Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Bartonella Found in Dogs After Infection With Rickettsia

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31891215/

2019 Dec 31. doi: 10.1111/jvim.15675. [Epub ahead of print]

Detection of Bartonella spp. in dogs after infection with Rickettsia rickettsii.

Lashnits E1, Neupane P2, Maggi RG2,3, Linder KE4, Bradley JM2, Balakrishnan N3, Southern BL5, McKeon GP2,5, Chandrashekar R6, Breitschwerdt EB2,3.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Dynamics of infection by Bartonella and Rickettsia species, which are epidemiologically associated in dogs, have not been explored in a controlled setting.

OBJECTIVES:

Describe an outbreak investigation of occult Bartonella spp. infection among a group of dogs, discovered after experimentally induced Rickettsia rickettsii (Rr) infection.

ANIMALS:

Six apparently healthy purpose-bred Beagles obtained from a commercial vendor.

METHODS:

Retrospective and prospective study. Dogs were serially tested for Bartonella spp. and Rr using serology, culture, and PCR, over 3 study phases: 3 months before inoculation with Rr (retrospective), 6 weeks after inoculation with Rr (retrospective), and 8 months of follow-up (prospective).

RESULTS:

Before Rr infection, 1 dog was Bartonella henselae (Bh) immunofluorescent antibody assay (IFA) seroreactive and 1 was Rickettsia spp. IFA seroreactive. After inoculation with Rr, all dogs developed mild Rocky Mountain spotted fever compatible with low-dose Rr infection, seroconverted to Rickettsia spp. within 4-11 days, and recovered within 1 week. When 1 dog developed ear tip vasculitis with intra-lesional Bh, an investigation of Bartonella spp. infection was undertaken. All dogs had seroconverted to 1-3 Bartonella spp. between 7 and 18 days after Rr inoculation. Between 4 and 8 months after Rr inoculation, Bh DNA was amplified from multiple tissues from 2 dogs, and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii (Bvb) DNA was amplified from 4 of 5 dogs’ oral swabs.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE:

Vector-borne disease exposure was demonstrated in research dogs from a commercial vendor. Despite limitations, our results support the possibilities of recrudescence (reappearance) of chronic subclinical Bartonella spp. infection after Rr infection and horizontal direct-contact transmission between dogs.

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**Comment**

Bartonella isn’t even on most GP’s radar, yet patients with tick-borne illness often have it.  This dog study shows how Bartonella can be chronic, subclinical, and reactivated by other pathogens.  Subclinical can mean a few things – either the patient appears asymptomatic (without symptoms) or it isn’t picked up on testing or both.

This issue highlights an important field of study that’s begging to be done.

Does a tick bite lower the immune system so that what was a subclinical issue now triggers an active infection?  It makes sense that a tick bite would do this, as vaccines have been shown to do this. Vaccines are designed to lower the immune system so the body mounts an immune response and creates antibodies to whatever is in the vaccine.

Dr. Burrascano, a highly experienced Lyme literate doctor, found that multiple tick bites caused greater disease severity:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/22/why-mainstream-lyme-msids-research-remains-in-the-dark-ages/

Others have found that vaccines have reactivated dormant infections:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2016/04/24/gardasil-and-bartonella/

Excerpt:

There is further damning evidence that Gardasil can produce life-threatening reactions in those who have been close to a cat, fleas, or ticks, since many of these animals are infected with Bartonella, Babesia, or Lyme (borrelia). Also, since many MSIDS patients (multi systemic infectious disease syndrome) also struggle with viruses such as Mono or active EBV, a cytokine storm can resultwith mucus being over manufactured in lungs and airways and well as wide-spread inflammation.

Asymptomatic girls after receiving Gardasil activated dormant Bartonella which was confirmed by testing.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/12/02/scottish-doctor-gives-insight-on-lyme-msids/

Excerpt:

He has started treating Lyme Borreliosis patients 20 years ago in the USA and during the last 5 years in Ireland. He has also successfully treated a number of young women who fell ill after their HPV vaccination, which seems to have stimulated a latent Lyme infection to reactivate.

Here, we clearly see that vaccines caused active infection in previously asymptomatic patients.  It makes complete logical sense that a tick bite would do the same, yet mainstream medicine hasn’t a clue and continues to treat this as a simple disease requiring 21 days of doxycycline.

