Archive for the ‘Bartonella’ Category

One Health Trio: Dr. Breitschwerdt’s Three Publications About Vector-borne Pathogens and His Family

https://www.galaxydx.com/dr_breitschwerdt_family_publications_about_vector_borne_pathogens/

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One Health Trio: Dr. Breitschwerdt’s Three Publications about Vector-borne Pathogens and His Family

As often happens in healthcare, specialists enter their field because of a personal experience with their specialty or because those personal experiences find them or those whom they love. The vector-borne disease researchers at Galaxy Diagnostics include people with these experiences. We are pleased to see One Health Month giving people the opportunity to tell their stories.

Dr. Breitschwerdt, co-founder of Galaxy Diagnostics, has published more than 380 peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts, many of which focus on various aspects of vector-borne infections or their transmission. Three publications tell One Health stories from his own family. They explain how vector-borne zoonotic pathogens have affected his father, his mother, and him.

In each of these cases, knowledge of the natural history of the vector-borne pathogen(s) was helpful in reaching a diagnosis. Two of the cases presented information that was on the edge of scientific knowledge at that time. Each case reflects the value of a One Health approach that brings together experts in human, veterinary and environmental medicine, all contributing their different perspectives on the life cycle and illnesses attributed to these pathogens.

At first, it may seem extraordinary that both of Dr. Breitschwerdt’s parents as well as he himself contracted vector-borne pathogens. However, there is no reason to believe the Breitschwerdt family has a particular genetic susceptibility to vector-borne diseases. Rather, Dr. Breitschwerdt grew up on his parents’ farm in central Maryland. They later sold that farm and moved to a farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Meanwhile, Dr. Breitschwerdt lived on his own rural property in North Carolina. All of them had frequent contact with a variety of animals, their associated vectors and potential vector-borne pathogens. Thus, they had the same occupational exposure to vectors that many people with farming and veterinary jobs have on a daily basis.

They also happened to have the expertise of Dr. Breitschwerdt and the team at the Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory (IPRL) at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine available to assist physicians in documenting the respective vector-borne infections.

2008-2009: Dr. Breitschwerdt’s Father’s Final Days

As often occurs with elderly family members, Dr. Breitschwerdt’s father’s declining health was imperceptible until the first few scary events that foreshadowed a crisis. He became a little forgetful and, more concerning, he fell twice at home. The crisis came when he fell down the stairs and broke his femur. Looking back, Dr. Breitschwerdt reports that he could clearly see the historical progression of events that led to this fall.

Despite somewhat unexplained complications, Mr. Breitschwerdt recovered from surgery, but next seemed to have a stroke before discharge from the hospital. He also had a slight fever and mild bilateral pleural effusion (fluid in his lungs), so he was evaluated for a variety of infectious causes. His blood, urine and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were tested for Borrelia burgdorferi, Rickettsia rickettsii, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana and additional pathogens, but nothing was found.

Before he fell down the stairs, Mr. Breitschwerdt had been in the habit of capturing small rodents in his barn. When he captured groundhogs, he would transfer them in his car to a more suitable location for release. This activity had the potential to expose him to their fleas. He had a small circumscribed cutaneous lesion before he became sick that may have been one of these flea bites.

Dr. Breitschwerdt was provided samples of Mr. Breitschwerdt’s blood and CSF by his attending neurologist. When tested at the IPRL, both the blood and CSF samples were PCR-positive (a way of testing for DNA of a vector-borne pathogen) for the Bartonella genus, with DNA fragments similar to Bartonella volans, a species found in flying squirrels. The DNA sequence (like a DNA fingerprint found at a crime scene) was most similar to sequences found in small mammals such as groundhogs. Bartonella henselae DNA, the causative organism of cat scratch disease, was found in the CSF. And over the next few weeks, PCR tests were positive for Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, a species of Bartonella most commonly encountered in dogs. Based upon the timing of the serology results, it was possible this organism was transmitted during in-hospital blood transfusions to his father.

In retrospect, it is not possible to identify when or how exposure to each of these Bartonella species occurred or to define the symptoms that may have been attributable to them. This illness illustrates the complexity that can result when bartonellosis is not just infection with one species, but in this case likely infection with three different species, all potentially interacting.

