Population genetic analysis of Bartonella bacilliformis isolates from areas of Peru where Carrion's disease is endemic and epidemic

Tina M. Hambuch, Scott A. Handley, Barbara Ellis, Judith Chamberlin, Sofia Romero, Russell Regnery

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Carrion's disease is caused by infection with the α-proteobacterium Bartonella bacilliformis. Distribution of the disease is considered coincident with the distribution of its known vector, the sand fly Lutzomyia verrucarum. Recent epidemics of B. bacilliformis infections associated with atypical symptomatology in nonendemic regions have raised questions regarding the historic and present distribution of this bacterium and the scope of disease that infection causes. Phylogenetic relationships and genomic diversity of 18 B. bacilliformis isolates (10 isolates from a region where Carrion's disease is epidemic, Cuzco, Peru, and 8 isolates from a region where Carrion's disease is endemic, Caraz, Peru) were assessed using genomic data generated by infrequent restriction site PCR and gene sequence analysis of the flagellin gltA and ialB genes. A population genetic analysis of the genomic diversity suggests that what was once considered an epidemic region of Peru did not result from the recent introduction of B. bacilliformis.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3675-3680
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Clinical Microbiology
Volume42
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2004
Externally publishedYes

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