Archive for the ‘Bartonella’ Category

Gardasil, Vasculitis, & MSIDS

http://www.rescuepost.com/files/ltshaw-death-after-quadrivalent-hpv-vaccination-pharma-reg-affairs-2012.pdf  Researchers from University of British Columbia uncovered in Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs evidence of cerebral vasculitis in the brain tissue of two young women who suddenly died after receiving the HPV vaccine Gardasil.

The researchers developed a specific IHC (immunohistochemical) to examine their brain tissue which found autoimmune cerebral vasculitis triggered by the HPV16L1 component of the vaccine, with particles all over the brain and adhesion to the vessel walls.

In 2012 the CDC panel gave concerns and a rebuttal, to which Chandler Marrs, PhD thoroughly rebuts and concludes that while additional research is clearly needed, the adverse reactions supports cerebral and other vasculitides.
https://www.hormonesmatter.com/gardasil-autopsies-reveal-cerebral-vasculitis/

Vasculitis can happen anywhere in the body and is an attack in the blood vessel walls caused by an autoimmune and inflammatory response that destroys blood vessels. Symptoms include skin rashes, fatigue, weakness, fever, joint pain, kidney problems with dark or bloody urine, Graves or Hashimoto’s, delay of gastric emptying of the stomach causing bloating, pain, burning, nausea, episodic vomiting, and early satiety. When it’s in the nervous system symptoms can include numbness, weakness, pain, severe headaches, stroke, confusion, delirium, speech and eye problems, seizures, encephalopthy, and trouble with emotions and senses.

Please notice symptoms are quite similar to Lyme/MSIDS.

Vasculitis, which can occur anywhere in the body, has also been found in the skin after receiving the HPV vaccine:
https://www.hormonesmatter.com/skin-disorders-post-gardasil-vasculitis-2/

Marrs has been sent pictures from patients of strange skin disorders that appear to be chronic and treatment resistant with incomplete and contradictory diagnosis after receiving the HPV vaccine. She feels they relate to undiagnosed vasculitis and lists avenues to consider with your doctor: (Please see link above for helpful pictures of the various types of rashes)

The vasculitis that directly relates to MSIDS patients is:

Chronic Urticaria, Urticarial Vasculitis: a common reaction to Gardasil, in which a severely itchy, red, blistery rash lasts longer than 6 months and is due to inflammation or attacks on blood vessel walls – possibly linked to Lupus and Sjogren’s, and in my opinion – Bartonella.   Patients also may get joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, fever, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing, with a red dot rash red (petechiae) and bleeding/bruising under the skin (Purpura).

https://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_phocagallery&view=category&id=27:bartonella&Itemid=331                            Bart rash pictures.

Please notice similar symptoms to MSIDS – particularly Bartonella.

https://www.hormonesmatter.com/five-years-after-gardasil/  Here’s another woman’s story of symptoms after receiving Gardasil. She had fatigue, sore throats, pelvic and leg pain, fever, nausea, shoulder pain, low blood pressure, and the blotchy rash (petechial) so common after the vaccine. Blood tests revealed her red and white blood cells were wiped out leaving her a sitting duck for any infection that came her way. Missing weeks of school at times she was put on Zoloft for depression.

Even five years after the vaccine, the woman suffers with severe pain in her lower back, pelvis, hips, backs of legs and knee. Her legs sometimes turn dark purple.

Now to Bartonella, which is more prevalent than Lyme:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/?s=Bartonella+treatment   Bartonella also causes vascular disease, and has an affinity for endothelial cells, red blood cells, microglial cells, macrophages, and CD34 progenitor cells hindering nutrient, oxygen, and antibiotic delivery due to vascular trauma causing pain, fatigue, cognitive/mood issues, and vascular tumors.

Bartonella has been found in 50-95% in selected rodent, cat, deer, and cattle populations. It causes lameness, endocarditis, grandulomatous lymphadenitis (chronic inflammation and buildup of immune cells), and peliosis hepatis (blood filled cavities in the liver) in dogs.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC88941/

Drs. Breitschwerdt and Mozayeni report over 60% of Lyme patients were also seroreactive to Bartonella antigens. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3358077/

So what’s all this have to do with Gardasil?

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/24/gardasil-and-bartonella/ Gardasil has produced life-threatening reactions to those close to a cat, fleas, or ticks, and has activated dormant Bartonella confirmed by testing in previously asymptomatic girls.

So, the question begs to be asked, which came first in some of these poor patients; Bartonella or the HPV vaccine?