After being treated with antibiotics and returning home, Mr. Breitschwerdt’s health stabilized. PCR testing did not find Bartonella DNA in his blood. Though Christmas was several months past, the family was able to open Christmas presents together. Unfortunately, his good health did not continue and despite starting antibiotics again, his condition deteriorated and he eventually chose to refuse medication. He died in hospice on May 2nd, 2008. Bartonella volans-like DNA was again amplified from blood specimens obtained shortly before his death.

2010: Dr. Breitschwerdt Infected with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

Adult female Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum) can be distinguished from other species by the distinct white dot on their back (Source: CDC.)

In May 2010, Dr. Breitschwerdt was bitten by a Lone Star tick in North Carolina. An experienced vector-borne disease researcher, he preserved the engorged tick in alcohol. Seven days later he became ill, and over the next few days he developed fever, body aches, headache, nausea and dizziness, along with a rash. A vector-borne disease was suspected and he was prescribed antibiotics and recovered.

Based upon testing in the IPRL, both the tick and his blood were positive for Rickettsia rickettsiiDNA. At the time, there was little evidence for the Lone Star tick as a vector of R. rickettsii. He later tested seropositive for R. rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), thereby documenting seroconversion following tick transmission of the bacteria. The preservation of the tick and the use of high-quality laboratory practices was able to turn this personal happenstance into a milestone case study that was built upon by additional researchers to improve the epidemiological understanding of RMSF transmission. In subsequent laboratory studies at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Michael Levin demonstrated that the Lone Star tick was a competent vector for the transmission of R. rickettsii in the laboratory.

2019: Dr. Breitschwerdt’s Mother’s Final Days

In 2005, Mrs. Breitschwerdt was treated for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. During that time, Dr. Maggi (co-founder of Galaxy Diagnostics) tested her blood in the IPRL. Using PCR, he was able to identify Bartonella henselae in her blood. She had spent a lifetime around cats, dogs, farm animals and their associated fleas and ticks.

She was successfully treated for the lymphoma and was healthy until 2018, when she began to develop dementia. Then, her health suddenly got much worse over the course of two weeks. Dr. Breitschwerdt noticed that her blood values were similar to what he had observed in dogs infected with Ehrlichia canis. A close relative of that species, Ehrlichia chaffeensis, is more commonly the cause of ehrlichiosis in people. Dr. Breitschwerdt urged her doctors to test her for ehrlichiosis. Testing through the Mayo Clinic Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the infection (ehrlichiosis). She was treated with antibiotics and her condition improved enough for her to be discharged to hospice care in the home of another of her sons. She died on August 4th, 2019.

_ _ _

A note from Dr. Breitschwerdt:

Groups throughout the world have worked together to raise awareness about One Health and to ultimately bring about this One Health Awareness Month. In particular, and clearly among many others, I want to recognize the work of the One Health Commission based in Research Triangle Park, NC.

The experiences of my parents and myself suggest that tick- and other vector-borne pathogens are of greater medical importance than is currently recognized. As I look back over my career, I’ve worked on collaborative One Health projects that have repeatedly documented the importance of these infections in animal and human patients, some decades old.

At the IPRL we’ve been able to identify novel, emerging and often overlooked vector-borne pathogens in individuals and families with a history of exposure. Due to the frequently nonspecific nature of these illnesses, these pathogens have caused symptoms that have been confused for a variety of other diseases.

My hope for One Health Awareness Month is that society and governmental funding agencies will embrace a One Health approach to protect animals, the environment, and the human race. As illustrated by the current coronavirus emergence occurring in China and extending to other parts of the world, including the United States, the health of one can be related to the health of many.

