Archive for the ‘research’ Category

High Prevalence, Diversity, & Coinfection of Bartonella in Saudi Arabian Gerbils

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30071312/

Molecular assessment of Bartonella in Gerbillus nanus from Saudi Arabia reveals high levels of prevalence, diversity and co-infection.

Kleynhans DJ, et al. Infect Genet Evol. 2018.

Abstract

Bartonellae bacteria are associated with several re-emerging human diseases. These vector-borne pathogens have a global distribution, yet data on Bartonella prevalence and diversity in the Arabian Peninsula are limited. In this study we assessed the Bartonella infection status of the Baluchistan gerbil (Gerbillus nanus), a species associated with pastoral communities throughout the Middle East region, using a multi-gene PCR screening approach.

The results demonstrated that 94 (68.1%) of the 138 gerbils trapped on a monthly basis, over a period of one year, were PCR-positive. Sequencing of the gltA gene region confirmed the presence of four discrete Bartonella lineages (I-IV) and high levels of co-infection (33.0%). Each of the four lineages, varied in overall abundance (7.5%-47.9%) and had discernible seasonal peaks. Bartonella status was significantly correlated with ectoparasite presence, but not with sex, nor with season. Statistical analyses further revealed that co-infected individuals had a significantly higher relative body condition. Multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) performed with a concatenated dataset of three genetic loci (gltA, nuoG, and rpoB), 1452 nucleotides (nt) in length confirmed that lineage IV, which occurred in 24 PCR-positive animals (25.5%), is most closely related to zoonotic B. elizabethae. The remaining three lineages (I-III) formed a monophyletic clade which, on the basis of gltA was shown to contain bartonellae from diverse Gerbillinae species from the Middle East, suggestive of a gerbil-associated species complex in this region. Lineage I was identical to a Candidatus B. sanaae strain identified previously in Bushy-tailed jirds (Sekeetamys calurus) from Egypt, wherease MLSA indicate that lineages II and III are novel. The high levels of infection and co-infection, together with the presence of multiple Bartonella lineages indicate that Gerbillus nanus is likely a natural reservoir of Bartonella in the Arabian Peninsula.

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**Comment**

Bartonella is highly prevalent in Lyme/MSIDS patients, yet, mainstream medicine isn’t even looking at it.  If they do look at it they make the mistake of downplaying its significance.  This article is yet another example of its proliferation and presence.  Ticks are also ectoparasites yet many deny its ability to transmit Bartonella.  This issue needs to be resolved; however, since so many Lyme/MSIDS patients have it, it’s either transmitted directly from ticks OR the tick bite and subsequent immune suppression causes asymptomatic cases to reactivate.  Either way, it is an important issue.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/01/03/bartonella-treatment/  Fifteen species of gram-negative aerobic Bartonella are known to infect humans; however Dr. Ricardo Maggi’s statement is quite telling, “This case reinforces the hypothesis that any Bartonella species can cause human infection.”

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2011/09/25/the-bartonella-checklist-copyrighted-2011-james-schaller-md-version-11/  If you suspect Bartonella, print off and fill out this checklist.  While the symptoms are many and varied, my husband had unexplained and sudden anxiety, irritability, rage, sudden knee-jerk reactions, skin tags & severe itching, and we both felt as if someone beat the bottoms of our feet with a hammer.  Proper treatment ameliorated all of these symptoms.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/02/bartonella-in-entire-canadian-family/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/02/1st-documented-case-of-girl-with-blood-stream-infection-with-bartonella-with-coinfection-of-another-bartonella-strain/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/10/neurological-presentations-of-bartonella-henselae-infection/

Category:

Bartonella, research, Testing, Ticks, Treatment

Bird Size & Nest Site Have Biggest Impact on Tick Prevalence & Abundance, Study Says

Life history characteristics of birds influence patterns of tick parasitism

*Brinkerhoff RJ, Dang L, Streby HM, Gimpel M.

Infection Ecology & Epidemiology, 2018 Nov 27;9(1):1547096.
eCollection 2019.
https://doi.org/10.1080/20008686.2018.1547096

Abstract
*Introduction*

Birds serve as reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens as well as hosts for
multiple tick species of public health relevance. Birds may perpetuate
life cycles of vectors and vector-borne pathogens and disperse disease
vectors over long distances, supplementing populations at range margins
or seeding invading populations beyond the edges of current tick
distributions. Our goal for this study was to identify life history
characteristics of birds that most strongly affect tick parasitism.

*Materials and Methods*

We collected 6203 ticks from 5426 birds from two sites in eastern North
America and used field-derived parasitism data and published literature
to analyze impacts of life history factors on tick parasitism in birds.

*Results and Discussion*

We identified body size and nest site to have the strongest impact on
tick prevalence and abundance in the songbird species included in this
study. Our findings reveal site-independent patterns in tick parasitism
on birds and suggest that physical more than behavioral characteristics
may influence a bird species’ suitability as a host for ticks.

*Conclusions*

The data and results published here will contribute to a growing body
of literature and information on bird-tick interactions and will help
elucidate patterns of tick and tick-borne pathogen geographic expansion.

