Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with Bartonella bacilliformis in Loja province, Ecuador article

Shari L. Lydy; Mauricio S. Lascano; Josselyn E. Garcia-Perez; Amanda J. Williams-Newkirk; Mario J. Grijalva

doi:10.1038/s41426-018-0110-5

Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with Bartonella bacilliformis in Loja province, Ecuador article

Shari L. Lydy^*, Mauricio S. Lascano, Josselyn E. Garcia-Perez, Amanda J. Williams-Newkirk, Mario J. Grijalva

^*Corresponding author for this work

Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences

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7 Scopus citations

Abstract

The seroprevalence and epidemiology of Bartonella bacilliformis infection in the Andean highlands of Ecuador is largely unknown. We conducted a sero-epidemiologic survey of 319 healthy children aged 1-15 years living in six rural, mountain communities in Loja Province, Ecuador. Blood was collected by finger stick onto filter paper and dried, and the eluted sera analyzed for antibodies to B. bacilliformis by rPap31 ELISA. Demographic, entomologic, and household variables were assessed to investigate associated risk factors for antibody seropositivity to B. bacilliformis. Seroprevalence of 28% was found among children in the study communities. Increased risk of seropositivity was associated with the presence of lumber piles near houses. Decreased risk of seropositivity was observed with the presence of animal waste and incremental 100 meter increases in elevation. Although investigation of clinical cases of Carrion's disease was not within the scope of this study, our serology data suggest that infection of children with B. bacilliformis is prevalent in this region of Ecuador and is largely unrecognized and undiagnosed. This study highlights the need to further investigate the prevalence, pathogenesis, epidemiology, and disease impact of this pathogen in Ecuador.

Original language	English
Article number	115
Journal	Emerging Microbes and Infections
Volume	7
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41426-018-0110-5
State	Published - 1 Dec 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s).

Funding

M.J.G., M.L., and J.G.-P. received support from the UNICEF/UNPD/World Bank/WHO Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR, A20785), Ecuadorian Ministry of Health, and Childrens Heartlink USA. M.G. (G19111) J.G-.P. (G19010) received support from Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador. A.J.W. received funding support from the Department of Environmental Studies at Emory University and the ORISE Research Participation Program at CDC. Eric Mandel and Brad Biggerstaff provided statistical analyses of the epidemiological and demographic data. Jaime Costales and the staff at CISeAL assisted with fieldwork. Chien-Chung Chao and Wei Mei Ching provided rPap31 antigen. Gregory Dasch reviewed the manuscript and supported the project.

Funders	Funder number
Department of Environmental Studies at Emory University
Ecuadorian Ministry of Health, and Childrens Heartlink USA
UNICEF/UNPD/World Bank/WHO Special Program for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases	A20785
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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title = "Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with Bartonella bacilliformis in Loja province, Ecuador article",

abstract = "The seroprevalence and epidemiology of Bartonella bacilliformis infection in the Andean highlands of Ecuador is largely unknown. We conducted a sero-epidemiologic survey of 319 healthy children aged 1-15 years living in six rural, mountain communities in Loja Province, Ecuador. Blood was collected by finger stick onto filter paper and dried, and the eluted sera analyzed for antibodies to B. bacilliformis by rPap31 ELISA. Demographic, entomologic, and household variables were assessed to investigate associated risk factors for antibody seropositivity to B. bacilliformis. Seroprevalence of 28% was found among children in the study communities. Increased risk of seropositivity was associated with the presence of lumber piles near houses. Decreased risk of seropositivity was observed with the presence of animal waste and incremental 100 meter increases in elevation. Although investigation of clinical cases of Carrion's disease was not within the scope of this study, our serology data suggest that infection of children with B. bacilliformis is prevalent in this region of Ecuador and is largely unrecognized and undiagnosed. This study highlights the need to further investigate the prevalence, pathogenesis, epidemiology, and disease impact of this pathogen in Ecuador.",

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Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with Bartonella bacilliformis in Loja province, Ecuador article

Abstract

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