Identification of a new orthonairovirus associated with human febrile illness in China.

The genus Orthonairovirus, which is part of the family Nairoviridae, includes the important tick-transmitted pathogens Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus and Nairobi sheep disease virus, as well as many other poorly characterized viruses found in ticks, birds and mammals1,2. In this study, we identified a new orthonairovirus, Songling virus (SGLV), from patients who reported being bitten by ticks in Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China. SGLV shared similar genomic and morphological features with orthonairoviruses and phylogenetically formed a unique clade in Tamdy orthonairovirus of the Nairoviridae family. The isolated SGLV induced cytopathic effects in human hepatoma cells in vitro. SGLV infection was confirmed in 42 hospitalized patients analyzed between 2017 and 2018, with the main clinical manifestations being headache, fever, depression, fatigue and dizziness. More than two-thirds (69%) of patients generated virus-specific antibody responses in the acute phase. Taken together, these results suggest that this newly discovered orthonairovirus is associated with human febrile illness in China.

[Fever of unknown origin in a multiple sclerosis patient on immunomodulatory therapy was due to neoehrlichiosis]. / Oklar feber hos patient med MS och rituximab­behandling var neoehrlichios - Ny fästingburen infektion som är svår att diagnostisera.

Fever of unknown origin in a multiple sclerosis patient on immunomodulatory therapy was due to neoehrlichiosis The emerging tick-borne bacterium Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis is the etiologic agent of neoehrlichiosis, a febrile illness that may be accompanied by vascular complications. Severe cases of neoehrlichiosis have been described in patients with hematologic malignancies and systemic rheumatic diseases. We present the first case of neoehrlichiosis in a patient with multiple sclerosis undergoing rituximab therapy.

Bacterial tick-borne diseases caused by Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, and Rickettsia spp. among patients with cataract surgery.

BACKGROUND: Clinical data have shown that tick-borne diseases caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Bartonella spp., Coxiella burnetii, and Rickettsia spp. can affect the central nervous system, including the eye. The aim of this study was to establish a relationship between the incidence of cataract and evidence of bacterial infections transmitted by ticks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fluid with lenticular masses from inside of the eye and blood from 109 patients were tested by PCR and sequencing. Sera from patients and the control group were subjected to serological tests to search specific antibodies to the bacteria. RESULTS: Microbiological analysis revealed the presence of Bartonella sp. DNA in intraoperative specimens from the eye in 1.8% of patients. Serological studies have shown that infections caused by B. burgdorferi sensu lato and Bartonella sp. were detected in 34.8% and 4.6% of patients with cataract surgery, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of DNA of yet uncultured and undescribed species of Bartonella in eye liquid indicates past infection with this pathogen. Specific antibodies to B. burgdorferi sensu lato and Bartonella sp. are detected more frequently in patients with cataract compared to the control group. This could indicate a possible role of these organisms in the pathological processes within the eyeball, leading to changes in the lens. Further studies are needed to identify Bartonella species, as well as to recognize the infectious mechanisms involved in cataract development.

Infections with the tick-borne bacterium "Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis" mimic noninfectious conditions in patients with B cell malignancies or autoimmune diseases.

BACKGROUND: Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis is a newly discovered noncultivatable bacterium spread among ticks and rodents in Europe and Asia that can infect humans, particularly immunocompromised patients. METHODS: We compiled clinical and laboratory data from 11 patients with hematological malignances or autoimmune diseases who were diagnosed with Candidatus N. mikurensis infection in Europe 2010-2013. Both published (6) and unpublished cases (5) were included. RESULTS: The patients had a median age of 67, were mostly male (8/11), and resided in Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. All but one had ongoing or recent immune suppressive treatment and a majority were splenectomized (8/11). Less than half of them recalled tick exposure. The most frequent symptoms were fever (11/11), localized pain afflicting muscles and/or joints (8/11), vascular and thromboembolic events (6/11), that is, deep vein thrombosis (4), transitory ischemic attacks (2), pulmonary embolism (1), and arterial aneurysm (1). Typical laboratory findings were elevated C-reactive protein, leukocytosis with neutrophilia, and anemia. Median time from onset of symptoms to correct diagnosis was 2 months. In at least 4 cases, the condition was interpreted to be due to the underlying disease, and immunosuppressive therapy was scheduled. All patients recovered completely when doxycycline was administered. CONCLUSIONS: Candidatus N. mikurensis is an emerging tick-borne pathogen that may give rise to a systemic inflammatory syndrome in persons with hematologic or autoimmune diseases that could be mistaken for recurrence of the underlying disease and/or unrelated arteriosclerotic vascular events. Awareness of this new pathogen is warranted among rheumatologists, hematologists, oncologists, and infectious disease specialists.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis and rickettsial African tick-bite fever: a combination of exotic traveler's diseases in the same patient.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis and rickettsial African tick-bite fever are two zoonoses increasingly diagnosed in industrialized nations due to more international travel to endemic areas. METHODS: A 52-year-old American nurse was evaluated for a 0.5 cm well-demarcated, tender, shallow ulcer on her wrist, nonproductive cough, fever, chills, and night sweats, all of which began three weeks after travel to Botswana and a visit to a game reserve, where she reported being scratched on the ankle by a cheetah. RESULTS: This cutaneous finding was strongly suggestive of leishmaniasis, but the systemic symptoms were perplexing. Although excisional biopsy showed only nonspecific changes, a specimen sent to the United States Centers for Disease Control revealed leishmania promastigotes of L. tropica. Initial Rickettsia typhi titers and many other serologic tests were negative. However, four weeks after admission, R. typhi IgG titer was 1 : 64 and R. rickettsii IgG was 1 : 1024. CONCLUSION: Thus, our patient had two tropical diseases simultaneously.

Two cases of cellulitis in the course of African tick bite fever: a fortuitous association?

In African tick bite fever (ATBF), inoculation eschar - resulting from disruption of the cutaneous barrier - may be a risk factor for cellulitis. We report 2 cases of ATBF associated with cellulitis. A 77-year-old woman was referred for severe leg cellulitis upon returning from sub-Saharan Africa. She developed erythematous macules. Rickettsia africae was detected by PCR assay from a skin biopsy specimen, and ATBF diagnosis was confirmed. A 75-year-old man was hospitalized after his return from Zimbabwe for a maculopapular exanthema and erysipelas-like rash of the leg. The diagnosis of cellulitis associated with ATBF was confirmed by PCR and serological methods. Both patients were treated for ATBF and cellulitis by a combination of doxycycline and beta-lactam antibiotics, and both had a good recovery. Inoculation eschar may be a risk factor for cellulitis; thus, we hypothesize a non-fortuitous association between ATBF and cellulitis.

Babesiosis and hemophagocytic syndrome in an asplenic renal transplant recipient.

Babesiosis is a malaria-like illness transmitted by the tick Ixodes dammini. The disease is endemic to the Northeast coastal region and parts of the Midwest. Symptoms-which include fever, anemia, elevated liver function tests, and hemoglobinuria-may be especially severe in asplenic or immunocompromised patients. In rare cases, infection with Babesia may be associated with marked pancytopenia. Bone marrow biopsy may reveal hemophagocytosis and marrow histiocytosis. We report a severe case of babesiosis and hemophagocytic syndrome in an asplenic renal transplant patient.