Is Bartonella and Lyme disease the same thing?

Is Bartonella and Lyme disease the same thing?

Bartonella henselae is the causative agent of the notorious cat-scratch fever, endocarditis, and several other serious diseases in humans. These bacteria comprise one of Lyme disease complex’s most troublesome coinfections.

How is Lyme meningitis diagnosed?

A lumbar puncture or spinal tap is a helpful test to correctly diagnose Lyme meningitis. In Lyme meningitis, the cerebrospinal fluid would show an elevated number of lymphocytes, however not quite as elevated as is seen in other bacterial infections.

What is the test for Bartonella?

The Bartonella IgXSpot test is an Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSpot (ELISPOT) assay that detect human T cells reactive to Bartonella specific antigens in vitro. ELISPOT is a widely used method for detecting and monitoring cellular immune response to specific antigens.

How accurate is a spinal tap for Lyme?

Anti-Borrelia antibody CSF-to-serum index has been reported to show a 97% specificity and 75% sensitivity for the diagnosis of neuroborreliosis. A CSF-to-serum index greater than 1.0 suggests synthesis of antibody in the central nervous system (CNS).

Does Bartonella ever go away?

A number of studies have detected clinically healthy people that have tested positive (seropositive) for Bartonella but have no known history of typical Bartonella symptoms. Those who do become ill usually develop mild disease that tends to end without treatment (self-limiting).

Can a spinal tap rule out Lyme disease?

A lumbar puncture should be performed if Lyme meningitis is in the differential diagnosis. Whether all patients with cranioneuropathy require lumbar puncture before treatment is controversial. Occasionally Lyme disease presents as pseudotumor cerebri, and in such cases an opening pressure is essential for diagnosis.

Can Lyme be detected in spinal fluid?

The most common testing for Lyme disease is conducted on the blood. However, when central nervous system Lyme disease is suspected, the spinal fluid should be tested as well. When Lyme arthritis is suspected and the fluid in the joint is aspirated, the joint fluid may be tested for evidence of Lyme disease.