What Is Bartonella?

Bartonella is an infection caused by Bacillus-like Bartonella, commonly called human Bartonella. Since Peru's Daniel Carrion first reported the symptoms and signs of the disease in 1855, it is also known as Carion disease. Paeonia lactiflora is the medium of transmission. There are two distinct stages in clinical manifestations, namely Oro fever with acute fever and hemolytic anemia, and Peruvian wart with skin lesions.

Basic Information

nickname

Carion disease

English name

bartonellosis

Visiting department

Infectious Diseases

Common causes

Bartonella

Common symptoms

Chills, high fever, sweating, extreme fatigue, anemia, enlarged lymph nodes; verrucous rash

way for spreading

White pheasant as media

Causes of Bartonella disease

Bartonella is a gram-negative parasitic bacterium with severe nutritional conditions. Humans may be infected with or cause disease due to closer contact with animals such as cats and dogs that parasitize Bartonella or accidental contact with wild animals such as rodents in the natural environment. Bartonella infection can cause inflammation and various complications.

Clinical manifestations of Barton's disease

The incubation period is about 3 weeks or longer. There are often prodromal symptoms before onset, such as low fever, bone joints, and muscle soreness. Thereafter, the disease can develop into one of two types of disease.

1. Oroja fever

For the acute blood disease stage, progressive hemolytic anemia. Sudden appearance of chills, high fever, sweating, extreme fatigue, pale face, severe muscle, joint pain and headache, severe cases may show signs of delirium, coma and peripheral circulation failure. At this stage, it can become the main cause of death of the disease. The untreated mortality of this type often exceeds 50%, and it usually occurs within 10 days to 4 weeks after the onset. After antibacterial treatment, the fever subsides and the blood Bacteria are reduced or even eliminated, and physical strength is gradually recovered. Some lighter cases can recover on their own, but it is relatively slow, a constant month to half a year.

2.Peru wart

This type is the stage of skin damage. It is characterized by anemia or no precursor symptoms. Many wart-like rashes appear on the skin, which can be miliary, nodular, or large carrion. Its size ranges from 2 to 10 mm to 3 to 4 cm. The above three types of wart-like skin lesions can be seen in the same patient. The two sides of the limbs and the face are more common, followed by the genitals, the scalp and the mouth and pharynx mucosa. The color of the wart-like rash varies from red to purple. It can persist for 1 month to 2 years, and the pathogen can be detected from the lesion.

Barton body disease check

Blood test

Blood tests show a rapid decline in red blood cells, which usually decreases from normal to 1.0 × 10 ¹² / L within 4 to 5 days. It is a normal pigmented giant cell anemia, with nucleated red blood cells and Howell-Jolly bodies. Cabot ring (Cabot ring) and basophilic stippling, the white blood cell count may be slightly increased with the left shift of the nucleus, the blood contains a large number of pathogens, and smear staining can show that 90% of red blood cells are invaded.

2. Pathogen culture

Carriers should be identified for blood culture. Gimus staining was performed on the Peruvian wart-preferred tissue specimens, and the pathogen was diagnosed.

3. Other inspections

Recently, the use of serum immunological tests, such as fluorescent antibodies, indirect hemagglutination, and enzyme-linked immunoassay, has also helped epidemiological investigations and diagnosis.

Barton's disease diagnosis

Patients in the epidemic area have a history of bite of paeony and typical clinical manifestations, such as fever, progressive hemolytic anemia, lymphadenopathy, verrucous rash, etc. should be suspected of this disease. A blood smear can confirm the diagnosis if a pathogen or positive culture is found.

Barton's Disease Treatment

Drug treatment

A variety of antibiotics such as chloramphenicol, tetracycline, penicillin, and streptomycin have antibacterial effects on Bacillus batoniformis. Chloramphenicol is the drug of choice for acute Bacillus-like Bartonella infection, as it is also effective against common complications of Salmonella infection. The fever usually subsides within 2 days after taking the medicine, and the condition improves rapidly.

Although Bartonella in vitro is sensitive or highly sensitive to many antibacterial drugs, such as doxycycline, erythromycin and its derivatives, aminoglycosides, rifampicin, ciprofloxacin, etc., there is no antibacterial drug in general cases. Indication.

For severe diseases such as fever, encephalitis and immunodeficiency, doxycycline, ciprofloxacin, rifampicin or erythromycin and aminoglycosides should be used for 7 days or longer .

2. Surgery

Symptoms of lymphadenopathy that have not been reduced for more than one year may be considered surgical removal. When the lymph nodes are purulent, puncture and suction can be used to reduce the symptoms. Repeat if necessary after 2 to 3 days. Incision and drainage should not be performed.

3. Other therapies

The treatment of the disease is mainly symptomatic. Bartonella is highly sensitive to antibiotics in vitro, but only aminoglycosides have a killing effect on Bartonella. Severe anemia can be transfused.