There are pressing answers needed by doctors and patients yet current research seems hell-bent on focusing on climate change.

More climate data will not help patients or doctors one iota.

Category:

Bartonella, research, Rickettsia, Uncategorized

Pyrethroid Exposure Increases Risk for Death

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/923256

Pyrethroid Exposure Increases Risk for Death

Ricki Lewis, PhD

December 31, 2019

Environmental exposure to pyrethroid insecticides was associated with an increased risk for all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality in an observational study of a nationally representative sample of US adults, according to findings published online December 30 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Exposure to pyrethroid insecticides has been widespread since the phasing out of organophosphate-containing products, such as DDT, from agricultural fields as well as home gardens. Pyrethoids are synthetic analogues of pyrethin, a naturally occurring insecticide found in some chrysanthemum flowers. More than 1000 synthetic variations of chrysanthemum extract have been made, but only about a dozen are main ingredients of pesticides used in the United States. Thousands of kilograms of pyrethroids have been released to the environment over the years.

The pyrethroid insecticides are popular because they kill bugs and have no acute toxicities in mammals. However, because the compounds can damage DNA and cause oxidative stress and inflammation, effects of long-term chronic exposure are likely. Epidemiologic studies suggest links to diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD), Parkinson disease, and interference with reproduction and neurodevelopment.

Wei Bao, MD, PhD, of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, and colleagues investigated a link between pyrethroid exposure and mortality using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2116 adults. They assessed levels of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) in urine samples provided at the time of the survey using analytical chemistry techniques (high-performance liquid chromatography, electrospray chemical ionization, and tandem mass spectrometry).

The survey was conducted from 1999 to 2002. The researchers used mortality data from the time of the survey through December 31, 2015, and analyzed data from May to August 2019. They tracked mortality from all causes, from cardiovascular disease, and from cancer, using the National Death Index database.

During the observation period (median 14.4 years), 246 of the participants died. Of those 246, 41 had cardiovascular disease and 52 had cancer.

Participants with higher levels of 3-PBA were at a higher risk for death during the follow-up period, occurring in 8.5% (unweighted, 75 of 709), 10.2% (unweighted, 81 of 701), and 11.9% (unweighted, 90 of 706) of participants as 3-PBA levels increased.

The researchers adjusted results for age, race/ethnicity, sex, socioeconomic status, dietary and lifestyle factors, body mass index, and urinary creatinine levels. Hazard ratios for all-cause mortality, CVD mortality, and cancer mortality among participants with the highest tertile compared with the lowest tertile of 3-PBA were 1.56, 3.00, and 0.91, respectively.

“Our findings are in line with epidemiologic evidence, which, although limited, indicates a significant association between pyrethroid exposure and CVD,” the researchers conclude. The increase in all-cause mortality is likely a result of the insecticides’ effect on the cardiovascular system, they add, noting that animal studies also link pyrethroid exposure to cardiovascular damage.

Researchers acknowledge limitations of the study: The study did not address the mechanisms of effects of pyrethroid exposure, and the assessment of a biomarker sampled at one time. The findings might not apply to countries that use different pyrethroids, and exposure to other agents might have contributed to 3-PBA levels.

In an invited commentary, Steven D. Stellman, PhD, MPH, and Jeanne Mager Stellman, PhD, of the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, point out another limitation: Average age at the end of follow-up was too young, at approximately 57 years, to fully assess the long-term consequences of chronic exposure to pyrethroids on the cardiovascular system.

The commentators sound an alarm bell.

“Given the widespread use of pyrethroids and numerous exposure assessments in the general population, including in children and occupationally exposed individuals, the results of this study warrant immediate further investigation, especially because pyrethroids have long been considered of minimal hazard to humans and play a vital role in public health control of vector-borne illnesses.”

The researchers and commentators have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.

JAMA Int Med. Published online December 30, 2019. Full text, Editorial

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**Comment**

Permethrin used on clothing is a pyrethroid.  Make sure to spray onto clothing outdoors in a place of open ventilation and don’t breathe it in.

