Dogs are more permissive than cats or guinea pigs to experimental infection with a human isolate of Bartonella rochalimae.
TL;DR: It is suggested that dogs could be a reservoir of this strain of B. rochalimae, in contrast to cats and guinea pigs, that was first isolated from the blood of a human who traveled to Peru and was exposed to multiple insect bites.
Abstract: Bartonella rochalimae was first isolated from the blood of a human who traveled to Peru and was exposed to multiple insect bites. Foxes and dogs are likely natural reservoirs for this bacterium. We report the results of experimental inoculation of two dogs, five cats and six guinea pigs with the only human isolate of this new Bartonella species. Both dogs became bacteremic for 5-7 weeks, with a peak of 10 3 -10 4 colony forming units (CFU)/mL blood. Three cats had low bacteremia levels (< 200 CFU/mL) of 6-8 weeks' duration. One cat that remained seronegative had two bacterial colonies isolated at a single culture time point. A fifth cat never became bacteremic, but seroconverted. None of the guinea pigs became bacteremic, but five seroconverted. These results suggest that dogs could be a reservoir of this strain of B. rochalimae, in contrast to cats and guinea pigs. Bartonella rochalimae / dogs / cats / guinea pigs / zoonosis
Citations
More filters
TL;DR: Although mild clinical signs followed acute infection, no long-term effects were noted for 2 years postinoculation and detection of Bartonella sp.
Abstract: Background
Experimental infection of horses with Bartonella species is not documented.
Objectives
Determine clinical signs, hematologic changes, duration of bacteremia, and pattern of seroconversion in Bartonella henselae or Bartonella bovis-inoculated horses.
Animals
Twelve (2 groups of 6) randomly selected healthy adult horses seronegative and culture negative for Bartonella spp.
Methods
Experimental/observational study: Group I: B. henselae or saline control was inoculated intradermally into 4 naive and 2 sentinel horses, respectively. Group II: same design was followed by means of B. bovis. Daily physical examinations, once weekly CBC, immunofluorescent antibody assay serology, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and twice weekly blood cultures were performed for 6 weeks and at postinoculation day 80 and 139. Bartonella alpha-Proteobacteria growth medium (BAPGM) enrichment blood culture was performed for horses that seroconverted to B. henselae antigens.
Results
Transient clinical signs consistent with bartonellosis occurred in some Bartonella-inoculated horses, but hematological alterations did not occur. Three B. henselae-inoculated horses seroconverted, whereas 1 B. bovis-inoculated horse was weakly seropositive. In Group I, B. henselae was amplified and sequenced from BAPGM blood culture as well as a subculture isolate from 1 horse, blood from a 2nd horse, and BAPGM blood culture from a 3rd horse although a subculture isolate was not obtained. All sentinels remained PCR, culture, and serology negative.
Conclusions
Detection of Bartonella sp. in blood after experimental inoculation supports bacteremia and seroconversion. Culture with BAPGM may be required to detect Bartonella sp. Although mild clinical signs followed acute infection, no long-term effects were noted for 2 years postinoculation.
9 citations
TL;DR: This work developed a sensitive and specific quantitative PCR platform for B. rochalimae by targeting the intergenic transcribed spacer, gltA, and rpoB genes, which are recommended for subtyping characterization and achieved the limit of detection between five and 10 genomic equivalents per reaction and did not amplify DNA from other Bartonella species or selected hosts.
Abstract: .
Bartonella rochalimae is an emerging zoonotic pathogen present in the United States, South America, and Europe. The molecular detection of B. rochalimae frequently relies on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays that target the genus Bartonella coupled with DNA sequencing for species determination. However, the presence of other Bartonella spp. in the sample being tested may result in false-negative results for B. rochalimae, especially when Sanger sequencing is used. We developed a sensitive and specific quantitative PCR platform for B. rochalimae by targeting the intergenic transcribed spacer, gltA, and rpoB genes, which are recommended for subtyping characterization. This PCR platform achieved the limit of detection between five and 10 genomic equivalents per reaction and did not amplify DNA from other Bartonella species or selected hosts. This PCR platform is a fast and cost-effective option to be used in epidemiological evaluations of reservoirs and vectors and in detecting and quantifying B. rochalimae infection in humans.
6 citations
TL;DR: Feline Bartonella infections can be zoonotically transmitted, primarily via cat scratches and cat bites, with cat scratch disease the most well known human condition caused by BartoneLLA.
Abstract: Bartonella infections, transmitted among cats by fleas, are common in pet cats worldwide. The impact of these often chronic infections on feline health is still not well understood. Many Bartonella species are zoonotic. Feline Bartonella infections can be zoonotically transmitted, primarily via cat scratches and cat bites, with cat scratch disease the most well known human condition caused by Bartonella henselae . The full impact of Bartonella infections on the health of pets, farm animals and humans is a very active area of investigation. This article discusses feline Bartonella infections, their impact on feline health, and their public health significance.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this rural area of Africa, febrile symptoms could be due to bacteria transmitted by arthropods, and further studies are needed to evaluate the pathogenic role of R. bellii.
