High Bartonella spp. seroprevalence in a Swedish homeless population but no evidence of trench fever.
Blood samples and epidemiological data were collected from 50 homeless patients in central Stockholm, Sweden. Sera were analysed for antibodies to B. henselae, B. quintana, B. elizabethae and B. grahamii. Whole blood was cultured and used as substrate for a newly developed quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) specifically targeting Bartonella spp. DNA. 61 matched blood donor sera were used as controls. Homeless patients were significantly more often seropositive to Bartonella spp. than controls (OR 7.58 (3.30-17.39), p<0.05). Reactivity to the B. elizabethae antigen was dominating, although the difference between patients and controls was most significant in seroreactivity to the B. henselae antigen. There was no evidence of an ongoing B. quintana epidemic. The absence of louse infestation could explain the lack of B. quintana bacteraemia and the failure to amplify Bartonella DNA.
Ehrenborg
Christian
C
Infectious Diseases, Care Centre for homeless people, Beroendecentrum, Stockholm, Sweden. christian.ehrenborg@medsci.uu.se
Byström
Rolf
R
Hjelm
Eva
E
Friman
Göran
G
Holmberg
Martin
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D001473:Bartonella / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006703:Ill-Housed Persons; D006801:Humans; D010373:Lice Infestations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014205:Trench Fever / Q000453:epidemiology*
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004269:DNA, Bacterial