Galaxy Radar – Week of September 23, 2024

Identifying Children with Systemic Bartonellosis

Cat Scratch Disease in Pediatrics: Who Has Systemic Involvement? by MAM Lindado, et al. publishing from Children’s Hospital Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital associated with the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires

This review of 197 children diagnosed with Bartonella henselae infection at a pediatric hospital in Argentina found that 68 of the children had systemic involvement. The children with systemic involvement had an average C-reactive protein levelmore than three times that of the children with localized infections. The authors conclude that children with fever and elevated C-reactive protein should be evaluated for systemic involvement of bartonellosis.

Galaxy Diagnostics uses advanced technology for highly sensitive ePCR tests for Bartonella species. Find out more.

13-Year-Old with a Neck Mass

Three-Month History of Lymphadenopathy Caused by Bartonella henselae in a 13-Year-Old Following a Dog Scratch by M Nguyen et al. publishing from West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine and Greenbrier Valley Medical Center

A 13-year-old had an immobile mass on his neck. He had coughing and back pain and had lost 20 pounds but had not had a fever. These symptoms developed over six months, and during the course of his evaluations he developed throat pain. His parents were concerned he might have cancer.

However, laboratory tests revealed positive serology for Bartonella henselae. He had been scratched by a dog prior to the start of these symptoms. The first diagnosis isn’t necessarily the only diagnosis, so physicians also ruled out tuberculosis. With antibiotic treatment, the mass “almost disappeared.”

Identifying Acute Peripheral Facial Palsy Caused by Borreliosis in Children without Lumbar Puncture

Peripheral Facial Palsy in Children: Serum Borrelia Antibodies May Reduce the Need for Lumbar Puncture by J Bloch et al publishing from Copenhagen University Hospital

Researchers in Denmark considered whether serology without lumbar puncture could diagnose borreliosis in children with acute peripheral facial palsy (PFP). They found that along with other factors they could achieve a positive predictive value of 90%. They suggest that all children with PFP in high-endemic areas be treated with Doxycycline and seropositive children not receive lumbar punctures.

Urine test for direct detection of Lyme Borrelia available at Galaxy Diagnostics. Find out more.

Could Tick Allergy be Protective?

Risk of Ixodes ricinus Bites in a Population of Forestry Workers in an Endemic Region in France by A Grillon, E Sauleau & N Boulanger publishing from France

Thirty-two forestry workers in France were recruited to record for one year the ticks they found on their clothing, their tick bites, and things they did to avoid ticks like use of repellants. It was a very small study with a variety of behavior combinations, so it is difficult to draw broad conclusions from the study. However, the researchers noted that participants who were allergic to ticks may have increased protection as the itching was an early alert to a tick bite.

Neurosarcoidosis

Aseptic Meningitis with Recurrent Headache Episodes, Vomiting, and Central Fever as First Manifestation of Isolated Neurosarcoidosis: A Case Report by A-M Aloizou, TA Gabriel, C Lukas, R Gold & J Motte publishing from St. Josef Hospital Bochum, Germany

Of course our main focus is tick-borne pathogens, but what else is on the differential when tick-borne disease is considered? In this case, a man had headaches and vomiting for three days.

A CT exam didn’t find anything unusual, so a lumbar puncture was done to investigate for infectious pathogens including Borrelia species as well as autoimmune markers. An MRI found abnormalities.

The patient had neurosarcoidosis. About 5% of sarcoidosis patients have neurosarcoidosis, fewer still present with only neurosarcoidosis, and meningitis occurs in only about 16% of neurosarcoidosis cases. The patient had “immediate symptom improvement” with corticosteroid and methylprednisolone treatment.

The authors note that a patient with aseptic meningitis who does not improve with antibiotics and antivirals should be evaluated for neurosarcoidosis.

How Similar are “Long” Diseases?

Medicine Struggles to Define Chronic Lyme. Long COVID Has Only Made It Harder by I Cueto & A Sajani in STAT News

Long COVID has brought attention to other infection-associated chronic illnesses such as those associated with Lyme disease, but it has also complicated the picture. How much similarity do these conditions share and can the same research be applied to both? Some US NIH funding is going toward these questions.

Immune Changes Prompted by Fever

Subset-specific Mitochondrial Stress and DNA Damage Shape T Cell Responses to Fever and Inflammation by DR Heintzman et al. publishing from Vanderbilt University and University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; also a Press release from Vanderbilt University Medical Center

It’s generally been considered common sense that some fever can be helpful but extreme fever is not. Now, researchers at Vanderbilt have conducted experiments on the cellular impacts of fever. They found that moderate fever promotes more effective Th1 cell development by first leading to cellular death for some cells. Th1 cells play an important role in immune response. However, higher fevers can just be destructive.

Maintaining Political Momentum for One Health

First In-Person Meeting of the One Health High-level Expert Panel (Term II) Advances Quadripartite Collaboration, WHO departmental update

The WHO and three other agencies have been leading a One Health Initiative, and for the first time their High-Level Expert Panel has met in person to make plans that advance the One Health Initiative. They identified maintaining the political momentum that is building for One Health solutions as a top goal.

US CDC Zoonotic and One Health Update Call

The CDC Zoonotic and One Health Update Call on October 2nd will cover the response of various US agencies to H5N1. CE available.

Galaxy Calendar

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