Bartonella research

[KaraM]

Does anyone know of any researchnstudies that show Bart is found in ticks?

Thanks, kara

[mdmom]

Dr. Ed Breitschwerdt has done the most research on Bartonella - I believe he lost his father to the disease. His is a veterinarian but helped develop the human testing that is on his website.

 

There is lots of information on his website - perhaps you will find what you are looking for here: www.galaxydx.com

 

 

[KaraM]

Thanks, I found a few things too, on Bart being in ticks. I think my question should be refined to ticks transmitting it to humans. I'll check out the website you gave me.

I am asking because there is a reporter about to do a series on Lyme that asked me about my family's experience. When I mentioned Bart, she said all her research showed ticks did not transmit Bart. I got the impression she did not want to go in that direction, although she said she would have to do more research. I thought I might be able to find something that would be helpful. There is something mentioned on lymedisease.org about a mouse study. I'll look into that one more too.

 

Thanks again.

[LNN]

a search of "tick borne bartonella" gave me these hits:

http://columbia-lyme.org/patients/tbd_bartonella.html

 

The evidence for ticks as vectors of Bartonella organisms is circumstantial but fairly strong. Recent studies in both the United States and Europe have found that Ixodes ticks harbor B. henselae in addition to Borrelia, Babesia and Anaplasma organisms; in fact, a 2004 PCR analysis of I. Scapularis ticks in New Jersey discovered that a higher percentage of ticks were infected with B. henselae than any of these other pathogens. In addition, B. henselae has been detected in the spinal fluid of patients co-infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, the agent of Lyme disease. However, the ability of Ixodes ticks to actually transmit B. henselae has not been specifically demonstrated.

 

this:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18380649 (2008)

This review discusses Bartonella transmission by sandflies, lice and fleas, the potential for transmission by other vectors, and data supporting transmission by ticks. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or culture methods have been used to detect Bartonella in ticks, either questing or host-attached, throughout the world. Case studies and serological or molecular surveys involving humans, cats and canines provide indirect evidence supporting transmission of Bartonella species by ticks. Of potential clinical relevance, many studies have proposed co-transmission of Bartonella with other known tick-borne pathogens. Currently, critically important experimental transmission studies have not been performed for Bartonella transmission by many potential arthropod vectors, including ticks.

 

http://lymebrarydesk.blogspot.com/2012/02/bartonella-can-be-tick-borne-says-study.html (2012)

In a recent study published in PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, French researchers in collaboration with the US CDC demonstrated that Ixodes ricinus ticks could transmit Bartonella birtlesii from infected to non-infected mice. This is a huge step forward in proving that other Bartonella species can also be spread by other Ixodes ticks to other mammals. The information gap is beginning to close. As the author summary states, "Consequently, bartonelloses should now be included in the differential diagnosis for patients exposed to tick bites."

Reis, C. et al (2012). Vector competence of the tick Ixodes ricinus for transmission of Bartonella birtlesii [Electronic version]. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases(5) 5, e1186. Retrieved 2/4/2012 from http://www.plosntds.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pntd.0001186

 

You may be able to tweak the search words and get additional support. Lots of pro-lyme sites state it's possible but I excluded those as I assume you're looking for mainstream documentation. It may be worth giving the reporter Brian Fallon's contact info at Columbia, tho he may be equivocal - not sure. Heck, even wiki's entry for bartonella says "Bartonella are transmitted by insect vectors such as ticks, fleas, sand flies, and mosquitoes." - but unfortunately, no citation after that particular sentence.

 

This guy might also be worth contacting - http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/news/2012-05-04-Uncovering-Bartonella-the-Stealth-Pathogen.html "But several Bartonella species have found a home much closer to home – in domestic dogs, cats, cows, and rodents which can act as bacterial reservoirs. Fleas, lice – and possibly ticks – also act as repositories for different strains of the bacteria."