Hallucinations, sensory neuropathy, and peripheral visual deficits in a young woman infected with Bartonella koehlerae

Edward B Breitschwerdt; Patricia E Mascarelli; Lori A Schweickert; Ricardo G Maggi; Barbara C Hegarty; Julie M Bradley; Christopher W Woods

doi:10.1128/JCM.00833-11

Hallucinations, sensory neuropathy, and peripheral visual deficits in a young woman infected with Bartonella koehlerae

J Clin Microbiol. 2011 Sep;49(9):3415-7. doi: 10.1128/JCM.00833-11. Epub 2011 Jul 6.

Authors

Edward B Breitschwerdt¹, Patricia E Mascarelli, Lori A Schweickert, Ricardo G Maggi, Barbara C Hegarty, Julie M Bradley, Christopher W Woods

Affiliation

¹ North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, 4700 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. ed_breitschwerdt@ncsu.edu

Abstract

A young woman experiencing depression, anxiety, mood swings, severe headaches, muscle spasms, interphalangeal joint stiffness, decreased peripheral vision, diminished tactile sensation, and hallucinations was persistently Bartonella koehlerae seroreactive and bacteremic. Following antibiotic treatment, B. koehlerae antibodies and DNA were not detected and all symptoms resolved.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage
Antibodies, Bacterial / blood
Bacteremia / diagnosis*
Bacteremia / drug therapy
Bacteremia / microbiology
Bacteremia / physiopathology*
Bartonella / isolation & purification*
Bartonella Infections / diagnosis*
Bartonella Infections / drug therapy
Bartonella Infections / microbiology
Bartonella Infections / physiopathology*
DNA, Bacterial / blood
Female
Hallucinations / diagnosis*
Humans
Treatment Outcome

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibodies, Bacterial
DNA, Bacterial