*Free, full text*: https://doi.org/10.1080/20008686.2018.1547096

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More on the role of Birds:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/07/ticks-on-the-move-due-to-migrating-birds-and-photoperiod-not-climate-change/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/08/17/of-birds-and-ticks/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/10/02/the-role-of-birds-in-tickborne-illness/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/12/bbsl-infected-ticks-in-canadian-songbirds/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/16/study-shows-lyme-in-15-species-of-canadian-ticks-6-of-which-bite-humans-numerous-new-bird-species-acting-as-hosts/  We provide the first report of a Bbsl-positive Amblyomma longirostre larva parasitizing a bird; this bird parasitism suggests that a Willow Flycatcher is a competent reservoir of Bbsl. Our findings show that Bbsl is present in all provinces, and that multiple tick species are implicated in the enzootic maintenance cycle of this pathogen. Ultimately, Bbsl poses a serious public health contagion Canada-wise.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/09/infected-ticks-collected-from-birds-in-northern-italy/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/08/hemorrhagic-fever-virus-found-on-ticks-on-migratory-birds/

 

Category:

research, Ticks

Prozac & Triclosan Can Directly Induce Antibiotic Resistance Studies Say

https://www.sciencealert.com/antidepressant-medication-fluoxetine-prozac-may-raise-antibiotic-resistance

One of The Most Widely Used Antidepressants Has Just Been Implicated in Breeding Antibiotic Resistance

MICHELLE STARR
10 SEP 2018

 

In recent years, bacteria have been growing increasingly resistant to antibiotics – our strongest weapon against them.

It’s generally thought that it’s the overuse of antibiotics driving this trend, but now it looks like non-antibiotic medications can play a significant role too.

Specifically, as researchers from Australia’s University of Queensland have just discovered, a drug called fluoxetine – a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), and the key ingredient in antidepressants such as Prozac and Sarafem.

The researchers embarked on the study to demonstrate that it’s not just antibiotics that are triggering the rise of the superbug.

“Our previous study reported that triclosan, a common ingredient in toothpaste and hand wash can directly induce antibiotic resistance,” said engineer Jianhua Guo of the University’s Advanced Water Management Centre.

“We also wondered whether other non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals such as fluoxetine can directly induce antibiotic resistance.”

The test involved exposing the bacterium Escherichia coli (or E. coli) to different concentrations of fluoxetine, in body-temperature baths that were changed daily for 30 days.

After this, the mutated bacteria were transferred to agar plates that contained an antibiotic. The researchers found that these bacteria had a greatly increased resistance to antibiotics chloramphenicol, amoxicillin and tetracycline – up to 50 million-fold compared to the control.

The stronger the concentration of fluoxetine, the faster the bacteria mutated over time.

And isolated mutant bacteria with a resistance to one of those antibiotics was also found to show multiple resistances against fluoroquinolone, aminoglycoside, β-lactams, tetracycline and chloramphenicol, the researchers found.

According to the researchers, up to 11 percent of the fluoxetine in medication travels through the body unchanged, and enters the environment via the sewer system after the patient urinates it out.

“Fluoxetine is a very persistent and well-documented drug in the wider environment, where strong environmental levels can induce multi-drug resistance,” Guo said.

“This discovery provides strong evidence that fluoxetine directly causes multi-antibiotic resistance via genetic mutation.”

That doesn’t mean that everyone needs to stop taking it immediately; for many people, fluoxetine is a fantastic life-saving medication. However, the study does point to other areas that need to be looked into.

First, it was conducted in the lab. How the drug impacts the microbiome inside the human body is yet to be investigated.

Second, what other non-antibiotic drugs could be having a similar effect?

A 2016 study estimated that by 2050, antibiotic-resistant superbugs will be killing 10 million people per year. So it’s vitally important that we figure this out – and try to find a way to fix it.

“[Fluoxetine] has previously been an invisible factor in the spread of antibiotic resistance,” said researcher Min Jin, “but we should consider this a warning.”

The research has been published in the journal Environment International.

 

Category:

Activism, research, Treatment

Bartonella & Langerhans’ Cell Histiocytosis (Cancer)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30556266

2018 Dec 17:e27573. doi: 10.1002/pbc.27573. [Epub ahead of print]

Disseminated Bartonella henselae disease mimicking Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis.

Apsemidou A1,2, Rauwolf K1, Tragiannidis A1,2, Brentrup A3, Schiborr M4, Becker K5, Ahlmann M1, Groll AH1.

Abstract

Bartonella henselae, the causative agent of cat-scratch disease, has been recognized to be responsible for a broad range of clinical syndromes. We report the case of a patient with disseminated B. henselae infection mimicking Langerhans cell histiocytosis at presentation and its successful management with neurosurgery, prolonged antibacterial therapy, and observation.

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**Comment**

Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis is a supposed “rare” disorder that looks like cancer (some say it is cancer).  The above case study implicates Bartonella.

Bartonella is known to cause granulomas

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/06/ocular-manifestations-of-bartonellosis/  Bartonella spp. infections continue to be a common cause uveitis with ophthalmic manifestations ranging from neuroretinits, vascular occlusions, to choroidal granulomas.

Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29025014

The choroid is the vascular layer of the eye, containing connective tissues, and lying between the retina and the sclera.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/03/04/bartonella-erythema-nodosum-atypical-presentations/  The finding of bilateral enlarged axillary lymph nodes with necrosis and granulomas led to the diagnosis of Bartonella infection, an unusual cause of erythema nodosum.

Granulomas represents a chronic inflammatory response initiated by various infectious and noninfectious agents.  https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/granuloma

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a type of eosinophilic granuloma

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/langerhans-cell-histiocytosis  Excerpt below:

Langerhans cell histiocytosis is a disorder in which excess immune system cells called Langerhans cells build up in the body. Langerhans cells, which help regulate the immune system, are normally found throughout the body, especially in the skin, lymph nodes, spleen, lungs, liver, and bone marrow. In Langerhans cell histiocytosis, excess immature Langerhans cells usually form tumors called granulomas. Many researchers now consider Langerhans cell histiocytosis to be a form of cancer, but this classification remains controversial.

In approximately 80 percent of affected individuals, one or more granulomas develop in the bones, causing pain and swelling. The granulomas, which usually occur in the skull or the long bones of the arms or legs, may cause the bone to fracture.

Granulomas also frequently occur in the skin, appearing as blisters, reddish bumps, or rashes which can be mild to severe. The pituitary gland may also be affected; this gland is located at the base of the brain and produces hormones that control many important body functions. Without hormone supplementation, affected individuals may experience delayed or absent puberty or an inability to have children (infertility). In addition, pituitary gland damage may result in the production of excessive amounts of urine (diabetes insipidus) and dysfunction of another gland called the thyroid. Thyroid dysfunction can affect the rate of chemical reactions in the body (metabolism), body temperature, skin and hair texture, and behavior.  In 15 to 20 percent of cases, Langerhans cell histiocytosis affects the lungs, liver, or blood-forming (hematopoietic) system; damage to these organs and tissues may be life-threatening.

Older names that were sometimes used for forms of Langerhans cell histiocytosis include eosinophilic granuloma, Hand-Schüller-Christian disease, and Letterer-Siwe disease.

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/06/ocular-manifestations-of-bartonellosis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/01/04/endocarditis-consider-bartonella/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/05/skull-infection-due-to-bartonella/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/13/dr-fox-cat-scratch-fever-warning/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/11/29/bartonella-seizures/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/10/neurological-presentations-of-bartonella-henselae-infection/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/05/skull-infection-due-to-bartonella/

 

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, Inflammation, research, Treatment

Bartonella in Entire Canadian Family

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/30589638/

Bartonella spp. Bloodstream Infection in a Canadian Family

Breitschwerdt EB, et al. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2018.

Abstract

Historically, Bartonella spp. have been associated with febrile illness (Oroya fever, trench fever, and cat scratch disease), endocarditis (numerous Bartonella spp.), and vasoproliferative lesions (Bartonella bacilliformis, Bartonella quintana, Bartonella henselae, and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii), occurring most often but not exclusively in immunocompromised patients. Recently, bloodstream infections with various Bartonella spp. have been documented in nonimmunocompromised individuals in association with a spectrum of cardiovascular, neurologic, and rheumatologic symptoms. As documented in this family, symptoms for which the medical implications remain unclear can occur in multiple family members infected with one or more Bartonella spp. Serial serologic and molecular microbiological findings supported exposure to or infection with Bartonella spp. in all seven family members. Either antibiotics failed to eliminate bacteremic infection, resulted in partial resolution of symptoms, or potentially reinfection occurred during the 19-month study period. There is a substantial need for clinical research to clarify the extent to which Bartonella spp. bacteremia induces nonspecific cardiovascular, neurologic, or rheumatologic symptoms for ongoing improvement in the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic testing, and clarification as to if, when, and how to treat patients with documented Bartonella spp. bacteremia.

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More on Bartonella:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/07/fox-news-bartonella-is-the-new-lyme-disease/

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

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

Various strains have been found in eye fluid, the heart (myocarditis and endocarditis), and cysts, and can infect by nearly anything puncturing the skin and exchanging bodily fluids – including needles. Evidence also suggests congenital transmission.

Symptoms are largely associated with where the blood flow is compromised. The reason many have pain in the soles of their feet is due to inflammation caused by microvascular trauma. It has been known to cause cysts around dental roots leading to chronic and hard to diagnose head and face pain as well as root canals. This microvascular trauma is also to blame for brain issues causing psychological issues such as anxiety, anger, and suicidal thoughts, since the small vessel disease affects executive function. A cog is literally caught in the wheel. As neurotransmitters become depleted due to overstimulation, depression rears its ugly head. A vicious cycle ensues.
Due to the cyclical nature of Bartonella and that it exists in very low amounts in human blood, blood tests are unreliable. It also has a long division time between 22-24 hours and requires a special growth environment. There is a Triple Draw through Galaxy which collects blood over 8 days to maximize the test, stating a 90% reduction in false negatives.

 

Category:

Bartonella, research