Bartonella infection: An emerging neglected disease in Sudan

Abstract

Bartonella infection occurs in three forms: Cat scratch disease (CSD) due to Bartonella henselae, Trench fever due to Bartonella Quintana and Carrión's disease caused by Bartonella bacilliformis. In this presentation we describe CSD for the first time in Sudan. CSD occurs worldwide and may be present wherever cats are found. The bacteria infect the red cells of cats which are usually symptomless. ransmission of the bacteria between cats is by fleas. Transmission to humans is by cat bites and scratches. Of the thirty cases we had in 2013 and 2014 the sites affected included the skin, subcutaneous tissue, lymph nodes, the lung, the spleen, Brain, spinal cord, bone, breast, and retroperitoneum. The Bartonella we found was identified as B henselae by a specific monoclonal antibody. The report is from a single center in Khartoum. The condition is perhaps more common than is believed In old old article published in Acta Tropica 1969 a single case from Sennar was diagnosed as possibly Bartonella quintana. At that time specific antibodies against B henselae were not available. From the clinical data and stained morphology it was most likely Bartonella henselae At that time monoclonal antibodies and PCR were not available. From the description I think it was B henselae