title: Diagnosis of Carrion's disease by direct blood PCR in thin blood smear negative samples.
abstract: Bartonella bacilliformis is the etiologic agent of Carrion's disease. This disease has two well established phases, the most relevant being the so called Oroya Fever, in which B. bacilliformis infect the erythrocytes resulting in severe anemia and transient immunosuppression, with a high lethality in the absence of adequate antibiotic treatment. The presence of B. bacilliformis was studied in 113 blood samples suspected of Carrion's disease based on clinical criteria, despite the absence of a positive thin blood smear, by two different PCR techniques (using Bartonella-specific and universal 16S rRNA gene primers), and by bacterial culture. The specific 16S rRNA gene primers revealed the presence of 21 B. bacilliformis and 1 Bartonella elizabethae, while universal primers showed both the presence of 3 coinfections in which a concomitant pathogen was detected plus Bartonella, in addition to the presence of infections by other microorganisms such as Agrobacterium or Bacillus firmus. These data support the need to implement molecular tools to diagnose Carrion's disease.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas - UPC, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Juana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: del Valle Mendoza
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas - UPC, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Wilmer
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Silva Caso
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tinco Valdez
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Pons
authors.affiliation: Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: del Valle
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas - UPC, Lima, Peru; Instituto de Investigación Nutricional, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Verónica Casabona
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Oré
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas - UPC, Lima, Peru.
authors.forename: Denisse Champin
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Michelena
authors.affiliation: Dirección Regional de Salud de Cajamarca (DIRESA-Cajamarca), Cajamarca, Peru.
authors.forename: Jorge Bazán
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mayra
authors.affiliation: Dirección Regional de Salud de Cajamarca (DIRESA-Cajamarca), Cajamarca, Peru.
authors.forename: Víctor Zavaleta
authors.initials: VZ
authors.lastname: Gavidea
authors.affiliation: Fundación Clinic, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clinic i Provincial de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vargas
authors.affiliation: Barcelona Centre for International Health Research (CRESIB, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joaquim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruiz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001473:Bartonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010568:Peru; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult