Table 3. Factors associated with Bartonella spp. positivity by PCR, among 296 patients examined by a rheumatologist, Maryland–Washington, DC, USA, August 25, 2008–April 1, 2009*.
| Variable |
B. henselae, no. (%) |
|
B. koehlerae, no. (%) |
|
B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, no. (%) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive, n = 40 | Negative, n = 256 | p value† | Positive, n = 54 | Negative, n = 242 | p value† | Positive, n = 10 | Negative, n = 286 | p value† | |||
| Sex | |||||||||||
| F | 24 (60.0) | 181 (70.7) | 0.17 | 38 (70.4) | 167 (69.0) | 0.84 | 7 (70.0) | 198 (69.2) | 0.99 | ||
| M | 16 (40.0) | 75 (29.3) | 16 (29.6) | 75 (30.1) | 3 (30.0) | 88 (30.7) | |||||
| Self-reported health status | |||||||||||
| Healthy | 12 (33.3) | 70 (29.2) | 0.77 | 13 (27.1) | 69 (29.2) | 0.11 | 3 (30.0) | 79 (29.8) | 0.59 | ||
| Infrequently Ill | 7 (19.4) | 46 (18.5) | 14 (29.2) | 39 (16.5) | 3 (30.0) | 50 (18.3) | |||||
| Chronically Ill | 17 (47.2) | 132 (53.2) | 21 (43.7) | 128 (54.3) | 4 (40.0) | 145 (52.9) | |||||
| Signs or symptoms | |||||||||||
| Fatigue | 38 (95.0) | 226 (88.3) | 0.27 | 48 (88.9) | 216 (89.3) | 0.93 | 9 (90.0) | 255 (89.2) | 0.93 | ||
| Headache | 25 (62.5) | 155 (60.5) | 0.81 | 32 (59.2) | 148 (61.2) | 0.79 | 8 (80.0) | 172 (60.2) | 0.32 | ||
| Difficulty remembering | 32 (80.0) | 174 (84.5) | 0.12 | 38 (70.4) | 168 (69.4) | 0.89 | 4 (40.0) | 202 (70.6) | 0.07 | ||
| Confusion | 25 (62.5) | 132 (51.5) | 0.20 | 29 (53.7) | 128 (52.9) | 0.91 | 4 (40.0) | 153 (59.6) | 0.52 | ||
| Disorientation | 18 (45.0) | 82 (32.0) | 0.10 | 14 (25.9) | 86 (35.5) | 0.17 | 2 (20.0) | 98 (34.3) | 0.50 | ||
| Irritability | 30 (75.0) | 153 (59.7) | 0.06 | 32 (59.3) | 151 (62.4) | 0.66 | 5 (50.0) | 178 (62.2) | 0.51 | ||
| Blurred vision | 23 (57.5) | 100 (39.1) | 0.03 | 23 (42.6) | 100 (41.3) | 0.86 | 3 (30.0) | 120 (41.9) | 0.45 | ||
| Eye pain | 16 (40.0) | 78 (30.5) | 0.23 | 18 (33.3) | 76 (31.4) | 0.78 | 3 (30.0) | 91 (31.8) | 0.99 | ||
| Sleeplessness | 32 (80.0) | 188 (73.4) | 0.37 | 36 (66.7) | 184 (76.0) | 0.15 | 8 (80.0) | 212 (74.1) | 0.67 | ||
| Insomnia | 22 (55.0) | 153 (59.7) | 0.56 | 33 (61.1) | 142 (58.7) | 0.74 | 5 (50.0) | 170 (59.4) | 0.55 | ||
| Balance problems | 24 (60.0) | 123 (48.0) | 0.16 | 26 (48.2) | 121 (50.0) | 0.80 | 4 (40.0) | 143 (50.0) | 0.75 | ||
| Tremors/shaking | 17 (42.5) | 92 (35.9) | 0.42 | 17 (31.5) | 92 (38.0) | 0.36 | 5 (50.0) | 104 (36.4) | 0.51 | ||
| Muscle weakness | 28 (70.0) | 161 (62.9) | 0.38 | 36 (66.7) | 153 (63.2) | 0.63 | 8 (80.0) | 181 (63.3) | 0.34 | ||
| Paralysis | 3 (7.5) | 13 (5.1) | 0.52 | 3 (5.6) | 13 (5.4) | 0.95 | 2 (20.0) | 14 (4.9) | 0.04 | ||
| Muscle pain | 31 (77.5) | 176 (68.7) | 0.26 | 36 (66.7) | 171 (70.6) | 0.56 | 6 (60.0) | 201 (70.3) | 0.49 | ||
| Numbness | 28 (70.0) | 128 (50.0) | 0.01 | 25 (46.3) | 131 (54.1) | 0.29 | 7 (70.0) | 149 (52.1) | 0.34 | ||
| Joint pain | 31 (77.5) | 199 (77.3) | 0.97 | 41 (75.9) | 189 (78.1) | 0.73 | 10 (100) | 220 (76.9) | 0.12 | ||
| Chronic fatigue | 27 (67.5) | 180 (70.3) | 0.71 | 37 (68.5) | 170 (70.3) | 0.80 | 7 (70.0) | 200 (69.9) | 0.99 | ||
| Bowel/bladder dysfunction | 17 (42.5) | 95 (37.1) | 0.51 | 19 (35.2) | 93 (38.4) | 0.66 | 5 (50.0) | 107 (37.4) | 0.41 | ||
| Shortness of breath | 19 (47.5) | 98 (38.3) | 0.26 | 21 (38.9) | 96 (39.7) | 0.91 | 3 (30.0) | 114 (39.8) | 0.74 | ||
| Poor appetite | 8 (20.0) | 75 (29.3) | 0.22 | 12 (22.2) | 71 (29.3) | 0.29 | 1 (10.0) | 82 (28.6) | 0.29 | ||
| Weight loss | 7 (17.5) | 52 (20.3) | 0.67 | 6 (11.1) | 53 (21.9) | 0.07 | 1 (10.0) | 58 (20.3) | 0.69 | ||
| Depression | 20 (50.0) | 126 (49.2) | 0.92 | 28 (51.9) | 118 (48.7) | 0.68 | 4 (40.0) | 142 (49.6) | 0.75 | ||
| Syncope | 4 (10.0) | 41 (16.0) | 0.32 | 8 (14.8) | 37 (5.3) | 0.93 | 2 (20.0) | 43 (15.0) | 0.66 | ||
| Consultation with neurologist | 23 (57.5) | 87 (33.9) | <0.01 | 22 (40.7) | 88 (36.4) | 0.56 | 3 (30.0) | 107 (37.4) | 0.63 | ||
| Consultation with infectious disease physician | 16 (40.0) | 104 (40.6) | 0.94 | 29 (53.7) | 91 (37.6) | 0.03 | 4 (40.0) | 116 (40.7) | 0.97 | ||
†Median ages, compared by using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, for positive and negative results, respectively, were B. henselae, 42.5, 44.0, p = 0.43; B. koehlarae, 48.0, 43.0, p = 0.03; and B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii, 46.5, 44.0, p = 0.64. *Results of χ2 analysis (Fisher exact test used when expected cell value <5).