Bartonella elizabethae explained

Bartonella elizabethae, formerly known as Rochalimaea elizabethae, is a bacterium in the genus Bartonella.^[1] Like other Bartonella species, it causes the diseases bartonellosis.

Although the illnesses caused by Bartonella species other than the most common human pathogens — B. bacilliformis, B. quintana, and B. henselae — are not well-characterized individually, severe forms of bartonellosis present with endocarditis, lymphadenopathy, and neuroretinitis.^[2] As with other Bartonella species, it can cause disease in animals,^[3] and the reservoirs of B. elizabethae include dogs and rats.

B. elizabethae, like other rodent-borne Bartonella species, represents an emerging public health threat, especially in urban areas where rats are endemic.^[4] Humans are an incidental host for the pathogen — direct transmission from dogs to humans is not well attested, and most human cases are contracted from ticks serving as a vector. In cities, marginalized populations face greater risks: a 1992 study of the prevalence of bloodborne pathogens among homeless intravenous drug users in Los Angeles found an overall prevalence of 12.5% in this population.^[5]

External links

• Bartonella-Associated Infections – CDC
• Bartonella species - List of Prokaryotic names with Standing in Nomenclature
  • Type strain of Bartonella elizabethae at BacDive - the Bacterial Diversity Metadatabase

Notes and References

1. Daly JS, Worthington MG, Brenner DJ, Moss CW, Hollis DG, Weyant RS, Steigerwalt AG, Weaver RE, Daneshvar MI, O'Connor SP . Rochalimaea elizabethae sp. nov. isolated from a patient with endocarditis . Journal of Clinical Microbiology . 31 . 4 . 872–881 . April 1993 . 7681847 . 263580 . 10.1128/JCM.31.4.872-881.1993 .
2. Krügel M, Król N, Kempf VA, Pfeffer M, Obiegala A . Emerging rodent-associated Bartonella: a threat for human health? . Parasites & Vectors . 15 . 1 . 113 . March 2022 . 35361285 . 8969336 . 10.1186/s13071-022-05162-5 . free .
3. Mexas AM, Hancock SI, Breitschwerdt EB . Bartonella henselae and Bartonella elizabethae as potential canine pathogens . Journal of Clinical Microbiology . 40 . 12 . 4670–4674 . December 2002 . 12454170 . 154595 . 10.1128/jcm.40.12.4670-4674.2002 .
4. Cheslock MA, Embers ME . Human Bartonellosis: An Underappreciated Public Health Problem? . Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease . 4 . 2 . 69 . April 2019 . 31010191 . 6630881 . 10.3390/tropicalmed4020069 . free .
5. Smith HM, Reporter R, Rood MP, Linscott AJ, Mascola LM, Hogrefe W, Purcell RH . Prevalence study of antibody to ratborne pathogens and other agents among patients using a free clinic in downtown Los Angeles . The Journal of Infectious Diseases . 186 . 11 . 1673–1676 . December 2002 . 12447746 . 10.1086/345377 . free .