Archive for the ‘Bartonella’ Category

Do You Know Your Sandflies?

Today I posted an article of a U.S. patient who had an enlarged spleen, skin lesions, and anemia. Blood testing did not reveal bartonellosis, but the spleen was eventually removed and tissue tests revealed the presence of Bartonella bacilliformis. This is a species of Bartonella that is primarily transmitted by sand flies in South America. The patient, it turns out, had visited South America three years earlier.  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/26/bartonellosis-a-hidden-cause-of-splenomegaly/

Worldwide travel opens the door to insects and pathogens you may not find at home. It’s important to keep track of symptoms & connect them to any travel, making sure to tell your doctor.

The following article shows the various sandflies which look a bit like mosquitoes.  Please note they are found in the Southern U.S. as well.

http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/flies/Lutzomyia_shannoni.htm  Full Article Here with pictures

Phlebotomine sand flies are of considerable public health importance because of their ability to transmit several viral, bacterial, and protozoal disease-causing organisms of humans and other animals.

Lutzomyia shannoni Dyar is a proven vector of vesicular stomatitis virus and a suspected vector of visceral leishmaniasis and sand fly fever in Florida. It is one of the more thoroughly studied species of phlebotomine sand flies in North America.

In the United States, it has been found through the southern states from Florida to Louisiana plus Arkansas, Tennessee, South and North Carolina. This species has been found as far north as Maryland and Delaware.

At least 60 species in the Old World genus Phlebotomus or New World genus Lutzomyia are vectors of several vertebrate pathogens, including a group of parasitic flagellate protozoa, Leishmania spp., which may cause cutaneous, visceral or muco-cutaneous Leishmaniasis; the bacterium, Bartonella bacilliformis causing Oroya fever; and several arboviruses causing sand fly fever and vesicular stomatitis (Lane 1993).

University of Florida Entomology & Nematology

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, Transmission, Viruses

Bartonellosis: A Hidden Cause of Splenomegaly

https://www.galaxydx.com/bartonella-a-hidden-cause-of-disease-in-spleen/

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Bartonellosis: A Hidden Cause of Splenomegaly

An enlarged spleen can present a diagnostic mystery. The spleen is an organ that is like a large lymph node (see our previous blog post on bartonellosis and lymph nodes). It cleans old red blood cells from the bloodstream and as part of that process is exposed to everything in the body.

The spleen can become enlarged (splenomegaly) due to a pathogen, a metastasized cancer, or other reasons such as autoimmune disease. Rarely, the spleen can rupture. A person with an enlarged spleen may be advised to avoid contact activities in order to prevent rupture.

Sometimes the changes to the spleen can be hard to interpret or hard to treat, leading to splenectomy (spleen removal surgery) that may not be necessary. For example, a case report from 2009 warns that changes caused by Bartonella species infection (bartonellosis) may be mistaken for splenic lymphoma.

One question is just what role the spleen plays in controlling bartonellosis. This has been tested in both cats and mice. In the mice, spleens were removed from some mice and how they responded to bartonellosis was compared to mice with intact spleens. The mice without spleens had 10 times higher bacteremia (the total bacteria load in the blood), and their infections lasted an average of two weeks longer. A similar experiment done in cats had the same result. Clearly, the spleen plays an important role in managing bartonellosis.

Research in dogs suggests there may be a link between Bartonella species and cancer of the spleen as well. Splenic disease is a cause of mortality in older dogs, especially Golden Retrievers, which have the highest prevalence of hemangiosarcomas (cancer of the blood/blood vessels) among breeds. The highly vascular splenic tissue makes a suitable home for these cancers. Once the mass grows large enough, it can cause the spleen to rupture and/or cells can metastasize to other places such as the heart.

In one study, Galaxy Diagnostics co-founder Dr. Breitschwerdt and his team at the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine used PCR on tissue biopsies to discover that Bartonellaspecies DNA was more prevalent in splenic hemangiosarcomas compared to Babesia and Mycoplasma species. In 2018, the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation awarded a $220,000 grant to the Bartonella Research Project at the college to further examine the link between bartonellosis and splenic hemangiosarcomas in dogs.

In humans, Bartonella species infections of the spleen have been reported with other symptoms including fever and other infected organs. Bartonellosis has been associated with abscesses or nodules in the spleen. Bacillary peliosis can also occur in the spleen (see our previous blog post on bacillary peliosis and bacillary angiomatosis).

In one reported case, a spleen rupture occurred spontaneously with no prior signs of infection such as fever. A lymph node from the splenic hilum was found to have necrotizing granulomas and microabscesses. The individual was tested for a variety of pathogens and found to be infected with Bartonella henselae.

