Biomedical subjects

D L Kordick

Publications and source records attributed to D L Kordick.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1997

Bartonella clarridgeiae, a newly recognized zoonotic pathogen causing inoculation papules, fever, and lymphadenopathy (cat scratch disease).

Shortly after adopting a 6-week-old cat, a veterinarian was bitten on the left index finger. Within 3 weeks, he developed headache, fever, and left axillary lymphadenopathy. Initial blood cultures from the cat and veterinarian were sterile. Repeat cultures from the cat grew Bartonella-like organisms with lophotrichous flagella. Sera from the veterinarian were not reactive against Bartonella henselae, B. quintana, or B. elizabethae antigens but were seroreactive (reciprocal titer, 1,024) against the feline isolate. Sequential serum samples from the cat were reactive against antigens of B. henselae (titer, 1,024), B. quintana (titer, 128), and the feline isolate (titer, 2,048). Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of this and six additional feline isolates, including microscopic evaluation, biochemical analysis, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, DNA-DNA hybridization, and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism of the 16S gene, 16S-23S intergenic spacer region, and citrate synthase gene identified the isolates as B. clarridgeiae. This is the first report of cat scratch disease associated with B. clarridgeiae.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Relapsing bacteremia after blood transmission of Bartonella henselae to cats.

OBJECTIVES: To determine persistence of bacteremia, pathogenicity, and immunoglobulin kinetics after blood transmission of Bartonella henselae in cats. ANIMALS: 18 specific-pathogen-free (SPF) cats (16 weeks old) received blood or urine from 4 adult cats (2 SPF, 2 naturally infected with B henselae). PROCEDURE: SPF cats were inoculated with blood IV (n = 4), blood IM (n = 4), or urine sediment IM (n = 4) from 2 bacteremic cats (donors A and B). Control cats (2/route) received inoculum from culture-negative, seronegative SPF cats (donors C and D). RESULTS: 6 cats (5 blood, 1 urine) were transiently febrile during the 213-day observation period. Two bacteremic cats developed CNS abnormalities. Transient anemia was the only hematologic abnormality. Bacteremia was induced in 7 of 8 blood recipients by postinoculation day (PID) 11. Urine recipients (n = 6) did not become bacteremic or seroconvert by PID 108, but when challenge exposed IV with blood, 4 of 6 became infected. All infected cats developed relapsing bacteremia. Initially, colony counts for donor-A recipients were 10(3) greater than those for donor-B recipients; however, during relapses, counts were similar. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of 16S rRNA gene and the intergenic spacer region revealed no differences among isolates derived from recipient cats. Bartonella henselae-specific antibodies were detected between PID 15 and 18 in donor-A, compared with PID 46 and 181 in donor-B recipients. The peak geometric mean titer of donor-A recipients was 1,448, versus 406 for donor-B recipients. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Blood transmission of B henselae induced subtle clinical abnormalities; the biological behavior of the 2 donor strains differed; and relapsing bacteremia can persist in conjunction with variably high antibody titers.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Comparative seroreactivity to Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana among cats from Israel and North Carolina.

Bartonella henselae, the predominant cause of cat scratch disease, and Bartonella quintana, the cause of trench fever, are closely related Bartonella species that induce cross-reactivity when cat or human sera are tested using an indirect immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) test. Cats are the natural reservoir for B. henselae, whereas a mammalian reservoir host for B. quintana has not been identified. Serum samples from 114 cats from Israel and 114 cats from North Carolina were tested by IFA for seroreactivity to B. henselae and B. quintana antigens. Similar numbers of cats from Israel [45 (39.5%)] and from North Carolina [46(40.4%)] were seroreactive to both antigens, however, as compared to cats from North Carolina [8 (7%)], a significantly (P = 0.001) larger number of cats from Israel were seroreactive to B. quintana antigen only [23 (20.2%)]. In addition, mean antibody titers were lower to B. henselae than to B. quintana (P = 0.0001) in the cats from Israel, whereas similar mean titers to both antigens were identified in cats from North Carolina. Absorption of serum using whole B. henselae organisms resulted in a significantly greater (P = 0.0001) decrease in antibody titer to B. henselae between absorbed and non-absorbed sera, as compared to the decrease in antibody titer following absorption with whole B. quintana organisms. There was a similar decrease in antibody titer in sera from cats experimentally infected with B. henselae and in cats naturally exposed to Bartonella species from Israel and North Carolina. Our results indicate that absorption of serum will, in most instances, distinguish species-specific reactivity by IFA to B. henselae from cross-reactivity to B. quintana in cats experimentally infected with B. henselae. The data support the conclusion that B. henselae is the principal Bartonella species responsible for seroreactivity against B. henselae and B. quintana in naturally exposed cats from Israel or North Carolina. It also suggests that in Israel, cats are exposed to one or more antigenically different Bartonella species, sub-species or strains, that seroreact by IFA more intensely with B. quintana antigen.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii subsp. nov., isolated from dogs; Bartonella vinsonii subsp. vinsonii; and emended description of Bartonella vinsonii.