Abstract: Bacterial arthropod-borne pathogens are a common cause of fever in Africa, but their precise impact is unknown and usually underdiagnosed in the basic rural laboratories of low-resourced A...
5 citations
TL;DR: The data demonstrates the high prevalence and genetic diversity of Bartonella infections in small rodents in the Zhongtiao Mountain, especially a potential novel Bart onella specie was detected, which could benefit the prevention and control of rodent-Bartonella species in this area.
Abstract: The prevalence and molecular characteristics of Bartonella infections in small rodents in the Zhongtiao Mountain, China have been explored. In this study, the liver, spleen and kidney tissues of captured rodents were used for Bartonella spp. detection and identification by combination of real-time PCR of transfer-mRNA (ssrA) gene and traditional PCR and sequencing of citrate synthase (gltA) gene. It was shown that 49.52% of the rodents (52/105) were positive for Bartonella spp.. The infection rate in different gender (χ2 = 0.079, P = 0.778) and tissues (χ2 = 0.233, P = 0.890) of small rodents did not have statistical difference, but that in different small rodents (Fisher’s exact test, P < 0.001) and habitats (χ2 = 5.483, P = 0.019) had statistical difference. And, the sequencing data suggests that Bartonella sequences (n = 31) were identified into three species, including 14 of B. grahamii, 3 of B. queenslandensis and 14 of unknown Bartonella species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that B. grahamii sequences were clustered with the isolates from South Korea and China, and B. queenslandensis sequences were mainly closely related to the isolates from China and Thailand. The genetic diversity analysis showed that B. grahamii and B. queenslandensis sequences exhibited noticeable intraspecies diversity. Taken together our data demonstrates the high prevalence and genetic diversity of Bartonella infections in small rodents in the Zhongtiao Mountain, especially a potential novel Bartonella specie was detected, which could benefit the prevention and control of rodent-Bartonella species in this area.
3 citations
References
More filters
TL;DR: Pets represent a large reservoir for human infection and can be a source of infection for humans and animals alike.
Abstract: Among the many mammals infected with Bartonella spp., pets represent a large reservoir for human infection because most Bartonella spp. infecting them are zoonotic. Cats are the main reservoir for Bartonella henselae, B. clarridgeiae, and B. koehlerae. Dogs can be infected with B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, B. henselae, B. clarridgeiae, B. washoensis, B. elizabethae, and B. quintana. The role of dogs as an important reservoir of Bartonella spp. is less clear than for cats because domestic dogs are more likely to be accidental hosts, at least in nontropical regions. Nevertheless, dogs are excellent sentinels for human infections because a similar disease spectrum develops in dogs. Transmission of B. henselae by cat fleas is better understood, although new potential vectors (ticks and biting flies) have been identified. We review current knowledge on the etiologic agents, clinical features, and epidemiologic characteristics of these emerging zoonoses.
398 citations
"Dogs are more permissive than cats ..." refers background in this paper
...clarridgeiae, a species for which cats are the natural reservoir [6]....
[...]
...In the subsequent ten years after recognition of this organism in domestic dogs, six other species of Bartonella were identified in dogs, in association with various clinical manifestations [6]....
[...]
TL;DR: P phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the isolate indicated that this organism, which can induce endocarditis in dogs, is a novel Bartonella subspecies containing an insertion sequence unique among currently recognized Bart onella species.
Abstract: Vegetative valvular endocarditis involving the aortic and, to a lesser extent, mitral valves was diagnosed echocardiographically in a 3-year-old spayed female Labrador retriever. Historically, the dog had been treated with tetracycline hydrochloride and prednisolone for positive seroreactivity to Ehrlichia canis and antinuclear antigens. Although three aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures failed to grow bacteria, blood cultured simultaneously by the lysis centrifugation technique grew a fastidious, gram-negative organism. Despite an initial therapeutic response, the owner elected euthanasia 17 days later. Necropsy confirmed aortic and mitral valvular endocarditis. Bacteria phenotypically similar to Bartonella species were visualized in the heart valve by light and electron microscopy, and Bartonella DNA from a frozen heart valve was amplified by PCR. Subsequent phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the isolate, including biochemical testing, cellular fatty acid analysis, DNA hybridization, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that this organism, which can induce endocarditis in dogs, is a novel Bartonella subspecies containing an insertion sequence unique among currently recognized Bartonella species. The name Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkoffii subsp. nov. will be proposed for this organism.
202 citations
"Dogs are more permissive than cats ..." refers background in this paper
...berkhoffii), was isolated from a dog with vegetative valvular endocarditis [3]....
[...]
TL;DR: A patient who had fever and splenomegaly after traveling to Peru and also had bacteremia from an organism that resembled Bartonella bacilliformis was described, which revealed that this fastidious bacterium represented a previously uncultured and unnamed bartonella species.
