RESUMO
A 25-years old man from Zagreb, Croatia, was admitted to the University Hospital for Infectious Diseases four days after the onset of symptoms such as fever, intense pain in the calves and anuria. The patient owned a rabbit and, before the onset of the disease, repaired some rubber pipes damaged by rodents. At admission, he had a severe clinical picture with fever, hypotension, jaundice, immobility, and pain in leg muscles. Treatment with ceftriaxone was initiated in combination with volume restitution. Renal failure soon ensued. Consequently continuous venovenous hemodiaphiltration therapy was performed. Due to acute respiratory distress syndrome, the patient was mechanically ventilated. The patient's condition gradually improved and he recovered fully from multi-organ failure. Diagnosis was confirmed by a microscopic agglutination test (MAT) covering 15 leptospira serovars and real-time polymerase-chain reaction (PCR). The first serum sample taken on day 6 tested negative for leptospira, while PCR showed positive results for leptospiral DNA. The second serum sample taken on day 13 tested positive for serovar Canicola serogroup Canicola, serovar Patoc, serovar Grippotyphosa serogroup Grippotyphosa and serovar Tarassovi serogroup Tarassovi (titre 4000, 4000, 1000 and 2000, respectively), while PCR was negative. This report highlights the benefits of combining MAT and PCR methods in early diagnosis of leptospirosis.
RESUMO
Between 2007 and 2010, a total of 268 Croatian patients with lymphadenopathy were tested for IgM/IgG antibodies to Bartonella (B.) henselae and B. quintana. Samples from 44.4% patients showed positive IgG antibodies: 35.8% to B. henselae, 6.7% to B. quintana and 1.9% to both Bartonella species. There was no difference in seropositivity between males and females (47.4% vs. 41.5%). Seroprevalence was high in all age groups (40.4-60.9%). Patients from urban and rural areas showed a similar seroprevalence rate (44.1% vs. 44.8%). Positive IgM antibodies were found in 28.3% patients varying from 17.5% and 37.5% among age groups. Most cases were reported from August to March.
