Assuming that seroprevalence indicates level of exposure to Bartonella henselae, these results suggest that this infection is endemic in Chile and, for this reason, the best antibody titer to diagnose acute cat-scratch disease should be higher than the figure recommended by the Centers for Disease Control in the in United States.

La intensidad y duración de la neutropenia post quimioterapia fueron identificadas en la década del 60 como los factores de mayor relevancia predisponentes a infecciones en pacientes con cáncer. A inicios de la década del 70 se estableció un manejo estandarizado para todos los episodios de neutropenia febril (NF), consistente en hospitalización y terapia antimicrobiana intravenosa empírica, de amplio espectro, lo que se tradujo en una importante disminución de la mortalidad por infecciones bacterianas en estos pacientes. En los últimos 10 a 15 años, distintos grupos de investigadores han considerado poco beneficiosas estas estrategias estandarizadas, que proporcionan un manejo uniforme a todos los pacientes con episodios de NF, independiente de la gravedad de estos. Así, se acuñaron en la década pasada los conceptos de NF de alto y bajo riesgo, lo que ha permitido implementar estrategias terapéuticas diferenciadas según el riesgo que entrañe el episodio para cada paciente en particular.

This study found an important reservoir of Bartonella henselae in Chilean cats and therefore a high risk of exposure in humans who have contact with them.

Background: Influenza-A (IA) occurs every winter, is mostly observed among outpatients. Aim: To describe the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of cases that required hospital admission during an outbreak in Chile in 1999. Patients and methods: Adults subjects, with Influenza A confirmed by antigen detection test, hospitalized in the clinical hospital of the «Hospital Clínico de la Universidad Católica de Chile» between May and June, with fever or respiratory symptoms were studied. A special record was designed to register clinical, microbiological and therapeutic data. Results: Fifty five cases, 26 males, aged 15 to 91 years, were studied. Eighty four percent had chronic concomitant diseases and 9.1% were immunosuppressed. Clinical findings were fever in 87.3%, asthenia in 83.6%, cough in 93.6%, abnormal pulmonary signs in 69%, an elevated C-reactive protein (mean value of 11.6 ± 7.1 mg/dL) and acute respiratory insufficiency in 54.5%. Cases were isolated in cohort or individual rooms and 38.2% were admitted to intensive or intermediate care units. Amantadine was prescribed to 52 patients and was well tolerated. Thirty three percent of cases developed pneumonia. These subjects were older, had more dyspnea and respiratory insufficiency than patients without pneumonia. Conclusions: IA should be borne in mind when dealing with hospitalized adults, during epidemic outbreaks in the community. The clinical picture can resemble a serious bacterial infection. An early diagnosis allows the use of specific treatments, to decrease the risk of nosocomial spread and to avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics (Rev Méd Chile 2004; 132: 317-24). (

We report the first case of bacillary angiomatosis due to Bartonella quintana affecting a Chilean a HIV positive patient in Chile. He was a 27 years old, heterosexual male, indigent man known to be HIV positive serological status known from September, 2003, under irregular medical control. On April, 2005, he presented a progressive abscess in the frontal region and erythematous papules in the extremities, that extended to face, thorax and mucoses, becoming nodular and violaceous lesions. Bacillary angiomatosis diagnosis was initially sustained on account of the clinical manifestations, and was confirmed by serology and Warthin Starry staining from a skin biopsy. The etiological agent was identified as Bartonella quintana through universal RPC performed from a cutaneous nodule to detect 16S rRNA gen. Azithromycin plus ciprofloxacin was started, besides of anti retroviral therapy antiretroviral, with the lesions being progressively disappearing.