Bartonellosis is notoriously hard to detect, which can make spleen symptoms caused by Bartonella species particularly mysterious. A patient in the United States had an enlarged spleen, skin lesions, and anemia. Blood testing did not reveal bartonellosis, but the spleen was eventually removed and tissue tests revealed the presence of Bartonella bacilliformis. This is a species of Bartonella that is primarily transmitted by sand flies in South America. The patient, it turns out, had visited South America three years earlier.

An enlarged spleen can be caused by a variety of things, making it difficult for physicians to determine why it is happening and therefore an effective treatment. For many patients, it can be safer to remove the spleen immediately and perform further diagnostics later. Bartonellosis is one cause which can be difficult to detect, but it is treatable.

References

Rising, T. et al. (2016). Splenorenal manifestations of Bartonella henselae infection in a pediatric patient. Case Reports in Radiology, 2016, 7803732. doi:10.1155/2016/7803832 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4835656/

Liberto, M. C. et al. (2013). Diagnosis and follow-up of Bartonella henselae infection in the spleen of an immunocompetent patient by real-time quantitative PCR. Journal of Medical Microbiology, 62(7). doi:10.1099/jmm.0.050617-0 Available at: https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/docserver/fulltext/jmm/62/7/1081_jmm050617.pdf?expires=1573610642&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=CCB170A5F5F432F02D4BC09F1D47E638

Bieraugel, K. et al. (2015). Cat got your spleen? Hepatosplenic Bartonella infection. The American Journal of Medicine, 128(3), 246-249. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.11.003 https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(14)01022-5/abstract

Daybell, D. et al. (2004). Disseminated infection with Bartonella henselae as a cause of spontaneous splenic rupture. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 39(3), e21-e24. doi:10.1086/422001 https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/39/3/e21/354202

Lydy, S. L. et al. (2008). Isolation and characterization of Bartonella bacilliformis from and expatriate Ecuadorian. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 42(2), 627-637. doi:10.1128/JCM.01207-07 https://jcm.asm.org/content/46/2/627

Ghez, D. et al. (2001). Bartonella henselae infection mimicking a splenic lymphoma. Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 33(12), 935-936. doi:10.1080/00365540110076705 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00365540110076705?journalCode=infd19

Sykes, J. E. et al. (2007). Bartonella henselae infection in splenectomized domestic cats previously infected with hemotropic Mycoplasma species. Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology, 116(1-2): 104-8. doi:10.1016/j.vetimm.2006.12.004 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17254639

Varanat, M. et al. (2011). Molecular prevalence of Bartonella, Babesia, and Hemotropic Mycoplasma sp. in dogs with splenic disease. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 25(6), 1284-1291. doi:10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00811.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2011.00811.x

North Carolina State University. (2018). AKC-CHF grant funds new CVM Bartonella research project. Available at: https://cvm.ncsu.edu/akc-chf-grant-funds-new-cvm-bartonella-research-project/

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**Comment**

How many doctors are privy to this knowledge?  My guess – not many. They will test you and when it comes back negative they will emphatically state you can’t have Bartonella, yet you can see from this article that it’s very hard to detect and they only found it when the spleen was removed and specifically tested.

Please learn all you can so you are aware of the many ways Bartonella can present so you can advocate for yourself and loved ones.

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

Category:

Bartonella

Live Q & A Webinar: Lyme Coinfections 11/19

Live Webinar: Ask Dr. Rawls
Join Dr. Bill Rawls for this new LIVE WEBINAR on Tuesday, November 19th, at 8pm ESTfor a new LIVE Q&A webinar about Lyme Disease Coinfections.

If you have questions about diagnosing and treating common Lyme coinfections including Epstein-Barr, Bartonella, Mycoplasma, Babesia, and Candida, you don’t want to miss this webinar.

Topics covered by Dr. Rawls during the webinar will include:

  • What are the telltale signs of a Lyme coinfection?
  • Do you need to know which coinfection(s) you have before seeking treatment?
  • Are there any reliable tests for Lyme and coinfections?
  • What are the best herbal and natural remedies for Lyme coinfections?
  • How can you tell for certain when Lyme and coinfections are gone?
  • Numerous other insights and answers throughout the live Q&A with Dr. Rawls

Submit your top Lyme coinfection questions after you register, and Dr. Rawls will try to answer as many as possible.

Plus, we will announce an exclusive offer for webinar attendees.
Reserve Your Seat Now »
We look forward to seeing you there!

P.S. If you have questions about the webinar, please reply to this email or call us at 800-951-2414.

