NAME: Bartonella bacilliformis
SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: Bartonellosis, Oroya fever, Verruga peruana, Carrion's disease
CHARACTERISTICS: Small, gram-negative, motile rods with polar flagella
PATHOGENICITY: Characterized by two different clinical forms: a febrile anemia (Oroya fever) manifested by irregular fever, severe anemia, generalized lymphadenopathy and delirium; a dermal eruption (Verruga peruana) of small, hemangioma-like nodules with muscle and joint pain, and may be preceded by Oroya fever; fatality rate ranges from 10- 90% for untreated Oroya fever
EPIDEMIOLOGY: Limited to mountain valleys of Peru, Ecuador, and Southwest Columbia where the sandfly vector is present
HOST RANGE: Humans
INFECTIOUS DOSE: Not known
MODE OF TRANSMISSION: By the bite of sandflies (Lutzomyia); blood transfusion
INCUBATION PERIOD: Usually 16 to 22 days, occasionally 3 to 4 months
COMMUNICABILITY: Person to person transmission not documented; patient's blood remains infectious for sandfly months after illness
RESERVOIR: Humans
ZOONOSIS: None
VECTORS: Sandfly (Lutzomyia)
DRUG SUSCEPTIBILITY: Susceptible to penicillin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline
DRUG RESISTANCE: Nalidixic acid; in vitro resistance to penicillin and ampicillin, tetracycline and vancomycin has been noted
SUSCEPTIBILITY TO DISINFECTANTS: Susceptible to common disinfectants: 70% ethanol, 1% sodium hypochlorite, 2% formaldehyde
PHYSICAL INACTIVATION: Sensitive to heating
SURVIVAL OUTSIDE HOST: Survives in tap water at room temperature for up to 7 days
SURVEILLANCE: Monitor for symptoms; demonstration of organism in blood or skin lesions
FIRST AID/TREATMENT: Antibiotic therapy
IMMUNIZATION: None available
PROPHYLAXIS: None available
LABORATORY-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: One case reported up to 1988
SOURCES/SPECIMENS: Blood, skin lesion
PRIMARY HAZARDS: Accidental parenteral inoculation; contact with infected laboratory sandflies
SPECIAL HAZARDS: None
CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS: Biosafety level 2 practices and containment facilities for activities involving known or potentially infectious materials
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING: Laboratory coat and gloves when working with infectious materials
OTHER PRECAUTIONS: Avoid accidental inoculation and follow general needle safety practices
SPILLS: Allow aerosols to settle; wearing protective clothing, gently cover spill with absorbent paper towel and apply 1% sodium hypochlorite starting at the perimeter and working towards the centre; allow sufficient contact time (30 min) before clean up
DISPOSAL: Decontaminate all wastes before disposal; steam sterilization, chemical disinfection, incineration
STORAGE: In sealed containers that are appropriately labelled
Date prepared: November 1999
Prepared by: Office of Laboratory Security, PHAC
Although the information, opinions and recommendations contained in this Material Safety Data Sheet are compiled from sources believed to be reliable, we accept no responsibility for the accuracy, sufficiency, or reliability or for any loss or injury resulting from the use of the information. Newly discovered hazards are frequent and this information may not be completely up to date.
Copyright ©
Health Canada, 2001