Bartonella re-visited

Bartonella is a facultative (difficult to culture), gram negative intracellular bacteria. New strains--known to cause human disease are being discovered on a regular basis. Standard serologic (antibody) tests ordered by physicians for Bartonella test only antibodies against B. henselae and B. quintana. A quick survey of medical literature shows a long list of Bartonella species with exotic sounding names: B. clarrideiae, B. koehlerae, B. vinsoni, B. berkhoffi, B. elizabethe, B. bovis, B. rochalimae, B. melophagi, B. facilliformis and others. The "species PCR Bartonella" test could miss other Bartonella species whose DNA is different. A CDC (Lyme-division) representative, recently said that new species of Bartonella in mice are being discovered on a regular basis. The CDC plans to publish a point-counterpoint piece regarding the significance of Bartonella in human disease.

Could the mystery bacteria seen in blood wet mounts and smears of many tick borne disease patients be yet unclassified forms of Bartonella? I think the answer is YES. These small bacteria stain gram negative and do not culture. Although Bartonella are intracellular organisms--live in cells, Bartonella species can exhibit prolonged bacteremia (bacteria in the blood).

Is the treatment of Bartonella different than that for Lyme? Both Lyme-Borrelia burdorferi and Bartonella are gram negative bacteria. The medical literature claims that both bacteria can for the most part be treated with the same antibiotics: Doxycyline, Biaxin, Zithromax, Rocephin, Levaquin and others. These drugs are bacteriostatic. Only two drugs are reputed to be bactericidal: Gentamycin and Rifampin. The standard medical literature also claims that Bartonella can be treated with short courses of antibiotics (similar to claims for Lyme). The literature indicates that Bartonella can cause brain infection but states that there is only one reported mortality. It is recommended that such cases should be treated more aggressively.

Back to the CDC. Most readers of this BLOG are familiar with the concept of tick borne disease. This concept is foreign to the CDC, despite a web-page which is misleading . The groups which study Lyme and co-infections are separated, even geographically(Colorado versus Georgia). Lyme is linked with spirochete diseases. Ehrlichia/Anaplasmosis are in a Rickettsia group. Babesia is in a parasite/protozoa group and Bartonella is in another group. The CDC admits it has never studied how multiple tick borne infections interact in a single host.

But I digress.

We don't really know what the germs (mystery bugs) are, what their role in disease is and how best to treat them.

A new patient, one who is extremely sick, was recently referred to my practice by one of my difficult patients--who is finally getting better--thanks.

This patient has a long history of chronic Lyme disease with pain and severe encephalopathy. She is only 45 years old but has moderate to severe dementia. Her previous physician, a well known Lyme treating doctor had prescribed a prolonged course of Rocephin--without benefit and essentially informed the patient and family that there was nothing else he could do.

I agreed to take the patient on to see if I could help. Based on experience I know that some patients respond to IV Zithromax even when IV Rocephin has failed. Perhaps this is a manifestation of the "Bartonella" syndrome.
There was a response. Within two weeks her pain was 50% better. Her encephalopathy worsened--a Baronella brain Herx?? At least it was something. These results are contemporaneous with this entry; adjustments in therapy are being made.

Clearly, there are patients who respond better to: Bactrim, IV Zithromax, Rifampin, Cipro, Levaquin and other drugs. LLMDS and their patients will attest to this.

Many patients are clinically diagnosed with the triad of: Lyme-Babesia-Bartonella--frequently on clinical grounds.

If there is a method to my madness I have found that patients respond best when the treatment strategy targets: Lyme then Babesia then Bartonella and then back to Lyme. Of course it may be desirable to use drugs which overlap in their ability to address the collection of infections. And so it goes.