 

Category:

Activism, Babesia, Bartonella, Candida, Lyme, Mycoplasma, Viruses

Bartonella vs. Borrelia: Key Differences You Should Know

https://www.galaxydx.com/difference-between-bartonella-and-lyme-disease/

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Bartonella vs. Borrelia: Key Differences You Should Know

Bartonella and Lyme Borrelia are easily confused because they are both vector-borne bacteria with similar sounding names and frequently have complex, interrelated roles in chronic illnesses. Patients often believe Bartonella and Borrelia are the same before speaking to us, or they may mistake something they read online about one for the other. In this post, we are going to describe some unique characteristics that distinguish these bacteria from each other.

Morphology

The morphology of bacterial cells is based on their typical size, shape, and arrangement. These attributes may be different across various settings, such as in culture or patient samples. These differences may seem trivial to someone who is not a biochemist, but they can have profound effects at the molecular level. For example, proteins located on the cell wall and membrane are often targets for diagnostic assays and medications. Depending on morphological characteristics, these surface proteins may be less accessible or have entirely different chemical makeups. This is one reason there are so many types of antibiotics.

Bartonella

Electron micrograph (EM) image of Bartonella henselae.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are almost 40 characterized species of Bartonella about 15 of which are implicated in human illnesses. They are gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria that grow very slowly. Their average dividing time is about 22-24 hours, which is much longer than the 20 minutes that E. coli species (another rod-shaped bacteria) require. Their average size is about 2 micrometers in length and 0.5 micrometers in width. One unique characteristic of Bartonella is that their membrane has a “Type IV Secretion System” that supports their ability to attach to and invade various target cells, such as endothelial and red blood cells.

Borrelia

Borrelia burgdorferi, the primary causative agent of Lyme disease, is considered a spirochete because of its spiral shape (CDC).

 

There are more than 50 named Borrelia species, with 3 primarily being implicated in human illnesses. They are like Bartonella in that they take a long time to divide (~12-18 hours) and stain weakly like gram-negative bacteria. However, unlike Bartonella, they are considered spirochetes due to their unique spiral shape and highly specialized cell walls and membranes. The primary species that causes Lyme disease in North America is Borrelia burgdorferi. This species has unique surface proteins called OspA, OspB, and OspC that are important for pathogenicity.

Transmission

Bartonella and Borrelia species are both vector-borne bacteria, meaning they can be transmitted between hosts via a “competent” vector. A competent vector is typically an arthropod, like a tick or flea, that can acquire the pathogen during a meal and then transmit viable bacteria to another host in a subsequent feeding or through its excrement (feces). Bartonella and Borrelia both require access to the bloodstream for infection to occur, but research shows that Bartonella species have quite a few more options for getting there compared to Borrelia. Below is a list of confirmed as well as suspected vectors of each.

Symptoms

Bartonella and Borrelia species both cause acute and chronic infections that can be difficult for physicians to discern unless the patient has known exposure and recognizable clinical symptoms. Unfortunately, the latter is not the reality for many patients who become infected. Patients may first be diagnosed with another condition, like lupus or multiple sclerosis, before having testing done for bartonellosis or Lyme borreliosis. Why do these very different illnesses have similar symptoms?

The simple answer is that the body has a limited number of ways that it can respond to stress from bacterial infections. This host response is the result of a combination of differences between people in general health, genetic factors, and immune status that are integral to determining how an individual will respond to an infection. One person may experience neurologic symptoms, whereas another might only experience joint pain despite having the same infection. This makes it extremely difficult to define clinical patterns for infections, especially those that can lead to multi-systemic disease like bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis.

Differentiating Symptoms

The main differences between bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis symptoms typically occur early in the infection. However, many patients do not experience the “classic” signs that define the acute infections.

Cat scratch disease (Bartonella henselae infection) is described as fever and lymph node swelling near the location of a cat scratch or bite. However, this acute presentation of bartonellosis is not the only course of infection. Trench fever (Bartonella quintana infection) and Carrion’s disease (Bartonella bacilliformis infection) come with their own set of symptoms.

Bartonellosis may be associated with long, thin, red marks on the skin called striae, but more research is required to understand Bartonella species’ role. However, it is associated with a skin condition called bacillary angiomatosis primarily in immunocompromised individuals.

The CDC reports that 20-30% of patients who are exposed to Borrelia burgdorferi develop a bullseye rash called erythema migrans. This rash can also have other appearances. Most patients do not have the rash, or they may not see the rash if it is small or covered by hair. They can also experience facial palsy or extremely swollen joints.

Source: CDC

To find out more about these skin symptoms, see our blog post “Vector-borne Disease and Skin: Your First Layer of Defense.”

