Two Different Genotypes of Bartonella henselae in Children with Cat-Scratch Disease and their Pet Cats

• Published in: Scandinavian journal of infectious diseases Vol. 30; no. 4; pp. 387 - 391
• Main Author: Anna Sander, Michael Ruess, Klaus Deichmann, Norbert Böhm, Wolfgang Bredt
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basingstoke Informa UK Ltd 1998; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Animals; Bacteremia - microbiology; Bacteremia - veterinary; Bacterial diseases; Bartonella henselae - classification; Bartonella henselae - genetics; Bartonella henselae - isolation & purification; Bartonella Infections - microbiology; Bartonella Infections - veterinary; Bartonellosis; Biological and medical sciences; Cat Diseases - microbiology; Cat-Scratch Disease - microbiology; Cat-Scratch Disease - pathology; Cats; Child; Culture Media; DNA, Bacterial - analysis; Female; Genotype; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Lymph Nodes - microbiology; Male; Medical sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tropical bacterial diseases; Human; Fissipedia; Carnivora; Typing; Cat scratch disease; Genotype; Epidemiology; Infection; Case study; Symptomatology; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Microbiological investigation; Animal; Cat; Pathogen strain; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Bartonellaceae; Bartonella henselae; Child
• ISSN: 0036-5548; 1651-1980
• DOI: 10.1080/00365549850160693

Two genotypes (I and II) of Bartonella henselae are involved in cat-scratch disease (CSD). Lymph node biopsies were taken from 3 children suffering from CSD, and blood cultures were obtained from their pet cats. Cat-scratch disease was confirmed serologically, histologically and by detection of B. henselae DNA in all 3 lymph nodes by PCR. Bartonella henselae grew in all cats' blood cultures. The first 2 children were siblings. Both children and their pet cats were infected with B. henselae genotype II, and the third patient and her cat were infected with B. henselae genotype I. In all cases, there were no essential differences in the clinical manifestations of the infection caused by these 2 genotypes of B. henselae.