Infect Chemother.  2013 Dec;45(4):446-450. 10.3947/ic.2013.45.4.446.

First Case of Bartonella henselae Bacteremia in Korea

• Im JH
• Baek JH
• Lee HJ
• Lee JS
• Chung MH
• Kim M
• Lee SM
• Kang JS

• KMID: 2170450
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3947/ic.2013.45.4.446

Abstract

Bartonella henselae causes cat-scratch disease, bacteremia, and various focal infections. Despite the worldwide occurrence of B. henselae infections, reports in humans are rare in Korea. The clinical manifestation of all 5 previously reported cases was lymphadenopathy. Herein, we report a case of bacteremia in a woman who presented with prolonged fever. B. henselae was isolated from a blood specimen by cell culture. Conventional polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the 16S-23S rRNA intergenic space region confirmed the isolate to be B. henselae. The patient had no underlying immunocompromising conditions and no recent exposure to animals. She was successfully managed with a combination of doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine.

Keyword

Bartonella henselae; Bacteremia; Fever of unknown origin; Doxycycline; Chloroquine

MeSH Terms

Animals
Bacteremia*
Bartonella henselae*
Bartonella*
Cat-Scratch Disease
Cell Culture Techniques
Chloroquine
Doxycycline
Female
Fever
Fever of Unknown Origin
Focal Infection
Humans
Hydroxychloroquine
Korea*
Lymphatic Diseases
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Chloroquine
Doxycycline
Hydroxychloroquine

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 (A) Cell culture using ECV304 cells, 3 months after inoculation of the patient's blood specimen, revealed clusters of round refractile cells (×100 magnification); (B) Culture on blood agar showed small transparent colonies 9 days after inoculation.

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