Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Dog and owner both develop skin lumps from Bartonella infection
By Rossi, Michael A et al.·Published in Veterinary dermatology·2015·Dermatology/Allergy, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Concurrent Bartonella henselae infection in a dog with panniculitis and owner with ulcerated nodular skin lesions.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
An 8-year-old female Labrador retriever developed skin lesions known as panniculitis, which caused swelling and discomfort. At the same time, her 78-year-old owner had similar skin problems. Tests revealed that both the dog and the owner were infected with a bacteria called Bartonella henselae, which can be passed between pets and people. After starting antibiotic treatment, both the dog and the owner showed significant improvement in their skin conditions.
People also search for: dog skin lesions treatment · Labrador panniculitis symptoms · Bartonella infection in pets · dog skin problems antibiotics
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Bartonella henselae, a Gram-negative, zoonotic Alphaproteobacteria that infects erythrocytes, endothelial cells and dendritic cells, has previously been implicated as a cause of panniculitis in dogs and a human. ANIMAL AND OWNER: An 8-year-old, spayed female Labrador retriever and its 78-year-old male owner living in the same household. METHODS AND RESULTS: When preliminary and advanced testing failed to identify the cause of near-simultaneous-onset dermatological lesions, Bartonella serology, Bartonella Alphaproteobacteria growth medium (BAPGM) enrichment blood culture/PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to test specimens from the dog and owner. Bartonella henselae, genotype San Antonio 2 DNA was amplified and sequenced from the man's BAPGM enrichment blood culture and the dog's panniculitis lesion. The bacterium was visualized by immunohistochemistry in the dog's panniculitis lesion; however, neither the dog nor the owner was B. henselae seroreactive. Antibiotic therapy elicited dermatological improvement in both dog and owner. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Bartonella henselae is an emerging zoonotic pathogen that induces granulomatous inflammatory lesions in various tissues of animals, including humans. We conclude that this bacterium had a contributory or causative role in the development of the dermatological lesions in the dog and owner.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25292107/