Two bacterial strains, one isolated from the blood of a dog with valvular endocarditis and one isolated from the blood of a healthy dog, were similar to Bartonella species, as determined by a number of phenotypic criteria, including growth characteristics, biochemical reactions, and cell wall fatty acid composition. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity studies confirmed that these strains are closely related and belong in the genus Bartonella and that Bartonella vinsonii is their closest relative (the 16S rRNA of isolate 93-C01T [T = type strain] was 99.37% identical to the 16S rRNA of the type strain of B. vinsonii, the 16S rRNA of isolate G7464 was 99.61% identical to the 16S rRNA of the type strain, and the 16S rRNAs of the dog isolates were 99.77% identical to each other). The 16S rRNAs of both strains contained a 12-base insertion that was not present in the 16S rRNA of the type strain of any Bartonella species. DNA relatedness tests revealed that these strains were related at the species level to the type strain of B. vinsonii. They were, however, significantly more closely related to each other than to B. vinsonii. On the basis of their unique 16S rRNA sequence insertion, their preferentially high level of relatedness, and their similar origins (dogs), we believe that strains 93-C01(T) and G7464 should be placed in a separate subspecies of B. vinsonii, for which we propose the name B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii subsp. nov. The type strain of B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii is strain 93-C01 (= ATCC 51672). The description of B. vinsonii is emended to accommodate the new subspecies, and B. vinsonii subsp. vinsonii is described.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Bartonellosis.

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Animals↗

PubMed1995

Bartonella henselae: etiology of pulmonary nodules in a patient with depressed cell-mediated immunity.

We describe an immunocompromised renal transplantation patient with opportunistic lung infection due to Bartonella henselae (formerly Rochalimaea henselae) and provide evidence suggesting transmission from a pet cat. Computed tomographic scans of the chest and lung biopsies provided material for diagnosis. The etiology was established by polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of a 16S ribosomal DNA segment from infected lung tissue. Histopathologic and serological evidence supported the molecular data. B. henselae was isolated from the blood of eight of the patient's many cats. The patient responded to prolonged therapy with doxycycline, and relapse did not occur during a 1-year follow-up. B. henselae joins a long list of pathogens that can cause lung infections in association with cell-mediated immunodeficiency states. Molecular methods are useful in diagnosis of this infection in light of the bacterium's fastidious growth characteristics. If an immunocompromised patient has lung nodules and a history of exposure to cats, B. henselae should be sought in biopsy specimens.

Adult↗

PubMed1995

Endocarditis in a dog due to infection with a novel Bartonella subspecies.

Vegetative valvular endocarditis involving the aortic and, to a lesser extent, mitral valves was diagnosed echocardiographically in a 3-year-old spayed female Labrador retriever. Historically, the dog had been treated with tetracycline hydrochloride and prednisolone for positive seroreactivity to Ehrlichia canis and antinuclear antigens. Although three aerobic and anaerobic blood cultures failed to grow bacteria, blood cultured simultaneously by the lysis centrifugation technique grew a fastidious, gram-negative organism. Despite an initial therapeutic response, the owner elected euthanasia 17 days later. Necropsy confirmed aortic and mitral valvular endocarditis. Bacteria phenotypically similar to Bartonella species were visualized in the heart valve by light and electron microscopy, and Bartonella DNA from a frozen heart valve was amplified by PCR. Subsequent phenotypic and genotypic characterization of the isolate, including biochemical testing, cellular fatty acid analysis, DNA hybridization, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that this organism, which can induce endocarditis in dogs, is a novel Bartonella subspecies containing an insertion sequence unique among currently recognized Bartonella species. The name Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkoffii subsp. nov. will be proposed for this organism.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Prolonged Bartonella bacteremia in cats associated with cat-scratch disease patients.

Recent evidence supports a causal relationship between Bartonella (Rochalimaea) henselae, cat-scratch disease (CSD), and bacillary angiomatosis. Cats appear to be the primary reservoir. Blood from 19 cats owned by 14 patients diagnosed with CSD was cultured. Blood samples from cats owned by veterinary students (n = 25) having no association with CSD or bacillary angiomatosis were cultured as controls. Eighty-nine percent (17 of 19) of cats associated with CSD patients and 28% (7 of 25) of controls were bacteremic with Bartonella species (chi-square = 16.47; P < 0.001). Twenty-three isolates were characterized as B. henselae, while one isolate from the cat of a CSD patient appeared to be a new Bartonella species. Thirteen cats remained culture positive during the ensuing 12-month period. Our results support the conclusion that B. henselae is the predominant species involved in CSD and is transmitted by cats. The incidence of Bartonella bacteremia in control cats suggests that B. henselae bacteremia is prevalent among the domestic cat population in the United States.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Intraerythrocytic presence of Bartonella henselae.

Recent reports in the medical literature emphasize the risk of zoonotic disease and the high degree of prevalence of asymptomatic feline infection with Bartonella (Rochalimaea) henselae. While investigating Bartonella bacteremia in cats, we used transmission electron microscopy to demonstrate B. henselae in the erythrocytes of persistently bacteremic cats.

Animals↗