For more:  http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/factsheets/pyrethroid.htm

https://nevegetable.org/insecticides-alphabetical-listing-trade-name

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/09/military-eyes-bug-repellent-coating-to-replace-permethrin-in-uniforms/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/27/study-conforms-permethrin-causes-ticks-to-drop-off-clothing/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/16/study-shows-effectiveness-of-factory-treated-permethrin-impregnated-clothing-works/

Bug sprays: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/07/01/what-you-need-to-know-about-bug-sprays/

Tick Prevention: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/12/tick-prevention-2019/

 

 

Category:

Uncategorized

Atypical Presentation of Lyme Neuroborreliosis Related Meningitis & Radiculitis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31871602/

2019 Dec 2;11(4):8318. doi: 10.4081/ni.2019.8318. eCollection 2019 Nov 29.

Atypical presentation of Lyme neuroborreliosis related meningitis and radiculitis.

Dabiri I1, Calvo N1, Nauman F1, Pahlavanzadeh M1, Burakgazi AZ1.

Abstract

Lyme disease related central and peripheral nervous system manifestations can occur in isolation or together. Radiculitis or inflammation of the nerve root can be seen 3-5% of the time in acute neuroborreliosis affecting the PNS with a typical presentation and meningitis affecting the CNS is usually seen 1% of the time. The appropriate diagnosis and management of neuroborelliosis can be challenging and require meticulous medical approaches. Herein we present a unique case of Lyme disease with neurologic manifestations including both radiculitis and meningitis due to its atypical and challenging clinical presentation and management with updated literature review.

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**Comment**

I assure you, Meningitis and Radiculitis are NOT atypical with Lyme. The problem is many cases just do not get into the literature for a variety of reasons. Again, to get into research studies they often mandate an EM rash and a positive on testing, which is like winning the lottery.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/09/06/spinal-meningitis-from-tick-bite/

Meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. A bacterial (such as Lyme) or viral infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord usually causes the swelling. However, injuries, cancer, certain drugs, and other types of infections also can cause meningitis.  https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html  This link also states that parasites, fungus, and amoebas can cause it (all of which can play a part in tick-borne illness).

Radiculitis may occur with Lyme disease as infection causes a localized inflammatory reaction in the root of a nerve or somewhere along the nerve itself.  https://lymediseaseguide.net/lyme-disease-neuropathy-prognosis-treatment

Ironically, this 2017 states both can be presentations of Lyme:  https://n.neurology.org/content/88/16_Supplement/P1.311

Excerpt:  Classic symptoms of Lyme neuroborreliosis include radiculoneuritis, cranial nerve abnormalities, and meningitis. Without a higher clinical suspicion for Lyme disease or other concomitant signs or symptoms, the diagnosis can be easily missed…..Lyme disease is well-known to have symptoms of radiculitis and should be considered in the assessment of cervical pain. A typical early syndrome due to neuroborreliosis has been characterized as a triad of the symptoms mentioned above including radicular pain, cranial or peripheral paresis, and lymphocytic meningitis and is called “Bannwarths syndrome” (Bannwarth, 1941).

And here we see a cluster of Bannwarth cases right here in Wisconsin and Minnesota:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/07/cluster-of-lyme-cases-manifesting-as-bannwarth-syndrome/

 

 

 

Category:

Lyme, research, Uncategorized

Bartonella Endocarditis Masquerading As Systemic Vasculitis With Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31801777/

2019 Dec 3;12(12). pii: e231413. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2019-231413.

Bartonella endocarditis masquerading as systemic vasculitis with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (aka ‘Löhlein nephritis’).

Bannon L1, Choshen G2, Giladi M3, Ablin J2.

Abstract

Bartonella species are fastidious, Gram-negative aerobic rods and a well-recognised pathogen responsible for culture-negative endocarditis. The histopathological appearance of glomerulonephritis (GN) caused by Bartonella endocarditis may include a pauci-immune GN similar to that usually seen in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis.

Herein, we present an unusual case report of Bartonella endocarditis masquerading as ANCA-positive vasculitis, with crescentic GN. A 66-year-old woman, who had undergone aortic valve replacement 2 years prior to admission, presented with confusion and loss of vision in her right nasal field. Following an extensive diagnostic evaluation, the main findings were right central retinal artery occlusion, ground-glass appearance on chest CT and ANCA-positive, anti PR-3 negative, rapidly progressive GN. The patient was scheduled to start treatment with rituximab for presumed ANCA-positive GN, when a positive serological test for Bartonella henselae was received.

In view of this result, a diagnosis of endocarditis was made, based on fulfilment of five Duke minor criteria, namely fever, predisposition, arterial emboli, immunological phenomena and serological evidence of active infection with an organism consistent with infective endocarditis. Immunosuppressive treatment was withheld and antibiotic treatment initiated.

