Volume 30, Number 12—December 2024
EIN Research Letter
Perspectives of Infectious Disease Physicians on Bartonella quintana Cases, United States, 2014–2024
Souci Louis
, Grace Marx, Alison F. Hinckley, Shannan N. Rich, Susan E. Beekmann, Philip M. Polgreen, Matthew Kuehnert, Jessica N. Ricaldi, and Scott Santibañez
, Grace Marx, Alison F. Hinckley, Shannan N. Rich, Susan E. Beekmann, Philip M. Polgreen, Matthew Kuehnert, Jessica N. Ricaldi, and Scott Santibañez
Table
Quantitative summary of responses from Emerging Infections Network members across the United States who reported seeing Bartonella quintana infection cases during 2014–2024*
| Questions | Responses, no. (%) |
|---|---|
| Question 1. Have you seen any cases? | |
| a. Recently, 2019–2024, n = 240 | |
| Yes | 44 (18) |
| No | 191 (80) |
| Not sure |
5 (2) |
| b. More remotely, 2014–2018, n = 240 | |
| Yes | 34 (14) |
| No | 174 (73) |
| Not sure | 20 (8) |
| NA (not in practice) |
12 (5) |
| Question 2a. Have you noticed cases within any of the following communities (persons experiencing homelessness, persons with substance use disorder, persons with mental health disorders)? n = 240 | |
| Yes | 47 (20) |
| No | 17 (7) |
| Not sure | 5 (2) |
| NA (no cases) |
171 (71) |
| Question 2b. If yes, in which communities? n = 46 [select any that apply; numbers add up to >100%] | |
| Persons experiencing homelessness | 42 (91) |
| Persons with substance use disorders | 30 (65) |
| Persons with mental health disorders |
29 (63) |
| Question 3. What do you see as obstacles(s) to earlier diagnosis for patients with B. quintana infections? n = 203 [select any that apply; numbers add up to >100%] | |
| Lack of clinical suspicion by providers | 179 (88) |
| Lack of provider knowledge about optimal diagnostic tests for B. quintana | 148 (73) |
| Lack of clinically available B. quintana–specific diagnostic tests | 103 (51) |
| No obstacles selected | 37 (18) |
*Responses were collected from a questionnaire sent to Emerging Infections Network members in 2024 (Appendix). Free-text questions and responses are not shown. NA, not applicable.
Page created: November 07, 2024
Page updated: November 26, 2024
Page reviewed: November 26, 2024
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.