Conclusion

The symptoms of bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis are similar because what the patient feels in everyday life is largely mediated by the host response.  However, key differences between their causative pathogens make them each a disease of their own with their own unique challenges for testing and treatment.

References

Deng, H. et al. (2018). Molecular mechanisms of Bartonella and mammalian erythrocyte interactions: A review. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8, 431. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2018.00431 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6299047/

Breitschwerdt, E. B. (2017). Bartonellosis, One Health and all creatures great and small. Veterinary Dermatology, 28(1), 96-e21. doi:10.1111/vde.12413 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28133871

Cheslock, M. A., & Embers, M. E. (2019). Human bartonellosis: An underappreciated public health problem? Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 4(2), 69. doi:10.3390/tropicalmed4020069 https://www.mdpi.com/2414-6366/4/2/69/htm

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF). Available at https://www.cdc.gov/relapsing-fever/resources/louse.html

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/lyme-disease-treatment/

Also, please know that borrelia has been found in mosquitoes.  While transmission hasn’t been proven conclusively, many patients swear they became ill after a suspicious mosquito bite: https://sponauglewellness.com/lyme-study-how-borrelia-bacteria-is-transmitted-from-mosquitoes-to-humans/  In response to the time needed to transmit, recently this came out on how ticks can spread Rickettsia immediately: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/14/study-shows-ticks-can-transmit-rickettsia-immediately/  Borrelia can also be in the salivary glands of ticks which also could make transmission happen much more quickly than the 24-48 hours we’ve been told it takes.

Also, the elephant in the room is that Lyme and Bartonella both can possibly be transmitted in other ways: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/20/lyme-disease-transmission-can-it-spread-from-person-to-person/  Very balanced article but make sure and read my comments after the article. I include links to a PhD who is an expert on borrelia and she’s isolated it from mosquitos, fleas, mites, semen, urine, blood, spinal fluid, and tears, indicating the potential to be spread on hands person to person. 

Remember – everyone has a bias whether they admit to it or not.

All I know is thousands upon thousands are infected and I have a very hard time believing the black legged tick is the sole perp.

Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, Uncategorized

Enlarged Lymph Node in Cancer Patient Caused By Bartonella

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6812694/

Published online 2019 Aug 21. doi: 10.7759/cureus.5456
PMCID: PMC6812694
PMID: 31656708

Isolated Axillary Lymphadenitis Due to Bartonella Infection in an Immunocompromised Patient

Monitoring Editor: Alexander Muacevic and John R Adler
Arjun Balakumar,1 Belinda Lao,2 Dimitrios Papanagnou,3 and Xiao Chi Zhangcorresponding author3

Abstract

Bartonella henselae is a relatively uncommon pathogen that can present as a serious disease in immunocompromised patients. We present a case of a 76-year-old man with stable chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who presented to the emergency department (ED) with an onset of right axillary lymphadenitis after recovering from a recent cat bite on the ipsilateral finger. Doppler ultrasound demonstrated an irregular, circumscribed 5cm x 4cm, hypoechoic mass with mild vascular flow consistent with an enlarged abnormal lymph node. The patient was diagnosed with cat scratch disease and discharged on oral antibiotics with spontaneous drainage of the purulent materials in subsequent outpatient oncology visits. This case highlights the classic presentation of this rare disease in an immunocompromised patient with feline contact. Early antibiotics should be considered for at-risk and immunocompromised patients due to low sensitivity and specificity for Bartonella serologic tests. CLL can also present with similar progressive lymphadenopathy with severe systemic symptoms and extranodal involvement that requires emergent oncologic interventions and diagnostic vigilance.

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**Comment**

Bartonella is NOT rare.

In this article, Dr. Mozayeni talks about Bartonella being one of the major co-infections of Lyme disease. It’s even more prevalent than Lyme, as there are many more ways to contract the disease (eg. flees, cats). In a study, that Dr. Breitschwerdt and Mozayeni published in The Journal of Emerging Diseases, about 60% of Lyme patients tested positive for Bartonella:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/03/bartonella-treatment/  If you want to know the likelihood of infection, please see the checklist within the article. Print it out and check how many symptoms you have. Take this with you to your doctor appointment and discuss the likelihood.

I’m glad this research article points out that testing is poor. This is true of each and every test for tick borne illness. This requires an educated and experienced practitioner to discover what patients are infected with.  If you have tick borne illness, save your time and money and get to an ILADS trained doctor.

In my experience, I’ve found Bartonella to be harder to deal with than Lyme disease.

 

Category:

Bartonella, research, Treatment