫؍‬ 36) within a 1-week period. Overall, 19 patients (20.8%) were PCR positive for one or more Bartonella spp. using the BAPGM platform. Seven patients (12.7%) in group 1 tested positive, and 12 patients (33.3%) in group 2 tested positive. Detection was improved when the patients were tested three times within a 1-week period (odds ratio, 3.4 [95% confidence interval, 1.2 to 9.8]; P ‫؍‬ 0.02). Obtaining three sequential blood samples during a 1-week period should be considered a diagnostic approach when bartonellosis is suspected.

Bartonella henselae Infections In An Owner and Two Papillon Dogs Exposed to Tropical Rat Mites (Ornithonyssus bacoti)

“…Both dogs in this report were not seroreactive to a Bh Houston 1 genotype, whereas both had 1:64 IFA antibody titers to a Bh SA2 genotype, suggesting genotype-specific antibody production. Due to diagnostic limitations associated with serology and direct blood plating methods, a more sensitive detection system combining PCR and culture should be used, and multiple samples from different time points should be tested (Duncan et al 2007, Perez et al 2011, Pultorak et al 2013. Even using these sensitive techniques, only one Bartonella isolate was obtained from the multiple samples tested from this owner and her dogs.…”

Death of Military Working Dogs Due to Bartonella vinsonii Subspecies berkhoffii Genotype III Endocarditis and Myocarditis

“…from dog and human blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or joint fluid. 4,17,18 Although unproven, Bartonella spp. most likely induce a relapsing pattern of bacteremia in naturally infected dogs, as has been documented in experimentally infected cats 19 and rodents.…”

“…bacteremia, particularly in healthy or nonclinical dogs, as has been documented in human patients. 18 Additionally, as a result of the serious, but treatable clinical outcomes associated with Bartonella spp. infection in these valuable, highly trained, healthy at-risk government working dogs, annual screening for bartonellosis by serology and BAPGM enrichment blood culture/PCR are necessary for early diagnosis, treatment, and successful MWD outcomes.…”

Identification of Novel Zoonotic Activity of Bartonella spp., France

“…; members of the same team have investigated many cases of persons who had nonspecific symptoms, including arthralgia, muscle pain, fatigue, headaches, visual blurring, neurocognitive symptoms, and, in 2 case-patients, hemangioendothelioma (30). In total, B. henselae DNA was detected in 47 cases (5,(30)(31)(32)(33); B. koehlerae (another common agent of feline bacteremia) DNA in 96 cases, including 2 co-infected with B. henselae (31,32,34,35); and B. vinsonii berkhoffii (an agent of canine bacteremia and endocarditis) DNA in 24 cases (31-34), including 16 case-patients with B. henselae and 2 cases of B. melophagi (36). These results have been questioned because minute levels of contamination can result in false positives by PCR.…”