If you currently suffer from MSIDS, please be informed about the HPV vaccine. Also, tell others of the probable relationship between Bartonella and the vaccine.

Chandler recommends covering the rash with olive oil and taking a picture with your cell phone to help your doctor see the rash when it appears.

For more on the Gardasil vaccine:
https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/07/19/motor-and-sensory-findings-in-girls-who-received-gardasil/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/02/10/study-showing-contaminated-vaccines/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/12/28/2016-vaccine-news/

Participate in Research and Support Hormones Matter
Hormones MatterTM is conducting research on the side effects and adverse events associated with Gardasil and its counterpart Cervarix. If you or your daughter has had either HPV vaccine, please take this important survey.

The Gardasil Cervarix HPV Vaccine Survey.  http://www.hormonesmatter.com/gardasil-cervarix-hpv-vaccine-survey/  (This link also has more fantastic information about the HPV vaccine)

Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, research, vaccines

Persistent B. henselae in Child

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4862072/  Nandhakumar Balakrishnan, Marna Ericson, Ricardo Maggi, and Edward B. Breitschwerdt

Vasculitis, cerebral infarction and persistent Bartonella henselae infection in a child

In a case report found in the link above, an 11 year old rural Canadian girl initially developed flu-like symptoms followed by sudden-onset headaches, difficulty walking, left sided paresis and an ataxic gait (lack of voluntary coordinated muscle movement) after cleaning a purulent abscess on the neck of an adopted feral dog daily for a few weeks.  Later, she developed gastrointestinal symptoms with abdominal pain, bloating and constipation which persisted throughout her illness.  She also developed chest pain, visual and auditory hallucinations, anxiety, ocular floaters, severe depression, fatigue, partial paralysis, seizures, laryngitis, severe confusion, difficulty swallowing, blindness in half her field of vision, and muscle weakness.  She initially was diagnosed with idiopathic vasculitis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, MS, and Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM).  

Please see link above for the full, lengthy case report, but let’s suffice it to say things finally turned around for the poor girl when the mother requested her daughter be entered into an Institutional Review Board (North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, IRB #164-08-05, NCSU-CVM IRB) approved research study….in short, was saved by Dr. Breitschwerdt, the Bart Guru who is the leading expert on Bartonella and understands the complexities in testing, diagnosis, and treatment.

Initial testing was either inconclusive or normal.  It wasn’t until Breitschwerdt used his specific testing methods that  B. henselae was found in brain tissue; however, causation cannot be established by a case report.

It is also important to note that the researchers say it is possible that,

“B. henselae initially induced a vasculitis, resulting in secondary cerebral infarction, tissue necrosis and surgical resection.  Bartonellabacteremia, potentially spanning a 12-year time frame, in conjunction with the therapeutic administration of immunosuppressive drugs may have resulted in a progression and potentiation of the neurological disease that was partially reversible following antibiotic administration.”

“Based upon DNA sequence comparison, B. henselae was successfully PCR amplified from the FFPE brain tissue and from a blood specimen obtained in 2012. Using a previously described technique [11], B. henselae organisms could be visualized in FFPE surgical brain tissue by laser scanning confocal microscopy. Additional indirect support for a diagnosis of neurobartonellosis was provided by the historical deterioration in neurological status that followed administration of immune suppressive drugs, as compared to gradual improvement in neurological status after the initiation of antimicrobial therapy.”

“The extent to which repeated, corticosteroid-induced suppression of immune function contributed to additional or progressive neurological damage is unknown. However, there are case reports in which patients treated with immunosuppressive drugs based upon a “positive” autoimmune disease test result subsequently developed B. henselae endocarditis [13, 14]. There are also recent case reports that describe the medical complexities associated with differentiating occult, intravascular infection with a Bartonella sp. from autoimmune diseases [15]. The extent to which repeated administration of IVIG prevents or enhances disease progression in patients with occult infection also deserves critical consideration. IVIG administration to a child with Guillain-Barre syndrome did not halt the progressive paralysis prior to an apparent reversal in the disease process after initiation of antibiotic therapy [16].”

