Bartonella henselae es un microorganismo Gram negativo, zoonótico, oportunista y cosmopolita, causante de diversas patologías humanas emergentes y reemergentes, que varían desde infecciones autolimitantes hasta fallas multiorgánicas y muerte dependiendo del estado inmunitario del afectado. El presente estudio analítico-descriptivo fue desarrollado en dos etapas; en la primera, se estandarizó la prueba de aislamiento de Bartonella henselae cepa ATCC 49882 por el método de Shell Vial en líneas celulares continuas Vero y Hep-2, determinándose la línea celular más susceptible a la infección en un tiempo determinado de incubación. En la segunda etapa, se realizó el aislamiento primario empleando la técnica estandarizada, evaluándose 60 muestras de sangre total de pacientes procedentes del sistema de vigilancia de enfermedades febriles metaxénicas a nivel nacional (INSCNSP) asociadas a factores epidemiológicos favorables a la infección por Bartonella henselae. Las muestras seleccionadas fueron reportadas como negativas a rickettsiosis y Enfermedad de Carrión. En ambas etapas, se determinó la presencia o ausencia del microorganismo de interés mediante la técnica de Inmunofluoresecencia Indirecta (IFI-Bartonellosis), coloración Giménez y la valoración cualitativa del efecto citopático. Los resultados obtenidos aplicando la técnica estandarizada fueron, 5 aislamientos primarios a partir de 60 muestras de sangre total (3 en células Vero y 5 en células Hep-2) en un periodo de incubación de 12 días a 37°C. De los resultados obtenidos en el desarrollo de la primera y segunda etapa se concluyó que Hep-2 es la línea celular más susceptible a la infección por Bartonella henselae. Palabras claves: Bartonella henselae, Ctenocephalides felis, cultivo celular, Shell Vial, efecto citopático. / --- Bartonella henselae is a Gram-negative, zoonotic, opportunist and Cosmopolitan microorganism, responsible of diverse emergent and reemergents human pathologies that vary from autolimitant infeccions to multiorganic failures and death, depending of the inmunitarian status of the affected individual. The present study descriptive-analytic was developed in two stages. In the first, the isolation test of Bartonella henselae strain ATCC 49882 was standardized with the Shell Vial method in continuous cell strains, Vero y Hep-2, determining the most susceptible cell line in an established incubation period. In the second stage, the primary isolation was realized applying the standardized technique, with 60 total blood samples evaluated from patients belonging to the surveillance system of metaxenic febrile diseases nationwide (INS-CNSP) associated to favourable epidemiological factors to infections with Bartonella henselae. The selected samples were reported as negative to rickettsiosis and Carrion disease. In both stages, the presence or absence of the analyzed microorganism was determined through the indirect immunofluorescence technique (IFI-Bartonellosis), Giménez coloration and the qualitative assessment of the cytopathic effect. The results obtained applying the standardized technique came, 5 primary isolations from 60 samples of total blood (3 in Vero cells and 5 in Hep-2 cells) during a period of incubation of 12 days at 37 °C. From the results obtained in the development of the firstand second stage, it was concluded that Hep-2 is the most susceptible cell line to the infection by Bartonella henselae. Key words: Bartonella henselae, Ctenocephalides felis, cell culture, Shell Vial, cytophatic effect

Febre Maculosa Brasileira (FMB), doença causada por riquétsias do grupo da febre maculosa (RGFM) transmitidas por Amblyomma cajennense, é geralmente fatal quando não tratada precocemente. Métodos laboratoriais usuais (cultura em células Vero e RIFI) não permitem diagnósticos conclusivos da maioria dos casos verificados no Estado de São Paulo, onde o agente ainda não está devidamente caracterizado. Através da PCR e Southern blotting, foram pesquisados genes riquetsiais (gltA, ompA e ompB), em 20 amostras de coágulos sanguíneos humanos sintomáticos (São Paulo), 19 com resultados prévios negativos por métodos convencionais. Cerca de 95% dos pacientes foram positivos pela PCR. A seqüência de bases do gene ompB, a amostra 3, apresentou similaridade de 98% com Rickettsia ricketsii. Dos 75 lotes de A. cajennense (n=1483), coletados na mesma região endêmica, 09 resultaram positivos em células Vero e, em 22 detectou-se o gene ompA (RGFM). Sequenciamento e análise das amostras amplificadas poderão contribuir para o completo esclarecimento do ciclo das riquétsias na região. / Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), a disease caused by spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) transmitted by Amblyomma cajennense, is generally fatal when not early treated. Common laboratory methods (Vero cell culture and immunofluorescence indirect assay) are not efficient on the diagnosis in most of the cases observed in State of São Paulo, where the agent is not well characterized yet. By means of PCR and Southern Blotting rickettsial genes (gltA, ompB and ompA) were searched in samples of coagulum sanguineous from 20 presenting symptom patients (São Paulo), from these, 19 of them have presented negative results by conventional methods. About 95% of the patients were positive and the ompB base pair sequences amplified showed 98% of similarity with Rickettsia ricketsii. From the 75 lots of A. cajennense (n=1483), collected at the same endemic region, 9 were positive in Vero cell cultures and in 22 it was possible to detect the ompA gene (SFGR). Sequencing and analysis of the amplified samples can contribute to the complete understanding of the rickettsiae biological cycle.

Febre Maculosa Brasileira (FMB), doença causada por riquétsias do grupo da febre maculosa (RGFM) transmitidas por Amblyomma cajennense, é geralmente fatal quando não tratada precocemente. Métodos laboratoriais usuais (cultura em células Vero e RIFI) não permitem diagnósticos conclusivos da maioria dos casos verificados no Estado de São Paulo, onde o agente ainda não está devidamente caracterizado. Através da PCR e Southern blotting, foram pesquisados genes riquetsiais (gltA, ompA e ompB), em 20 amostras de coágulos sanguíneos humanos sintomáticos (São Paulo), 19 com resultados prévios negativos por métodos convencionais. Cerca de 95% dos pacientes foram positivos pela PCR. A seqüência de bases do gene ompB, a amostra 3, apresentou similaridade de 98% com Rickettsia ricketsii. Dos 75 lotes de A. cajennense (n=1483), coletados na mesma região endêmica, 09 resultaram positivos em células Vero e, em 22 detectou-se o gene ompA (RGFM). Sequenciamento e análise das amostras amplificadas poderão contribuir para o completo esclarecimento do ciclo das riquétsias na região. / Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), a disease caused by spotted fever group rickettsiae (SFGR) transmitted by Amblyomma cajennense, is generally fatal when not early treated. Common laboratory methods (Vero cell culture and immunofluorescence indirect assay) are not efficient on the diagnosis in most of the cases observed in State of São Paulo, where the agent is not well characterized yet. By means of PCR and Southern Blotting rickettsial genes (gltA, ompB and ompA) were searched in samples of coagulum sanguineous from 20 presenting symptom patients (São Paulo), from these, 19 of them have presented negative results by conventional methods. About 95% of the patients were positive and the ompB base pair sequences amplified showed 98% of similarity with Rickettsia ricketsii. From the 75 lots of A. cajennense (n=1483), collected at the same endemic region, 9 were positive in Vero cell cultures and in 22 it was possible to detect the ompA gene (SFGR). Sequencing and analysis of the amplified samples can contribute to the complete understanding of the rickettsiae biological cycle.