Additional References

Levin, M. L. et al. (2017). Vector competence of Amblyomma americanum (Acari: Ixodidae) for Rickettsia rickettsii. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 8(4), 615-622. doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2017.04.006 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1877959X16303004

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). 2019 novel coronavirus, Wuhan, China: Situation summary. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Fnovel-coronavirus-2019.html

__________________

**Comment**

We owe Dr. Breitschwerdt a world of gratitude for his dogged persistence in researching Bartonella, a much bigger player in Lyme/MSIDS than the medical establishment is admitting to.  I’m thankful he’s taken bitter experiences his family has experienced and turned them into real life answers for thousands of patients.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/03/bartonella-treatment/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/24/human-bartonellosis-an-underappreciated-public-health-problem/

 

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, research

Bartonella & Bones

https://www.galaxydx.com/bartonella-and-bones/

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Bartonella and Bones

Chronic Bartonella species infections (bartonellosis) can lead to inflammation that impacts the heart, nervous system, and more. According to case studies, these stealth pathogens can also target the bones. How can Bartonella affect a structure that is usually impervious to infection?

History: From World War I to HIV/AIDS

During World War I, one million soldiers in Europe suffered from a mild to severe acute illness referred to as “trench fever”. It was characterized by a relapsing fever, headache, and in some cases extreme pain occurring along the lower halves of the legs. This led to the nickname of “shin bone disease/fever”. Patients with leg pain complained of a burning pain they could feel “in their bones,” making it difficult to walk. Whether pain was due to involvement of the bone, the marrow cavity within the bone, or the periosteum surrounding the bone surface is unknown.

Bartonellosis was not known to be the cause of this ailment until J.W. Vinson isolated B. quintana in 1960. The unsanitary conditions that soldiers lived in acted as a breeding ground for the primary vector, human body lice (Pediculus humanus), and made transmission more likely to occur. Infected soldiers most likely developed a persistent B. quintana bacteremia that their immune systems could not effectively clear due to repeated louse exposure (bites and and scratch inoculation of louse feces), as well as their poor overall health during deplorable wartime conditions.

Additional evidence that Bartonella species affect the bones came during extensive research on HIV/AIDS patients in the 1990s. Physicians found that these immunocompromised patients developed serious multi-systemic conditions called bacillary angiomatosis and bacillary peliosis (BA and BP) involving lesions on the skin, liver, and bones. Researchers discovered that the typical culprits for BA and BP were B. henselae, which is now known as the causative agent of cat scratch disease, and B. quintana, an organism historically associated with lice and war. A case report from 2016 describes a 29-year old HIV-positive man with AIDS (uncontrolled HIV infection) who developed nodules on his skin and advanced lesions in the bones of his right hand due to bacillary angiomatosis. Physicians could not confirm the species of Bartonella using PCR, but histopathological evidence and the patient’s clinical history strongly suggested B. quintana exposure.

Children Most at Risk

Among immunocompetent individuals, the literature over the last decade suggests that a large portion of bartonellosis cases involving the bone occur in children with “atypical” cat-scratch disease (acute bartonellosis). Research suggests that about 10% of CSD patients develop atypical manifestations, with only about 0.3% of cases involving a bone. However, suspected bartonellosis cases that describe bone-related complications have been documented in various patient populations over the past century, especially children. There is not enough research to show why the incidence is greater in pediatric cases, but invasion of the bones could be more likely because their immune systems are still developing and/or their bone structures are changing.

Case reports describe children who develop solitary bone tissue infections (osteomyelitis) that affect the limbs, vertebral bodies, or elsewhere. In one case, a 12-year-old girl complained of serious headaches and neck swelling that was found to be caused by a osteolytic lesion in her cranium. A biopsy was not performed to confirm bartonellosis was the cause, but the patient was B. henselae seroreactive and her symptoms resolved following combination antimicrobial therapy.

B. henselae is currently listed as a potential cause of bacterial osteomyelitis in the diagnosis and management guidelines developed by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Bone lesions due to bartonellosis are typically discovered via MRI or other imaging techniques such as X-ray. A diagnosis of bartonellosis can be confirmed using blood or lesional biopsy testing. Biopsy of a bone is invasive, but is perhaps the best option for a confirmatory diagnosis through the use of PCR and/or histopathological techniques.

