Detecting new bacteria can be deadly

US scientists have reported that a new, potentially dangerous bacterium has been discovered that currently has no specific drugs. This new strain of bacteria, scientific name Bartonella rochalimae, was discovered in an American woman, 43, who traveled to Peru for 3 weeks and had symptoms similar to typhoid fever or malaria. .

The image shows the Bartonella quintana bacteria invading the blood of a monkey (Ah: Alalam)

Scientists identified the strain as having " close relatives " to the bacteria that spread through lice that caused thousands of soldiers to suffer from " World War I " trench fever. This type of bacteria is also related to the type of bacteria that are known to be cat scratch-causing causes of scratches or bite when the AIDS epidemic broke out in San Francisco. 10 years ago. There are still about 25,000 people suffering from this disease in the United States each year.

Based on the study of cat scratch disease, researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classified the new strain.

Two weeks after returning to the US from Peru, the woman experienced symptoms such as severe anemia, rash, large spleen, insomnia and high fever for several weeks. This patient was treated with a special antibiotic, often used to treat cat scratch disease, and is now recovering.

Initially, scientists thought that the bacteria that normally spread through sand flies in Peru's Andes were the cause. However, further studies later identified the " culprit " as a new strain of bacteria.

Dr. Jane Koehler, a lecturer on infectious diseases at UCSF, said the strain is the sixth type that could affect people. She also advised that when a patient has a high and persistent fever, doctors need to have accurate diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible, especially for people with weak immune systems, because they can die from infection.

Research room of American scientists. They discovered a new bacterium,
Latent risk of lethal risk but currently no specific cure