“Although unproven, chronic intravascular infection with Bartonella spp. may induce a degree of immunological anergy, resulting in an undetectable level of organism-specific antibodies in naturally-infected human patients or other mechanisms may contribute to seronegativity.
The source of B. henselae infection was not established for this patient. Although cats are most often implicated in the transmission of B. henselae to humans (Cat Scratch Disease), dogs have been infrequently reported as a source of infection.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category:

Bartonella

Bartonellosis Needs a One Health Approach

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28133871

Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Bartonellosis is a zoonotic infectious disease of worldwide distribution, caused by an expanding number of recently discovered Bartonella spp.
OBJECTIVES:
This review serves as an update on comparative medical aspects of this disease, including the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical diagnosis, treatment and challenges.
RESULTS:
Of comparative medical importance, Bartonella spp. are transmitted by several arthropod vectors, including fleas, keds, lice, sand flies, ticks and, potentially, mites and spiders. Prior to 1990, there was only one named Bartonella species (B. bacilliformis), whereas there are now over 36, of which 17 have been associated with an expanding spectrum of animal and human diseases. Recent advances in diagnostic techniques have facilitated documentation of chronic bloodstream and dermatological infections with Bartonella spp. in healthy and sick animals, in human blood donors, and in immunocompetent and immunocompromised human patients. The field of Bartonella research remains in its infancy and is rich in questions, for which patient relevant answers are badly needed. Directed Bartonella research could substantially reduce a spectrum of chronic and debilitating animal and human diseases, and thereby reduce suffering throughout the world.
CONCLUSION:
A One Health approach to this emerging infectious disease is clearly needed to define disease manifestations, to establish the comparative infectious disease pathogenesis of this stealth pathogen, to validate effective treatment regimens and to prevent zoonotic disease transmission.

Category:

Bartonella, research, Testing, Ticks

Endocarditis – Consider Bartonella

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28027277

Multi-Organ Involvement Confounding the Diagnosis of Bartonella henselae Infective Endocarditis in Children with Congenital Heart Disease.   

Ouellette CP, Joshi S, Texter K, Jaggi P.

Abstract
Two children with congenital heart disease status-post surgical correction presented with prolonged constitutional symptoms, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia. Concern for malignancy prompted bone marrow biopsies that were without evidence thereof. In case #1, echocardiography identified a multilobulated vegetation on the conduit valve. In case #2, transthoracic, transesophageal and intracardiac echocardiography were performed and were without evidence of cardiac vegetations, however pulmonic emboli raised concern for infective endocarditis. Both patients underwent surgical resection of the infected material and had histopathologic evidence of infective endocarditis. Further diagnostics identified elevated cytoplasmic anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies and anti-proteinase 3 antibodies in addition to acute kidney injury with crescentic glomerulonephritis on renal biopsy. Serologic evidence of infection with B. henselae was observed in both patients. These two cases highlight the potential multi-organ involvement that may confound the diagnosis of culture negative infective endocarditis due to B. henselae.
PMID: 28027277 DOI: 10.1097/INF.0000000000001510

For more on Bartonella:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/08/new-bartonella-species/

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2011/09/25/the-bartonella-checklist-copyrighted-2011-james-schaller-md-version-11/

Category:

Bartonella, Lyme, research

Cardinal state = Bartonella

16-0115-f2

https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/10/16-0115-f2  Figure 2. Geographic distribution of cat-scratch disease by US census division, United States, 2005–2013. Rates are reported as average incidence per 100,000 population per year. During the study period, there were <10 cases in Alaska and <10 cases in Hawaii.  https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/22/10/16-0115_article

http://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2016/12/19/north-carolina-ranks-as-high-risk-zone-for-cat-scratch-disease/  By Thomas Goldsmith

“North Carolina cat owners who have a child between 5 and 9 are among groups with the highest national household risk of cat scratch disease.

CDC guidelines recommend that owners keep cats inside at all times as part of guidelines to reduce incidence of cat scratch disease. 

That was among the takeaways from a talk by Centers for Disease Control epidemiologist Christina Nelson, who presented results from the paper, “Cat Scratch Disease in the United States: Sinking Our Claws into the Data,” at the One Medicine conference this month at Research Triangle Park.

‘Efforts should target cat owners in the South, with children in the household, and/or people with immunocompromised conditions,’ Nelson said when talking about ways to combat the disease.

Cat scratch fever, or bartonella, as it’s known to scientists, attracts a lot of attention, perhaps because three of 10 American households have cats, perhaps because of its mention in a risque 1970s rock song, Nelson said. No matter the reason, an edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases in which the Nelson’s article on the disease ran attracted the largest number of online visits in the academic journal’s history.

Cat scratch disease often runs its course within two to four months, but related disorders can require antibiotics or other treatment.