Route of Infection

Little is known about how Bartonella infects bone tissue, either in cases of CSD or in cases of chronic bartonellosis. Research shows that Bartonella genus bacteria have the ability to enter many cell types, so it is possible that osteocytes (bone cells) are among their many host cells. However, the extracellular matrix of bone, composed of collagen and various inorganic compounds, can make infection processes difficult for bacteria. For adults, bacterial osteomyelitis from other bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus, occurs most often only after trauma to this protective layer.

Perhaps the more likely route for Bartonella species to infect bone is their ability to infect hematopoietic (blood-creating) stem cells that originate in the bone marrow. Bone marrow is responsible for the production of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. One study shows that B. henselae can infect isolated CD34+ progenitor cells in vitro. Our blog post on Bartonella and blood explains more on how this may lead to persistent intraerythrocytic infection.

On a comparative medicine basis, osteomyelitis was reported in a young cat infected with Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, suggesting that other Bartonella species may cause osteomyelitis in other animal species.

Conclusion

Bone pain has been associated with what we now know to be Bartonella genus infection since World War I. Some other atypical bone infections associated with bartonellosis have been observed in AIDS patients. But it is otherwise healthy children who develop cat scratch disease, an acute Bartonella infection, who seem most likely to have this complication. Even among children, bone lesions have rarely been documented and the pathogenesis has been little researched.

References

Carek, P. J. et al. (2001). Diagnosis and management of osteomyelitis. American Family Physician, 63(12), 2413-2421. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0615/p2413.html

Verdon, R. et al. (2002). Vertebral osteomyelitis due to Bartonella henselae in adults: A report of 2 cases. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 35(12), e141-e144. doi:10.1086/344791 https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/35/12/e141/356641

Doná, D. et al. (2018). Osteomyelitis in cat-scratch disease: A never-ending dilemma – A case report and literature review. Case Reports in Pediatrics, 2018, 1679306. doi:10.1155/2018/1679306 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29808150

Diniz, L. M. et al. (2016). Bacillary angiomatosis with bone invasion. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, 91(6), 811-814. doi:10.1590/abd1806-4841.20165436  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28099606

Woestyn, S. et al. (2003). Osteomyelitis caused by Bartonella henselae genotype I in an immunocompetent adult woman. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 41(7), 3430-3432. doi:10.1128/JCM.41.7.3430-3432.2003 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC165354/

Roubaud-Baudron, C. et al. (2009). [Cat scratch disease with bone involvement: A case report and literature review] (in French). La Revue de Medecine Interne, 30(7), 602-608. doi:10.1016/j.revmed.2009.01.015 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19303175

Varanat, M. et al. (2009). Recurrent osteomyelitis in a cat due to infection with Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii genotype II. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 23, 1273-1277. doi:10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0372.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0372.x

Breitschwerdt, E. B. (2014). Bartonellosis: One Heath perspectives for an emerging infectious disease. ILAR Journal, 55(1), 46-58. doi:10.1093/ilar/ilu015 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2009.0372.x

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/bartonella-treatment/

Bartonella is probably the most under-appreciated piece of the Lyme/MSIDS puzzle, yet it isn’t even on most doctors’ radar.

 

Category:

Bartonella, research

Tick Paralysis in a Free-ranging Bobcat

https://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.256.3.362?journalCode=javma

Abstract
Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association
February 1, 2020, Vol. 256, No. 3, Pages 362-364
https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.256.3.362

Tick paralysis in a free-ranging bobcat (Lynx rufus)

Meredith E. Persky DVM1; Yousuf S. Jafarey DVM1; Sarah E. Christoff​‌1; Dewey D. Maddox​‌1; Stephanie A. Stowell​‌2 and Terry M. Norton DVM23
1Department of Animal Health, Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, 370 Zoo Pkwy, Jacksonville, FL 32218. (); 2Georgia Sea Turtle Center, 214 Stable Rd, Jekyll Island, GA 31527. (); 3Jekyll Island Authority, 100 James Rd, Jekyll Island, GA 31527. ()
Address correspondence to Dr. Persky ().

 

CASE DESCRIPTION

A free-ranging male bobcat (Lynx rufus) was evaluated because of signs of pelvic limb paralysis.

