Cat-scratch disease. Isolation and culture of the bacterial agent

Description of Afipia birgiae sp. nov. and Afipia massiliensis sp. nov. and recognition of Afipia felis genospecies A.

“…In this study, it has been demonstrated that these bacteria were phenotypically and genotypically closely related to bacteria of the genus Afipia. The reservoir natural niche of members of the genus Afipia, which are recognized as human pathogens (Brenner et al, 1991 ;Giladi et al, 1998 ;Hall et al, 1991 ;English et al, 1988), remains unknown. Most Afipia infections, including those caused by A. clevelandensis, A. broomeae and Afipia genospecies 1 and 2, have been associated with either the elderly or patients with other underlying medical problems.…”

“…A previously undescribed Gram-negative bacillus was isolated from lymph nodes of patients with cat scratch disease (CSD) (English et al, 1988). This bacterium, which was shown to belong to the α-Proteobacteria, was named Afipia felis (Brenner et al, 1991).…”

“…Brenner et al (1991) described the genus Afipia and two other species (Afipia clevelandensis and Afipia broomeae) and recognized three unnamed genospecies (1, 2 and 3). Apart from the report by English et al (1988), very little direct microbiological evidence linking A. felis and CSD has been presented and it is now clear that nearly all cases of CSD are due to a different bacterium, Bartonella henselae (Jerris & Regnery, 1996). Birkness et al (1992) demonstrated that A. felis has the capacity to grow intracellularly and have proposed a tissue culture protocol to isolate this species.…”

Serological Study of Bartonella henselae in Cat Scratch Disease in Japan

“…In 1983, Wear et al (10) demonstrated a Gram-negative bacillus in lymph nodes of patients with CSD. Afipia felis was isolated from lymph nodes of patients with CSD by English et al (6). However, A. felis has only rarely been isolated from patients with CSD, and evidence of A. felis-specific antibodies is lacking in most patients with suspected CSD (8).…”

“…A clinical diagnosis of CSD was made to be positive when two of the following three criteria were met: 1) cat contact, with the presence of a scratch or a primary dermal or eye lesion; 2) lymphadenopathy with normal result of laboratory studies for other causes of lymphadenopathy; and 3) characteristic histopathologic changes in a lymph node (6). Control serum samples were obtained from the medical staff of Yame General Hospital who had not had contact with a cat.…”