The disease is caused by the spread of the bacterium Bartonella henselae through cat fleas, then to humans via animals’ scratches and sometimes bites. Primary symptoms include fever and enlargement of lymph nodes near the scratch site, but other manifestations can include swelling of the retina or Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome (swollen eye accompanying swollen nodes) as well as bone, brain or heart infections, according to the paper.

Because physicians are not required to report cat scratch disease to public health authorities, Nelson and colleagues examined diagnoses based on an insurance industry resource, Truven Health MarketScan. The database details diagnoses of company-insured employees and their families. That meant people over 65, insured by Medicare, were not included.

‘There were about 35 million people involved,’ Nelson said. ‘It’s an enormous database.’

They found more than 500 inpatients and more than 12,500 outpatients are treated for cat scratch disease annually.

Among the findings of the study:

With an incidence of 6.1-6.4 per 100,000 population, North Carolina lies in the geographic region, the South Atlantic, with the highest U.S. incidence of cat scratch disease. More than one in four U.S. cases occurs in this region.
An average of 4.5 patients out of 100,000 received outpatient treatment for the disease; 19 patients out of 100,000 required inpatient treatment, for an average of three days.
Children age 5 to 9 accounted for the highest incidence of cat scratch fever cases — 9 outpatient cases and .4 inpatient cases per 100,000.
Females made up more than six in 10 outpatients and 55.6 percent of inpatients.
Mean cost of care per inpatient was $244, with inpatient treatment and followup costing $13,663. Overall disease costs nationally were nearly $10 million.
Nelson noted that researchers were puzzled by an increase in cat scratch disease cases in January. Attendees at the RTP conference immediately suggested an answer.

“Christmas kittens!” they chorused.

Among the things the study did not say: That people can get the disease from kissing cats.

Nonetheless, news outlets took the CDC study and ran with it, in some cases, a bit too far. NPR had to run a correction: noting that people cannot get the disease from kissing cats.

‘This is incorrect. People can get the disease if an infected cat licks a scratch or wound,’ the correction read.

How to keep incidence down

Speakers at the conference suggested using the Healthy Pets Healthy People site as a resource for dealing with cat scratch disease.

The CDC suggested these means to reduce incidence:

People bitten by cats should Immediately clean the bite with soap and water
People, especially those with weakened immune systems, should wash their hands with soap and water after playing with cats.
Because kittens less than a year old are more likely to harbor the bacterium, people who have weakened immune systems should adopt cats older than one year.
People shouldn’t play with or pet feral cats.
Cats shouldn’t be allowed to lick open wounds.
Cats should have nails trimmed, use vet-approved flea products, and be checked regularly with a flea comb.
Cats should stay indoors to reduce exposure to fleas and to avoid fights with flea-infected animals.
‘Some shelters will not adopt a cat out unless the owners pledge never to let the cat outside,’ audience member Marcia Herman-Giddens, a Triangle area teacher and researcher, noted during a discussion period.

CSD belongs to the disease group Bartonellosis
‘Bartonellosis is a group of emerging infectious diseases caused by bacteria belonging to the Bartonella genus.
Bartonella includes at least 22 named species of bacteria that are mainly transmitted by carriers (vectors), including fleas, lice, or sandflies. Both domestic and wild animals can be infected with Bartonella species by these vectors.
Among the Bartonella species, at least 14 have been implicated in diseases that can be transmitted from animals to people (zoonotic disease). Of these zoonotic species, several may be transmitted to humans by companion animals (dogs and cats), typically through a bite or scratch.’
Source: National Organization for Rare Disorders

http://www.columbia-lyme.org/patients/tbd_bartonella.html  “Bartonella are also found in numerous arthropods, biting flies, and ticks.  The evidence for ticks as vectors is circumstantial but fairly strong. Recent studies in both the United States and Europe have found that Ixodes ticks harbor B. henselae in addition to Borrelia, Babesia and Anaplasma organisms; in fact, a 2004 PCR analysis of I. Scapularis ticks in New Jersey discovered that a higher percentage of ticks were infected with B. henselae than any of these other pathogens. In addition, B. henselae has been detected in the spinal fluid of patients co-infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease.”

For more on Bartonella:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2011/09/25/the-bartonella-checklist-copyrighted-2011-james-schaller-md-version-11/  (Checklist)

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/03/bartonella-treatment/ (Treatment)

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/08/09/a-bartonella-story/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/02/08/new-bartonella-species/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/07/23/understanding-bartonella/ (Webinar by Galaxy Labs and leading Bart expert Dr. Breitschwerdt, DVM and B. Robert Mozayeni, MD.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/24/gardasil-and-bartonella/

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, research