<i>Bartonella</i> spp. in human and animal populations in Gauteng, South Africa, from 2007 to 2009

Abstract

Bartonellae are highly adaptive organisms that have the ability to evade the host immune system and cause persistent bacteraemia by occupying the host's erythrocytes. Bartonella spp. is under-studied and health care professionals often misdiagnose Bartonella-related infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the carriage of Bartonella spp. circulating in human and animal populations in Gauteng using culturing and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection. A total of 424 human, 98 cat, 179 dog, and 124 wild rodent blood samples were plated onto specialised media and incubated for 7-21 days at 37 ºC in CO2. Culture isolates morphologically similar to Bartonella control strains were confirmed by PCR and sequenced to determine species. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was extracted from all blood samples and tested by nested PCR. Bartonella could only be cultured from the cat and rodent specimens. Cat isolates were &gt; 99% similar to Bartonella henselae URBHLIE 9, previously isolated from an endocarditis patient, and rat isolates were &gt; 98% similar to either RN24BJ (candidus 'Bartonella thailandensis') or RN28BJ, previously isolated from rodents in China. The PCR prevalences were 22.5% in HIV-positive patients, 9.5% in clinically healthy volunteers, 23.5% in cats, 9% in dogs and 25% in rodents. Findings of this study have important implications for HIV-positive patients.

Prevalence of Selected Zoonotic Diseases and Risk Factors at a Human-Wildlife-Livestock Interface in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa

“…The higher bartonellosis test-positive proportion in febrilers could be as the test was detecting organisms and not antibodies, which would be more closely associated with patients [presenting with fever than compared to dip-tanksters. Bartonella infection rate in other studies was also found to be high in HIV-infected individuals (Frean et al 2002;Trataris et al 2012), and although our participants were not tested for HIV, HIV prevalence may have been higher in the febrilers that had an average age of 34 years compared to the dip-tankster with an average age of 55 years, which correlates with the provincial age and HIV prevalence demographics (Shisana et al 2014). The Bartonella species found in the febrilers were associated with humans (n=1) and domestic dogs and cats (n=3) and rodents (n=2).…”

“…The Bartonella species found in the febrilers were associated with humans (n=1) and domestic dogs and cats (n=3) and rodents (n=2). Bartonella infections have been found to be common in cats (23.5%) and dogs (9%) in a southern African study (Trataris et al 2012), and in fleas (36.3%) elsewhere in Africa (Leulmi et al 2014).…”

Bartonella Bacteria in Urban Rats: A Movement From the Jungles of Southeast Asia to Metropoles Around the Globe

“…The authors of this study proposed a mathematical model explaining that the difference between these two co-occurring rat species might be due to the observed differences in flea infestation rates between these species. Trataris et al (2012) reported Bartonella infections in 13% by culturing and in 25% by PCR among rats (R. norvegicus and R. rattus) sourced from a pest control company in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan area, the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa. Some isolates from the rats were similar to B. elizabethae, while some were relatively similar to B. thailandensis originally described in Asian rats (Saisongkorh et al, 2009).…”

BartonellaSpecies in Raccoons and Feral Cats, Georgia, USA

“…by nested PCR. For outer PCR, we used primers QHVE-1 (5′-TTCAGATGATGATCCCAAGC-3′) and QHVE-3 (5′-AACATGTCTGAATATATCTTC-3′) ( 4 , 5 ). PCR was performed with an initial incubation for 2 min at 94°C; 35 cycles of denaturation at 94°C for 30 s, primer annealing at 52°C for 30 s, and elongation at 72°C for 60 s; and a final incubation at 72°C for 6 min.…”

“…Nested PCR was performed by using primers QHVE-12 (5′-CCG GAG GGC TTG TAG CTC AG-3′) and QHVE-14b (5′-CCT CACAAT TTC AAT AGA AC-3′) ( 4 ). Nested PCR conditions were identical to those for the outer PCR, except for the annealing temperature, which was 55°C.…”