Galaxy Radar – Week of September 2, 2024

Tick-Borne Disease Triple Infections Increasing in Connecticut

Lyme, Babesia, Anaplasma: Connecticut Doctor Seeing Patients with ‘Trifecta’ of Tick-Borne Diseases by JN Fenster in CT Insider – With the increase of Babesia in Connecticut, Jo-Ann Passalacqua, an infectious disease doctor in Bridgeport, says she is seeing more patients with an infection “trifecta”: Lyme Disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reports that 0.5% of ticks tested last year were infected with all three, and 6% of ticks were infected with at least two tick-borne pathogens.

Galaxy Diagnostics has PCR testing for Lyme Disease, babesiosis and anaplasmosis. See our test menu.

Bartonella quintana in Organ Transplant

Donor-Derived Bartonella quintana Infection in Solid Organ Transplantation: An Emerging Public Health Issue With Diagnostic Challenges by C Boodman et al. publishing from Manitoba, Belgium, Alberta and the US CDC – The risk of vector-borne disease infection from blood products and organ transplants continues to be monitored by transplant programs around the world. A new publication reviewing the risk of Bartonella infection from donor organs cites five cases of Bartonella quintana in Canadian recipients of organs from three donors. These donors had recently experienced homelessness and thus were at increased risk of B. quintana infection.

(This paper is not free to read online but may be available at your library.)

Childhood Development Complicated by Vision Problems and Tick-Borne Disease

Visual Dysfunction and Sudden Onset Symptoms Leading to Early Detection of Tick-Borne Infections: A Case Study by AI Sayyed & WV Padula publishing from Padula Institute of Vision Rehabilitation – A 12-year-old girl was experiencing a variety of neuropsychiatric symptoms. An eye exam was abnormal, leading to tick-borne disease testing that came back positive for Borrelia, Bartonella and Babesia. While she was undergoing therapy for visual spatial dysfunction, she was also referred for treatment of these infectious diseases and counseled regarding food sensitivities.

The authors note that vision problems can have a serious impact on childhood development and learning. Tick-borne diseases are known to cause vision problems, and their impact on childhood development has not been well-studied.

Galaxy Diagnostics’ 4 Species IFA Serology Panel for Bartonella provides the broadest antibody detection available. Find out more.

Repeat Follow-up of Vision Loss Leads to a Bartonella henselae Diagnosis

Bartonella Neuroretinitis with Initial Seronegativity and an Absent Macular Star: A Case Report and Literature Review by J Frean, DWW Yong & HA Lin publishing from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and National University Hospital, Singapore – A man in Singapore had swollen lymph nodes in his neck, a slight fever, and two days later central blurring of vision in one eye. While Bartonella henselae was considered, there were three things weighing against the diagnosis: First, Bartonella henselae as a cause of neuroretinitis has rarely been reported in Singapore. Second, serology tests were negative. Third, the patient had not developed a macular star. However, when the macular star developed, physicians asked more questions. The patient had three pet cats and had recently been scratched. B. henselae serology was repeated and now it was positive. The patient was already improving, but antibiotics were added.

The authors stress that repeat examination of the eye and serology tests were able to get them to the correct diagnosis.

Bartonella spp. Infection in People with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Study by V. Guirguise, F. Pupillo, S Rodrigues, N Walker, H Roth, CE Liedig, RG Maggi, EB Breitschwerdt  & F Frohlich publishing from UNC and NCSU – Following up on findings implicating Bartonella species infection in neuropsychiatric disease, a team at UNC with the Intracellular Pathogens Research Laboratory at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine, including Galaxy Diagnostics scientists, tested older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to a dementia diagnosis.

Surprisingly, the researchers found that people with normal cognitive function were more likely to have both Bartonella spp DNA (37%) and antibodies (70%) than those with an MCI diagnosis. Subclinical infection with Bartonella species is well established in the medical literature but remains a mystery in terms of both prevalence and potential disease expression.

Media Using Pennsylvania’s Tick-Borne Disease Dashboard

It was only in May that Pennsylvania launched its tick-borne disease dashboard, but the media have already taken note. In this article from Lehigh Valley Live, the year-round risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases is explained with encouragement to use tick-bite prevention.

Jake Picker’s “Bartonella Babe” Content Will Remain Available

Jake Picker, also known as “Bartonella Babe”, passed away in January of this year. You can read our remembrance of her here.

Now her friend Mason, reading a letter from Jake’s mother Jamie, has posted a final video on her YouTube channel. They will be leaving up the educational content that Jake posted. You can view the video here.

Known Tick-Borne Pathogen Genera in the Amazon, but Different Lifecycles

Detection of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia Bacteria in Humans, Wildlife, and Ticks in the Amazon Rainforest by M Buysse et al. publishing from France – Emerging infectious diseases in the Amazon rain forest are similar to the Ehrlichia and Anaplasma species seen in North America and are found in ticks, but the animals they are found in suggest a different lifecycle. Across the Amazon, novel species of familiar tick-borne pathogens have been found, and more needs to be understood about them and their risks, as human interactions with these ecosystems are increasing rapidly.

Galaxy Diagnostics Calendar

ILADS Annual Scientific Conference, November 7-10, 2024 – Galaxy Diagnostics speakers will include CEO Nicole Bell. Find us in the exhibitor hall.