This case report emphasises the need for maintaining a high index of suspicion regarding the diagnosis of Bartonella infection, which might mimic ANCA-associated GN.

_________________

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

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/08/16/endocarditis-caused-by-bartonella-quintana-a-rare-case-in-the-u-s/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/28/bartonella-infective-endocarditis-with-dissemination-a-case-report-literature-review/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/10/infective-endocarditis-associated-with-bartonella-henselae-a-case-series/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/25/case-of-endocarditis-caused-by-bartonella-after-mitral-valve-repair/

 

 

Category:

Bartonella, Uncategorized

Cats Carry All Types of Ticks & Tick-Borne Diseases

https://danielcameronmd.com/cats-carry-types-ticks-tick-borne-diseases/

CATS CARRY ALL TYPES OF TICKS AND TICK-BORNE DISEASES

Did you know the cat you may be cuddling with on your couch every evening could be infected with a host of tick-borne diseases? Unlike our canine friends, cats are typically not symptomatic when it comes to such diseases. But as researchers have found, that doesn’t mean they are free from disease.

By

Updated: April 22, 2019

In a study by Shannon and colleagues, 160 ticks and blood samples were collected from 70 healthy cats brought to the Mid Atlantic Cat Hospital in Queenstown, Maryland. [1]

The authors found that the cats were carrying 3 species of ticks including 83 Lone Star ticks (Amblyomma americanum), 7 American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) and 70 black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis.)

Out of the 160 ticks, 22 (13.8%) tested positive by PCR for Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi, or Borrelia miyamotoi. However, only 25 of the 70 cats were able to be fully tested.

Nine of those cats (36%) were positive for exposure to at least one of the following tick-borne pathogens: Borrelia burgdorferi, Ehrlichia ewingii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia miyamotoi, Bartonella clarridgeiae and Bartonella henselae.

“We also found at least one cat blood sample to test positive for antibodies to each of the four tick-borne agents we screened for,” the authors state.

According to the authors’ review of the literature, the risk to pet owners is unclear. “Pet ownership has been implicated in vector-borne pathogen transmission and has been identified as a potential risk factor for such diseases in some studies, but not others.”

Nevertheless, screening for ticks may prove helpful, providing advanced warning of disease risk to humans “upon recognition of an uncommon or unexpected pathogen in a pet or pet-derived parasite,” Shannon concludes.

Author’s note: Keeping your cat indoors can prevent it from picking up ticks that could be passed onto you or other family members. 

Related Articles:

More than 50% of mice infected with the Lyme bacteria in Kentucky

Tracking ticks in West Virginia using man’s best friend

The risk of a tick bite for pet owners

References:
  1. Shannon AB, Rucinsky R, Gaff HD, Brinkerhoff RJ. Borrelia miyamotoi, Other Vector-Borne Agents in Cat Blood and Ticks in Eastern Maryland. EcoHealth. 2017.

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**Comment**

For some reason many people believe cats are immune to tick bites.  This article clearly shows this to be a fallacy.  Besides being bitten by ticks and infected with the pathogens within them, cats are known for carrying and transmitting Bartonella:

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/28/woman-wakes-up-with-black-eye-swollen-face-after-cat-scratch-that-left-her-on-iv-drip-for-four-days/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/28/cat-scratch-disease-vet-suffers-extreme-fatigue-for-a-decade-after-catching-rare-severe-case-of-bartonella-infection-that-isnt-rare/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/24/cat-scratch-disease-caused-teens-schizophrenia-like-symptoms-report-says/

As you can see from these links, Bartonella is far more than swollen lymph nodes, and many do not even present with that symptom at all.  If you suspect Bartonella, please print and fill out this questionnaire:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2011/09/25/the-bartonella-checklist-copyrighted-2011-james-schaller-md-version-11/  If you have a preponderance of symptoms, take this to your doctor and discuss it.  For Bartonella treatments see:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/category/bartonella-treatment/

In my experience, not only do many Lyme patients also have Bartonella, it is often harder to resolve than Lyme.  Testing for these coinfections is just as abysmal as Lyme testing is so knowing symptoms is a must for a clinical diagnosis as many will never test positive.  This website is full of patients who had Bartonella who were negative on testing.

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Bartonella, Borrelia Miyamotoi (Relapsing Fever Group), Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Uncategorized