Galaxy Radar – Week of June 17, 2024

Unusual Bartonella Endocarditis Case

Bartonella Quintana Pulmonary Native Valve Endocarditis by R Aranda-Domene et al. publishing from the University of Barcelona and the Instituto de Salud Carlos III – In this unusual case, theinfection affected three valves. Bartonella species infections in the heart usually only affect one valve and not the pulmonary valve, but in this patient the infection was severely affecting blood flow. Urgent surgery was required, followed by 12 weeks of antibiotics. At an evaluation one year later, the patient had normal heart function.

Alcoholism a Risk Factor for Bartonellosis

Fatal Cat Scratch Disease in Alcoholic Patient with Liver Cirrhosis: A Case Report by L Nainshtein-Baturov, E Ackrak, YY Grabie & K Khan publishing from Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine and Northwell Health – Staten Island University Hospital – Alcohol use disorder is a risk factor for bartonellosis. In this case, a patient with alcoholism and liver cirrhosis rapidly deteriorated after a cat scratch and died within 24 hours of hospital admission.

Counting Lyme Disease – Scottish Cases

Incidence and Management of Lyme Disease: A Scottish General Practice Retrospective Study by S. Marvin, S Guntupalli & M Robb publishing from the Scottish Lyme Disease and Tick-borne Infections Reference Laboratory at Raigmore Hospital and the Public Health Directorate – How many people in Scotland have Lyme disease? In a review of general practice medical records, researchers found that diagnosis codes were more than twice laboratory confirmed disease. When they looked further into the free text notations and matchedtreatments to diagnosis, they found that clinicians had indicated a patient had Lyme disease over five times more than there were laboratory confirmed cases.

A Long COVID Definition

A Long COVID Definition: A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences, A Consensus Study Report from the National Academies ed. HV Fineberg, L Brown, T Worku & I Goldowitz – Long COVID has challenged health researchers to find better ways of defining and naming long-term infectious and post-infectious conditions. In contested diseases such as Long COVID and Lyme disease, a struggle for control of the language has mirrored the struggle of patients looking for their symptoms to be addressed and researchers seeking precision where precision is often not yet available from the science. Into this mix, this publication has set off a new round of intense discussion.

Risk Map and Communicating Prevention

As more granular and hyper-local information becomes available about vector-borne disease risk, it is possible for people to take measures to protect themselves. However, this requires communicating not only the risk but what actions to take to reduce the risk.

Prevalence and Knowledge of Tick-Borne Disease Among Forest Management Workers in Santa Cruz, California by F. Rubino & J Foley publishing from UC-Davis – A study of forest workers in Santa Cruz found a cumulative risk of tick-bite that increased 11% every year. The workers were aware of tick-bite risks but didn’t have the best information on identifying ticks and removing them correctly.

The Risk of Contact Between Visitors and Borrelia burgdorferi-infected Ticks Is Associated with Fine-Scale Landscape Features in a Southeastern Canadian Nature Park by A Dumas et al. publishing from the Université de Montréal, the Université du Québec À Montréal and the Public Health Agency of Canada – Meaningful tick mapping combines tick abundance information with human patterns to quantify where humans and ticks meet up. A new study from Canada looks at this information for a public park.

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First Report of Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae Carriage in Stray Cats from Ecuador and Its Link to a Cat Scratch Disease Outbreak in 2022 by A León-Sosa et al. publishing from Ecuador – In 2022, there was an outbreak of cat scratch disease in Guayaquil, Ecuador. A study of 100 cats found 15 carrying Bartonella species. This localized information could lead to local interventions such as managing pet and stray cat health. We would note that public awareness of how to handle cats safely can also reduce risk.

Tick Hybridization

Italian Peninsula as a Hybridization Zone of Ixodes inopinatus and I. ricinus and the Prevalence of Tick-Borne Pathogens in I. inopinatus, I. ricinus, and Their Hybrids by O Daněk et al. publishing from the Czech Republic, Italy, Hong Kong and Romania – A study of 380 ticks collected in Southern Europe and North Africa found 136 ticks in Italy that were hybrids of I. ricinus and I. inopinatus. With stratification of pathogens by tick species and geography, more research is needed on the role of tick hybridization in the changing landscape of disease risk.

H5N1 Infectious Course Varies by Species

Bird Flu Is Highly Lethal to Some Animals But Not to Others. Scientists Want to Know Why by M Stobbe on AP – H5N1 avian flu is fatal in some animals and mild or not found in others. In cats, it kills by affecting the brain rather than the lungs. In humans, a receptor in the eye may be involved. This variety is, at the moment, a One Health mystery.

Galaxy Diagnostics Calendar

The Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative Symposium on July 27, 2024 – Edward Breitschwerdt, DVM, DACVIM (SAIM), will be presenting with Janice Bush, CVM, on “Bartonella henselae, Neurobartonellosis and Alzheimer’s Disease: Is there a link?”