Bartonella

disease (cdc.gov). Evidence of some symptoms individuals would develop when they would contract this illness was first notified back in the 1950’s, but the disease causing agent wasn’t identified until the mid-1980’s. Even though this disease has not been proven to cause death amongst its victims it is still important to understand some key factors to be aware of if you do own a feline as a pet. These important aspects would include the microorganism that causes it, how it’s transmitted, its pathogenic factors, symptoms, as well as current treatments for this disease. This disease is transmitted by a bacterium that belongs to the genus Bartonella, which contains nearly twenty different species that are transferred to other organisms via vectors such as fleas, ticks, or lice. The species…

Have you ever been bitten, licked or scratched by a cat or kitten? Most of you probably have, but did you know that approximately 10% of household cats, and 33% of stray cats carry a type of bacteria called Bartonella henselae (1). Bartonella henselae is a gram negative bacteria that can cause cat scratch disease (CSD), which can be transferred to a person, mostly young children, who have been either bitten, licked or scratched by a cat. B. henselae lives in infected cats’ saliva and is usually…

Research Question The question that we will address is: In what ways and to what extent does Bartonella affect the mechanisms of melanoma growth and metastasis? Introduction and Goals Melanoma is a critical health issue, with nearly 77,000 cases and over 10,000 fatalities expected in the United States this year (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). Despite moderate advancements in decreasing the mortality rate and extending the life expectancy for patients with this cancer, the…

Introduction Cat scratch disease is an infection caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. As the name of the disease implies, it is associated with a scratch from an infected cat but is also transmitted through a cat bite and, in some instances, cat fleas (Forbes, 2007). The formation of a papule at the site of the bite or scratch is the initial symptom followed by lymphadenopathy. One of the most common causes of chronic lymphadenopathy in children and adolescents is cat scratch disease…

During our lab lunch meeting, Dr. Ericson and Cole discussed a study he found that looked at Bartonella in histiocytomas, skin tumors made of malignant dendritic cells. In this study, they used a confocal microscope and found Bartonella in histiocytomas of dogs infected with Bartonellosis; however, they were unable to conclude whether Bartonella caused histiocytomas. This study also ran PCR on the skin samples to detect Bartonella DNA. Even though this study looked at histiocytomas rather than…

Recent study reveals cat-scratch disease is rising among adults Say goodbye to regular cuddle sessions with your beloved kitty, because their claws could harm you. According to a recent study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been an increase in cat-scratch disease (CSD) patients. The study revealed that 13,273 people were diagnosed with CSD during 2005-2013, and 538 of the diagnosed patients were later hospitalized. CSD is a bartonella bacterial infection…

described. The patients experienced bullseye rashes – one of them also reported additional symptoms such as lethargy, a common Lyme symptom. Both were treated for Lyme disease and subsequently reported no further issues. 1991, another letter says that a study was done on ticks in Australia. 42% of the ticks and their animal hosts were tested positive for Lyme. The letter also assert more than a dozen Australians in Sydney and in the Hunter Valley have acquired Lyme disease. In addition, it found…

cells consist of alveolar and dendritic cells, fibroblasts, hepatocytes, macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes (neutrophils) (2, 13-16). The process of intracellular replication is known as an important factor regarding to F.tularensis pathogenicity. The formation of pseudopod loops in macrophages reveals the entrance of F.tularensis into the cell. The bacterial entrance is followed by phagosomal creation within the host cell. The maturation of phagosomes containing bacterial cells of…

infections. About forty percent of the koalas that experience alimentary tract diseases are likely to experience liver diseases while thirty-five percent experienced intestinal diseases. Intestinal diseases included inflammation of the colon. Neoplasia is also associated with the infection. The most common neoplasia cases included lymphoid neoplasisas and lymphoid leukemias. The disease was observed among twelve percent of the animals. Other minor diseases were also found to associate with…