RESUMO
Many mammals are established hosts for the vector borne bacterial genus, Bartonella. Small Indian mongooses (Herpestes auropunctatus) have only been reported as a possible host for Bartonella henselae in southern Japan. Confirming Bartonella presence in mongooses from other regions in the world may support their role as potential reservoirs of this human pathogen. Specifically, documenting Bartonella in Caribbean mongooses would identify a potential source of zoonotic risk with mongoose-human contact in the New World. Using serological and molecular techniques, we investigated B. henselae DNA and specific antibody prevalence in 171 mongooses from all six parishes in Grenada, West Indies. Almost a third (32.3%, 54/167) of the tested mongooses were B. henselae seropositive and extracted DNA from 18/51 (35.3%) blood pellets were PCR positive for the citrate synthase (gltA) and/or the ß subunit of RNA polymerase (rpoB) genes. All sequences were identical to B. henselae genotype I, as previously reported from Japan. This study confirms the role of small Indian mongooses as a natural reservoir of B. henselae in the New World.
Assuntos
Angiomatose Bacilar/epidemiologia , Bartonella henselae/isolamento & purificação , Herpestidae/microbiologia , Angiomatose Bacilar/microbiologia , Animais , Bartonella henselae/genética , Bartonella henselae/fisiologia , Reservatórios de Doenças/microbiologia , Genótipo , Granada/epidemiologia , Zoonoses/epidemiologia , Zoonoses/microbiologiaRESUMO
Cats and their fleas collected in Guatemala were investigated for the presence of Bartonella infections. Bartonella bacteria were cultured from 8.2% (13/159) of cats, and all cultures were identified as B. henselae. Molecular analysis allowed detection of Bartonella DNA in 33.8% (48/142) of cats and in 22.4% (34/152) of cat fleas using gltA, nuoG, and 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer targets. Two Bartonella species, B. henselae and B. clarridgeiae, were identified in cats and cat fleas by molecular analysis, with B. henselae being more common than B. clarridgeiae in the cats (68.1%; 32/47 vs 31.9%; 15/47). The nuoG was found to be less sensitive for detecting B. clarridgeiae compared with other molecular targets and could detect only two of the 15 B. clarridgeiae-infected cats. No significant differences were observed for prevalence between male and female cats and between different age groups. No evident association was observed between the presence of Bartonella species in cats and in their fleas.
Assuntos
Infecções por Bartonella/veterinária , Bartonella , Doenças do Gato/microbiologia , Ctenocephalides/microbiologia , Animais , Bartonella/genética , Bartonella/isolamento & purificação , Bartonella/patogenicidade , Bartonella/fisiologia , Infecções por Bartonella/epidemiologia , Infecções por Bartonella/microbiologia , Bartonella henselae/genética , Bartonella henselae/patogenicidade , Bartonella henselae/fisiologia , Doenças do Gato/epidemiologia , Gatos , Feminino , Infestações por Pulgas/epidemiologia , Guatemala/epidemiologia , Masculino , RNA Ribossômico 16SRESUMO
Some Bartonella species are able to invade red blood cells (RBC) and may cause persistent infection in the susceptible host. Use of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrates, inside erythrocytes, the typical triple-walled agents. However, when examining ultrathin sections of blood cells, the authors have, on several occasions, detected intraerythrocytic abnormalities that mimic but are not typical of Bartonella spp. Small endovesicles, pseudoinclusions, cavities, and irregular hemoglobin granules distribution, resulting in regions of increased or decreased electron density, may be observed in the erythrocytes and platelets, which may be confused with bartonellas. So far, detailed ultrastructural findings of Bartonella spp. in blood cells have not yet been described. Aiming to improve TEM interpretation of blood cells changes, in routine examination of blood sections of patients with suspected bartonellosis, the authors studied the morphological findings they have observed, and present their putative nature, according to information in the literature.
Assuntos
Artefatos , Bartonella henselae/fisiologia , Eritrócitos/microbiologia , Corpos de Inclusão/microbiologia , Bartonella henselae/ultraestrutura , Eritrócitos/ultraestrutura , Humanos , Corpos de Inclusão/ultraestrutura , Microscopia Eletrônica de Transmissão/métodosRESUMO
Bartonella henselae is the agent of cat scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis. Blood donors can be asymptomatic carriers of B. henselae and the risk for transmission by transfusion should be considered. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that B. henselae remains viable in red blood cell (RBC) units at the end of the storage period. Two RBC units were split into two portions. One portion was inoculated with B. henselae and the other was used as a control. All units were stored at 4 degrees C for 35 days. Aliquots were collected on a weekly basis for culture in a dish with chocolate agar, ideal for the cultivation of this agent. Samples were collected on days 1 and 35 and taken for culture in Bact/Alert R blood culture bottles. Aliquots taken simultaneously were fixed in Karnovsky's medium for subsequent electron microscopy evaluation. Samples from infected bags successfully isolated B. henselae by chocolate agar culture, although Bact/Alert R blood culture bottles remained negative. Bartonella spp. structures within erythrocytes were confirmed by electron microscopy. The viability of B. henselae was demonstrated after a storage period of RBC units. These data reinforce the possibility of infection by transfusion of blood units collected from asymptomatic blood donors.
Assuntos
Angiomatose Bacilar/transmissão , Bartonella henselae/fisiologia , Preservação de Sangue , Sangue/microbiologia , Transfusão de Eritrócitos/efeitos adversos , Eritrócitos/microbiologia , Angiomatose Bacilar/prevenção & controle , Bartonella henselae/isolamento & purificação , Portador Sadio/microbiologia , Temperatura Baixa , Criopreservação , Humanos , Transfusão de Plaquetas/efeitos adversos , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
Bartonella henselae, a facultative intracellular bacterium, has been known as the agent of cat scratch disease, bacillary angiomatosis, peliosis hepatis, endocarditis, and bacteremic syndrome in humans. Bartonella species can cause intraerythrocytic infections and have been isolated from the bloodstream of patients by several methods. It was demonstrated that B. bacilliformis and B. quintana infect human endothelial cells and human erythrocytes and B. henselae infects erythrocytes of cats. The aim of this study was to investigate through transmission electron microscopy whether B. henselae infects mature human erythrocytes. One red blood cell (RBC) unit received an experimentally standard strain of B. henselae. Blood aliquots were collected from the infected unit immediately after inoculation, at 30 min and 1, 5, 10, and 72 h for ultrastructural evaluation. B. henselae was seen adhering to human erythrocytes 10 h after inoculation and inside the erythrocyte after 72 h. This study demonstrates that B. henselae adheres to and invades mature human erythrocytes. The results favor the possibility that erythrocytes can serve as a primary target in Bartonella spp. infections. From this observation, further studies are warranted to prevent Bartonella spp. transfusional transmission.