Galaxy Radar – Week of September 16, 2024

Less common species found in new geographic areas and possible regional strains and unidentified species from known genera present laboratory and diagnostic challenges. The top headlines this week discuss this issue.

Bartonella rochalimae Found in Sonora, Mexico

Bartonella rochalimae in a Flea Collected from a Mephitis macroura in Sonora Mexico by AM Fernández-González et al. publishing from Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Bartonella rochalimae is most commonly found in wild carnivores, but it is of concern because it can be transferred to domestic dogs and cause heart infections in both dogs and people. In a recent tick survey in Sonora, Mexico, it was found in a flea collected from a skunk.

The flea species, P. simulans, has previously been found to carry B. rochalimae and B. vinsonii berkhoffii. Flea and tick control is important to keep these pathogens out of households.

Find out more about Bartonella species testing at Galaxy Diagnostics and contact us for more information about the range of species detected by our Digital ePCR test.

Borrelia turicatae in Soft Ticks in South Texas

Pathogen and Host Associations of Soft Ticks Collected in South Texas by SEM Maestas, LP Maestas & PE Kaufman publishing from Texas

In a new study of 256 soft ticks trapped near wild animals in Texas, Borrelia turicatae was found in one tick. This species had previously been found in Florida. A close match to B. puertoricensis was found in another, most similar to a sample previously collected in Panama.

Soft ticks remain far less studied than hard ticks. Their different lifestyle, which involves more frequent meals, means their capacity for disease transmission is different from that of hard ticks.

Lyme Disease in Argentina

Retrospective Analysis of Potential Lyme Disease Clinical Cases in Argentina by NO Stanchi et al. publishing from Argentina and Italy

As global travel and climate change shift the boundaries of pathogens, South American researchers looking more closely at possible Lyme disease cases. In this study of five possible cases in Argentina, two met the standard for US CDC positive surveillance.

The global spread of this notoriously genetically diverse pathogen may mean that countries like Argentina will need testing for local strains rather than tests developed for North American or European strains. More research is needed to better understand the global diversity of Lyme disease.

Lyme Borrelia direct detection is available at Galaxy Diagnostics. Find out more. This test targets a conserved region of OspA to detect more strains.

PCR Detection of Tick-Borne Disease in Retained Dried Blood Samples

PCR Detection of Bartonella spp. and Borreliella spp. DNA in Dry Blood Spot Samples from Human Patients by KL Clark and S Hartman publishing from Jacksonville, Florida

The North Florida Public Health Research Laboratory started collecting finger prick dried blood samples from patients with unexplained “Lyme-like Syndromic Illness” in 2007. These patients reported having tested negative for Lyme disease and most had not been tested for Bartonella infection at all.

After being re-tested using current PCR techniques, 20/105 samples tested positive for Bartonella species and 41/105 samples tested positive for Borrelia species. The authors suggest that less-common species from these genera that may be present in the US South may be hampering laboratory detection of these cases through standard laboratory testing.

The academic editor for the special issue where this article appeared was Dr. Breitschwerdt, Chief Scientific Officer at Galaxy Diagnostics.

Balancing Infection Control and Vascular Interventions in Neuroborreliosis

Multiple Severe Intracranial Stenoses with Ischemic Stroke in Neuroborreliosis-associated Cerebral Vasculitis: Endovascular Treatment Strategies and Literature Review by K. Hajiyev et al. publishing from Stuttgart, Germany

The best treatment for stroke associated with neuroborreliosis is immediate stroke interventions as well as infection treatment, according to the authors of this paper containing three cases and a literature review.

In less emergent cases of cerebral vasculitis, the response to common interventions may not be as successful as in non-infected patients. In these cases, prioritizing antibiotic treatment may be more successful. The authors suggest multi-disciplinary input for individual cases.

Bartonella vinsonii Associated with Vision Problems and Endocarditis

A Case of Bartonella vinsonii Endocarditis by M Chen et al. publishing from Hangzhou and Guizhou, China

In this case report, a 60-year-old woman had repeating fevers and vision problems. After she was diagnosed with endocarditis, an antibiotic treatment did not resolve her symptoms.

She decided to get a second opinion at a different hospital. There, metagenomic next-generation sequencing was used to identify her infection as Bartonella vinsonii. While m-NGS is less likely to identify an infection compared to a targeted test, it can identify an infection when what to test for is unknown.

Tick-Borne Infection and Pain: Biomarkers, Treatments, Ethics

Biomarker-Based Analysis of Pain in Patients with Tick-Borne Infections before and after Antibiotic Treatment by K Garg et al. publishing from institutions in Europe

A multi-institution European team looked for biomarkers associated with pain in 186 people who had pain after treatment for tick-borne infections. They found a complex relationship between the biomarkers and pain, but ultimately found that antibiotic treatment reduced pain.

The researchers conclude, “As treatment consisted of antibiotics, not pain killers or pain blockers, and it was effectively reducing pain in this cohort of patients, our study raises an issue about the human rights of patients in terms of the frequent withholding from treatment reported for chronic Lyme/PTLDS and other TBIs because of scientific debates regarding the nature of this condition about the human rights of patients.”

Galaxy Calendar

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