 

CLINICAL FINDINGS

Physical examination of the anesthetized animal revealed tick infestation, normal mentation, and a lack of evidence of traumatic injuries. Radiography revealed no clinically relevant abnormalities. Hematologic analysis results were generally unremarkable, and serologic tests for exposure to feline coronavirus, FeLV, FIV, and Toxoplasma gondii were negative. Results of PCR assays for flea- and common tick-borne organisms other than Bartonella clarridgeiae were negative.

 

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

Ticks were manually removed, and the patient received supportive care and fipronil treatment. The bobcat made a full recovery within 72 hours after treatment for ticks, and a presumptive diagnosis of tick paralysis was made. Identified tick species included Dermacenter variabilis, Amblyomma americanum, and Ixodes scapularis.

 

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

To the authors’ knowledge, tick paralysis has not previously been reported in felids outside Australia. This disease should be considered a differential diagnosis in felids, including exotic cats, with signs of neuromuscular disease of unknown etiopathogenesis.

 

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, research, Ticks

Molecular Prevalence of Bartonella, Babesia, and Hemotropic Mycoplasma Species in Dogs With Hemangiosarcoma from Across the United States

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31923195/

2020 Jan 10;15(1):e0227234. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227234. eCollection 2020.

Molecular prevalence of Bartonella, Babesia, and hemotropic Mycoplasma species in dogs with hemangiosarcoma from across the United States.

Lashnits E1, Neupane P1, Bradley JM1, Richardson T1, Thomas R2, Linder KE3, Breen M2, Maggi RG1,4, Breitschwerdt EB1,4.

Abstract

Hemangiosarcoma (HSA), a locally invasive and highly metastatic endothelial cell neoplasm, accounts for two-thirds of all cardiac and splenic neoplasms in dogs. Bartonella spp. infection has been reported in association with neoplastic and non-neoplastic vasoproliferative lesions in animals and humans. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of Bartonella spp. in conjunction with two other hemotropic pathogens, Babesia spp. and hemotropic Mycoplasma spp., in tissues and blood samples from 110 dogs with histopathologically diagnosed HSA from throughout the United States. This was a retrospective, observational study using clinical specimens from 110 dogs with HSA banked by the biospecimen repository of the Canine Comparative Oncology and Genomics Consortium. Samples provided for this study from each dog included: fresh frozen HSA tumor tissue (available from n = 100 of the 110 dogs), fresh frozen non-tumor tissue (n = 104), and whole blood and serum samples (n = 108 and 107 respectively). Blood and tissues were tested by qPCR for Bartonella, hemotropic Mycoplasma, and Babesia spp. DNA; serum was tested for Bartonella spp. antibodies.

  • Bartonella spp. DNA was amplified and sequenced from 73% of dogs with HSA (80/110)
  • hemotropic Mycoplasma spp. DNA was amplified from a significantly smaller proportion (5%, p<0.0001)
  • Babesia spp. DNA was not amplified from any dog

Of the 100 HSA tumor samples submitted,

  • 34% were Bartonella PCR positive (32% of splenic tumors, 57% of cardiac tumors, and 17% of other tumor locations)
  • Of 104 non-tumor tissues, 63% were Bartonella PCR positive (56% of spleen samples, 93% of cardiac samples, and 63% of skin/subcutaneous samples).
  • Of dogs with Bartonella positive HSA tumor, 76% were also positive in non-tumor tissue.
  • Bartonella spp. DNA was not PCR amplified from whole blood.

This study documented a high prevalence of Bartonella spp. DNA in dogs with HSA from geographically diverse regions of the United States. While 73% of all tissue samples from these dogs were PCR positive for Bartonella DNA, none of the blood samples were, indicating that

whole blood samples do not reflect tissue presence of this pathogen.

Future studies are needed to further investigate the role of Bartonella spp. in the development of HSA.

_________________

**Comment**

And here, we see exactly what patience experience in reality: negative blood tests but positive tissue samples.  Dr. Ericson has found Bartonella in tissues directly by where a PICC line was removed:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/27/advanced-imaging-found-bartonella-around-pic-line/

This is true not only for Bartonella but for Lyme as well as all of the coinfections.  Doctors that rely only on testing are missing patients right and left.