Abstract: Bartonella species cause serious human infections globally, including bacillary angiomatosis, Oroya fever, trench fever, and endocarditis. We describe a patient who had fever and splenomegaly after traveling to Peru and also had bacteremia from an organism that resembled Bartonella bacilliformis, the causative agent of Oroya fever, which is endemic to Peru. However, genetic analyses revealed that this fastidious bacterium represented a previously uncultured and unnamed bartonella species, closely related to B. clarridgeiae and more distantly related to B. bacilliformis. We characterized this isolate, including its ability to cause fever and sustained bacteremia in a rhesus macaque. The route of infection and burden of human disease associated with this newly described pathogen are currently unknown.
191 citations
"Dogs are more permissive than cats ..." refers background or methods in this paper
...rochalimae [9] was identified in a Pulex flea collected on a human in Cuzco, Peru, based on the sequence of a fragment of the intergenic spacer region (ITS) [20]....
[...]
...Furthermore, guinea pigs are commonly infested by Pulex simulans fleas that will feed readily on humans, and a Bartonella species nearly identical to the human isolate of B. rochalimae [9] was identified in a Pulex flea collected on a human in Cuzco, Peru, based on the sequence of a fragment of the intergenic spacer region (ITS) [20]....
[...]
...Because exposure to B. rochalimae likely occurred when the American woman tourist was traveling in Peru, we sought to identify which of the domestic animals usually present in traditional rural Peruvian households, i.e. dogs, cats and guinea pigs, could serve as a permissive reservoir host for B. rochalimae, using experimental inoculation of animals with the only human isolate available worldwide [9]....
[...]
...Even though the American tourist denied exposure to cats during her trip to Peru [9], and pet cats are not as common as dogs in traditional rural Peruvian households, it was nevertheless important to investigate the susceptibility of cats to this human strain, because B. rochalimae is most closely related genetically to B. clarridgeiae, a species for which cats are the natural reservoir [6]....
[...]
...To date, isolates of this new Bartonella species have been cultured from mammals in the new world, including from a human who traveled to South America [9], and from gray foxes, raccoons, coyotes and domestic dogs in California [11, 12]....
[...]
TL;DR: These studies indicate that B. henselae exists in an almost perfect host-parasite relationship with its feline host, but that most cats can ultimately rid themselves of the infection.
Abstract: Domestic cats were experimentally infected with culture propagated Bartonella henselae by intradermal (i.d.) and intravenous (i.v.) routes. Cats were more efficiently infected by the i.d. (8/8 cats) than by the i.v. (2/16) route. Bacteremia was detected 1-3 weeks following inoculation and lasted for most cats for 1-8 months. However, one naturally infected cat was observed for 24 months and was found to be cyclically bacteremic, with bacterial levels varying one hundred fold or more from one period to another. No clinical or hematologic abnormalities were observed in any of the infected cats, even at the peak of bacteremia. Two cats that had become abacteremic were resistant to reinfection when inoculated with B. henselae a second time. Horizontal transmission through intimate contact between bacteremic and susceptible cats did not occur, and antibody positive bacteremic queens did not transmit the infection to their kittens in utero, peri-partum or post-partum. Only four of the 18 kittens acquired detectable levels of maternal antibody following nursing, which disappeared by 6 weeks of age. These studies indicate that B. henselae exists in an almost perfect host-parasite relationship with its feline host, but that most cats can ultimately rid themselves of the infection. The susceptibility of cats to intradermal infection and the lack of direct cat-cat transmission are compatible with possible arthropod vectors.
161 citations
TL;DR: Serologic surveys in Egypt have documented human and animal exposure to vector-borne bacterial pathogens, but the presence and distribution of these agents in arthropods has not been determined and fleas were collected from mammals trapped in 17 cities throughout Egypt.
Abstract: Serologic surveys in Egypt have documented human and animal exposure to vector-borne bacterial pathogens, but the presence and distribution of these agents in arthropods has not been determined. Between July 2002 and July 2003, fleas were collected from 221 mammals trapped in 17 cities throughout Egypt. A total of 987 fleas were collected, representing four species (Ctenocephalides felis, Echidnophaga gallinacea, Leptopsylla segnis, and Xenopsylla cheopis); 899 of these fleas were X. cheopis from rats (Rattus spp.). Fleas were tested for DNA from Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Ehrlichia spp., Rickettsia spp., and Yersinia pestis. Rickettsia typhi, the agent of murine typhus, was detected in X. cheopis and L. segnis from rats from nine cities. A spotted-fever group Rickettsia sp. similar to "RF2125" was detected in E. gallinacea, and two unidentified spotted fever group Rickettsia were detected in two X. cheopis. Novel Bartonella genotypes were detected in X. cheopis and L. segnis from three cities. Coxiella burnetii was detected in two fleas. Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Y. pestis were not detected.
142 citations