Bartonella bacilliformis
| Bartonella bacilliformis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Bacteria |
| Phylum: | Proteobacteria |
| Class: | Alpha Proteobacteria |
| Order: | Rhizobiales |
| Family: | Bartonellaceae |
| Genus: | Bartonella |
| Species: | B. bacilliformis |
| Binomial name | |
|
Bartonella bacilliformis (Strong et al. 1913) Strong et al. 1915 |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Bartonia bacilliformis Strong et al. 1913 |
|
Bartonia bacilliformis Strong et al. 1913
Bartonella bacilliformis is a proteobacterium, Gram negative aerobic, pleomorphic, flagellated, motile, coccobacillary, 2–3 μm long, 0.2–0.5 μm wide, and a facultative intracellular bacterium.
The bacterium was discovered by Peruvian microbiologist Alberto Barton in 1905, but it was not published until 1909. Barton originally identified them as endoglobular structures, which actually were the bacteria living inside red blood cells. Until 1993, the Bartonella genus contained only one species; there are now more than 23 identified species, all of them within family Bartonellaceae.
Bartonella bacilliformis is found only in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. It is endemic in some areas of Peru, with outbreaks of the disease occurring in new epidemic areas. The bacterium is transmitted by sandflies of the genus Lutzomyia.
For its isolation, special cultures are required, containing complemental soy agar, proteases, peptones, some essential amino acids, and blood. The optimum growing temperature is 19–29 °C. Colonies grow in Columbia blood agar supplemented with 10% defibrinated bovine blood incubated at 19–25 °C for 2 weeks.
As the sandflies bite, the bacteria are inoculated into the capillaries, where in a variable period of time (around 21 days) it invades the red blood cells producing severe intravascular hemolytic anemia (acute phase of Carrion's disease). This phase is a potentially life-threatening infection, and it is associated with high fever, anemia, and transient immunosuppression. The acute phase typically lasts two to four weeks. Peripheral blood smears show anisomacrocytosis with many coccobacilli adhered to red blood cells. Thrombocytopenia is also seen and can be severe. Neurological involvement is sometimes seen (neurobartonellosis) and the prognosis in this case is poor. The most feared complications are super-infections, mainly by enterobacteria such as Salmonella, or parasites such as Toxoplasma gondii and Pneumocystis.
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