Please spread the word.

 

Category:

Babesia, Bartonella, Mycoplasma, research, Testing

Infectious Keratitis Caused by Rare and Emerging Micro-Organisms

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31870176

2019 Dec 23. doi: 10.1080/02713683.2019.1708407. [Epub ahead of print]

Infectious Keratitis Caused by Rare and Emerging Micro-Organisms.

Sahay P1, Goel S1, Nagpal R1, Maharana PK1, Sinha R1, Agarwal T1, Sharma N1, Titiyal JS1.

Abstract

Purpose:  To provide a comprehensive review on rare and emerging micro-organisms causing infectious keratitis.

Material and Methods:  A literature search was performed using PubMed Medline, Cochrane Library Database, EMBASE and Scopus (1960 onwards), using the terms: keratitis caused by rare pathogens; mycotic keratitis; fungal keratitis; bacterial keratitis; infectious keratitis; infective keratitis; atypical fungal keratitis; fungal keratitis caused by rare organisms; fungal keratitis caused by rare ocular pathogen; atypical bacterial keratitis; bacterial keratitis caused by rare organisms; bacterial keratitis caused by rare ocular pathogen. All relevant articles were included in this review.

Results:  A total of 1232 articles matched our search strategy of which 124 articles were included in this mini-review. The rare and emerging bacteria causing keratitis include atypical mycobacteria, Nocardia spp., Chrysebacterium spp., Delftia acidovorans, Kocuria spp., Enterococcus spp., Bartonella henslae, Achromobacter spp. and others. The rare and emerging fungi causing keratitis include Pythium spp., Alternaria spp., Acremonium spp., Cladosporium spp., Curvularia spp., Bipolaris spp., Microsporidia spp., Pseudallescheria spp., Colletotrichum spp., and others. The clinical presentation of these cases is variable. While a few organisms produce characteristic clinical features, rest present similar to bacterial or fungal keratitis with variable response to routine treatment. A strong degree of suspicion is therefore essential for its diagnosis. Special investigations like polymerase chain reaction, gene sequencing, mass spectroscopy and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay are required for accurate identification of these organisms. Culture-sensitivity is extremely useful as drug resistance to routinely used anti-microbial drugs is common. Prognosis is usually poor for keratitis with Pythium spp., Pseudallescheria spp., Arthrographis spp., Purpureocillium spp., Kociria spp. and Achromobacter spp.

Conclusion:  Keratitis caused by rare and emerging micro-organisms must be suspected in cases where the infection runs an unusual course or shows poor response to standard anti-microbial drugs. Early diagnosis and timely treatment hold the key for good outcome.

________________

**Comment**

Keratitis is inflammation in the cornea.  The following symptoms were found here:  https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/keratitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20374110

Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of keratitis include:

  • Eye redness
  • Eye pain
  • Excess tears or other discharge from your eye
  • Difficulty opening your eyelid because of pain or irritation
  • Blurred vision
  • Decreased vision
  • Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
  • A feeling that something is in your eye

Great read on Lyme disease also causing keratitis:  https://lymediseaseguide.net/is-lyme-disease-affecting-your-sight-ophthalmological-symptoms-of-lyme-disease-part-one

And here we see Bartonella affecting cats with keratitis as well as conjunctivitis, uveitis, blepharitis, and chorioretinitis:  https://www.northwestanimaleye.com/bartonella-infection.pml

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/05/20/bartonella-endocarditis-opportunistic-infection-in-cancer-patients-and-eye-inflammation/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/04/06/ocular-bartonellosis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/27/development-spontaneous-resolution-of-a-full-thickness-macular-hole-in-bartonella-neuroretinitis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/09/07/keep-an-eye-out-for-bartonella/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/08/case-series-bartonella-ocular-manifestations/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/07/21/bartonella-and-neuroretinitis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/07/28/treatment-strategies-for-neuroretinitis-due-to-bartonella-current-options-emerging-therapies/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/10/multimodal-imaging-of-two-unconventional-cases-of-bartonella-neuroretinitis/

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, Eye Issues, Inflammation, research