Bartonella bacilliformis is a pathogen that is endemic
in some areas of the Andean region of Peru, southern
Ecuador and southern Colombia. This pathogen causes
so-called Carrion's disease, a biphasic disease with acute
and chronic phases (called Oroya fever and "Peruvian
wart" respectively1-3). In the absence or delay of
antibiotic treatment, the mortality rate in the acute phase
is up to 88%1. The acute phase is characterised by fever
and severe anaemia and may be followed, several weeks
or months later, by the chronic eruptive phase due to
endothelial cell proliferation2. No animal reservoir has
been identified to date and it is considered that healthy
carriers act as a pathogen reservoir in endemic areas.
