CDC study on Cat Scratch Disease – Bartonella Henselae – finds a substantial burden of disease

Sep 28, 2016 | Uncategorised

New research from CDC on Cat scratch disease has just been published in the journal Emerging Infectious Disease.  Cat-Scratch Disease in the United States, 2005–2013 Abstract Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is mostly preventable. More information about the epidemiology and extent of CSD would help direct prevention efforts to those at highest risk. To gain such information, we reviewed the 2005–2013 MarketScan national health insurance claims databases and identified patients <65 years of age with an inpatient admission or outpatient visit that included a CSD code from the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. Incidence of CSD was highest among those who lived in the southern United States (6.4 cases/100,000 population) and among children 5–9 years of age (9.4 cases/100,000 population). Inpatients were significantly more likely than outpatients to be male and 50–64 years of age. We estimate that each year, 12,000 outpatients are given a CSD diagnosis and 500 inpatients are hospitalized for CSD. Prevention measures (e.g., flea control for cats) are particularly helpful in southern states and in households with children. and – “CSD causes a substantial burden of disease nationwide and disproportionately affects children. Because CSD is a zoonotic infection that is maintained and spread among cats by fleas, comprehensive flea control for cats can help reduce the risk for human infection. Risk may also be reduced by washing hands after contact with cats, to remove potentially infectious flea feces that could enter breaks in the skin. Furthermore, because cats that hunt outdoors are at substantially greater risk for B. henselae bacteremia (17), limiting hunting activity of cats may reduce risk for human infection. Educational efforts...

RESEARCH GRANT – Enhanced Testing for the Diagnosis of Bartonellosis in Dogs

Jul 28, 2016 | Uncategorised

The American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation 07/25/2016 The AKC Canine Health Foundation (CHF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to prevent, treat and cure diseases in all dogs, announces a second round of new grants awarded through its Tick-Borne Disease Initiative. This comprehensive Initiative addresses important health concerns that include Lyme disease, bartonellosis, and ehrlichiosis, through much-needed research in diagnostics, disease pathogenesis and prevalence. Edward B. Breitschwerdt, DVM, DACVIM, of North Carolina State University, will study “Enhanced Testing for the Diagnosis of Bartonellosis in Dogs.” Bartonellosis is a potentially life-threatening zoonotic disease distributed throughout the world by approximately ten different Bartonella bacteria species. Bartonella bacteria are transmitted to dogs and humans by ticks, fleas, lice, mites, and sand flies. Due to a lack of sensitive and reliable diagnostic tests, definitive diagnosis of bartonellosis in dogs remains a significant problem. Because these bacteria invade cells and infect tissues throughout the body, this chronic intracellular infection is difficult to cure with currently used antibiotic regimens. Dr. Breitschwerdt and his team aim to develop improved blood tests for bartonellosis in dogs that can also be used for world-wide sero-epidemiological prevalence studies, and to establish early and accurate diagnosis. Go to this link to read further on the various awards of grants :- http://www.akcchf.org/news-events/news/tick-borne-disease-initiative-second-round-funding.html  Research Program Area: Immunology and Infectious Disease Donate to Support this Grant   ABSTRACT Bartonellosis, a zoonotic disease of worldwide distribution, is caused by approximately 10 different Bartonella species. Bartonella are transmitted to canines and humans by ticks, fleas, lice, mites, and sand flies. Dr. Breitschwerdt’s laboratory demonstrated the first evidence for Bartonella infections in dogs in 1993....

Understanding Bartonella

Apr 13, 2016 | Uncategorised

Webinar recorded July 10, 2015 Bartonella infections are increasingly implicated in complex chronic disease syndromes, yet are extremely difficult to diagnose accurately. The purpose of this webinar is to raise awareness about Bartonella; its prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Medical, veterinary and public health professionals will benefit from attending this webinar. Speakers include subject matter experts Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM and B. Robert Mozayeni, MD.  Please note that the content is highly technical and designed for an audience of medical, veterinary and public health professionals. Learning objectives include the ability to: Describe the epidemiology of Bartonella; Identify populations most at risk for Bartonella infection; and Explain the process for accurate and timely diagnosis of and treatment considerations for Bartonella Our mission is to educate as many people as possible about the increasing medical importance of Bartonella.  As an advocate for One Health, please share this free webinar link with others who may be interested.   Free Webinar: Understanding Bartonella Earlier post http://www.visavissymposiums.org/bartonellosis-one-health-perspectives-on-an-emerging-infectious-disease/  Galaxy Diagnostics – http://www.galaxydx.com/web/ Links to further research...

Risk Factors for Bartonella species Infection in Blood Donors from Southeast Brazil

Mar 22, 2016 | Uncategorised

Pedro Paulo Vissotto de Paiva Diniz , Paulo Eduardo Neves Ferreira Velho , Luiza Helena Urso Pitassi , Marina Rovani Drummond , Bruno Grosselli Lania , Maria Lourdes Barjas-Castro , Stanley Sowy , Edward B. Breitschwerdt , Diana Gerardi Scorpio    Published: March 21, 2016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0004509 http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0004509  Abstract Bacteria from the genus Bartonella are emerging blood-borne bacteria, capable of causing long-lasting infection in marine and terrestrial mammals, including humans. Bartonella are generally well adapted to their main host, causing persistent infection without clinical manifestation. However, these organisms may cause severe disease in natural or accidental hosts. In humans, Bartonella species have been detected from sick patients presented with diverse disease manifestations, including cat scratch disease, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, endocarditis, polyarthritis, or granulomatous inflammatory disease. However, with the advances in diagnostic methods, subclinical bloodstream infection in humans has been reported, with the potential for transmission through blood transfusion been recently investigated by our group. The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors associated with Bartonella species infection in asymptomatic blood donors presented at a major blood bank in Southeastern Brazil. Five hundred blood donors were randomly enrolled and tested for Bartonella species infection by specialized blood cultured coupled with high-sensitive PCR assays. Epidemiological questionnaires were designed to cover major potential risk factors, such as age, gender, ethnicity, contact with companion animals, livestock, or wild animals, bites from insects or animal, economical status, among other factors. Based on multivariate logistic regression, bloodstream infection with B. henselae or B. clarridgeiae was associated with cat contact (adjusted OR: 3.4, 95% CI: 1.1–9.6) or history of tick bite (adjusted...