Galaxy Radar – Week of May 6, 2024

Cerebral Vasculitis Due to Rickettsiosis

Case Report: Infectious Cerebral Vasculitis Due to Rickettsiosis by OO Nabih et al. publishing from Hassan II University Hospital of Fez – A woman in Morocco had fever, cough, headache, rash and a black eschar but was initially negative for Rickettsia serology. Antibiotics were started based on clinical diagnosis of infectious cerebral vasculitis. The patient later tested positive via serology and skin biopsy.

Anaplasmosis with Rash and Rhabdomyolysis

Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis with Rash and Rhabdomyolysis: A Case Report by T Kawaguchi et al. publishing from the University of Miyazaki and the University of Shizuoka – Anaplasmosis is new to Japan, with their seventh case described in this report. The patient had an eschar, fever, full-body rash and rhabdomyolysis. Physicians were first thinking Rickettsia japonica and started treatment for that before serology was positive for Anaplasmosis more than a week later. A combination of direct and indirect testing methods were used to accurately identify the pathogen.

News for Lyme Disease Awareness

Clinical Manifestations of European Borreliosis on the Skin in Acute, Subacute and Chronic Disease by S Krkic-Dautovic et al. publishing from Sarajevo and Islamabad – A study in Bosnia and Herzegovina of Lyme disease manifestations on skin found a wide variety of presentations. Photographs are provided in the paper, free to view online. Raising awareness of different skin manifestations of Lyme disease is important to early diagnosis, as is awareness of the fact that people can have Lyme disease and have no skin symptoms. An open need in Lyme disease awareness remains the availability of more images of Lyme disease skin manifestations on darker skin tones.

Mom’s Memory Loss and Tingling Were Dismissed by 14 Doctors. It was Neurologic Lyme Disease by M Holohan on Today – Lyme disease can be found in many areas of the country, even where it is not expected. With travel by humans and ticks, cases can be found anywhere. In this case, a California mom developed memory problems and experienced a variety of neurological issues but was not tested for Lyme disease despite seeing over a dozen doctors. These are the cases we raise awareness for.

Find out more about the Lyme Borrelia Nanotrap Antigen Test, more sensitive at all stages of Lyme disease than standard methods.

How to Protect Your Dog From Tick-Borne Diseases by A Sarnacki in the Bangor Daily News – Veterinarians from Maine discuss how to protect dogs from Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

Tick-Borne Disease Awareness: Bartonella & RMSF

Bringing Bartonellosis to Major Media: Swamp Boy – In 2019, Galaxy Diagnostics co-founders Edward B. Breitschwerdt and Ricardo G. Maggi and medical director B. Robert Mozayeni, along with consulting physicians and others at the North Carolina State University (NCSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, published a clinical case report titled “Bartonella henselae bloodstream infection in a boy with pediatric acute-onset neuropsychiatric syndrome.” This case report gained wide media attention, and journalist Kris Newby turned it into a graphic article in 2022.

 

What is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever? Local Case Brings Awareness to Tick-Borne Illness by Stamford Health – Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by the tick-borne bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii. It has spread across the US to areas where it was not previously found, as one man from Connecticut learned when he felt flu-like with a high fever.

Vaccine Targets for Bartonella quintana

In Silico Identification of Drug Targets and Vaccine Candidates Against Bartonella quintana by S Ahmad & H Verli publishing from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil – How do you stop the growth of a bacteria without harming cells from the host? In “subtractive proteomics,” here applied to #Bartonella quintana, proteins that exist in both the host and the bacteria are removed until only bacteria targets remain.

Theileria’s “Immortal Cells”

The Theileria genus is closely related to Plasmodium, with two species causing disease in cattle and one causing disease in horses. These diseases are of agricultural importance. Additionally, the pathogen can be studied to gain more information about both human infectious disease and cancer. In cancer, cell death is often switched off using similar mechanisms to how Theileria manipulates “immortal cells.”

Theileria annulata and Cancer: A Parasite Strategy Revealed! on Université Paris Cité’s website   about the publication of Theileria parasites sequester host eIF5A to escape elimination by host-mediated autophagy by M Villares et al. – The tick-borne parasite Theileria annulata causes cancer-like cells in cattle, turning off cell death to create “immortal” cells carrying the pathogen.

Comparative Transcriptional Analysis Identifies Genes Associated with the Attenuation of Theileria parva Infected Cells After Long-Term In Vitro Culture by EMDL van der Heijden et al. publishing from Utrecht University and the University of Edinburgh – After developing the cancer-like “immortal cells” found with Theileria infection, the host eventually returns to a more normal state. How does this change happen? This research finds changes in inflammation in the host cells.

One Health Stories

CAHRN One Health Initiatives Addressing Human, Animal, and Environmental Issues by S Stearns in UConn Today – The University of Connecticut is developing a One Health program to address issues the state is facing as well as global issues. The program will soon offer a minor in One Health.

Climate Change Increases Chances of Zoonotic Disease ‘Spillover’ by S Heville in the Financial Times – The Financial Times has highlighted risks of zoonotic spillover as humans and animals come into contact because of changes in development and weather.

CVM Puts One Health into Practice: Protecting the Health of People and Animals in our Shared Environment – The Center for Veterinary Medicine at the US FDA has created a resource describing how One Health is part of its structure and processes.