ROCHALIMAEA-HENSELAE, AFIPIA-FELIS AND CA T-SCRATCH DISEASE

Several years ago, Rochalimaea henselae has emerged as an agent of bac illary angiomatosis, bacillary peliosis and recurrent septicaemia that generally occur in patients infected with human immunodeficiency viru s. An aetiologic role in cat scratch disease is also suspected widely on the basis of a serologic survey. Its slow growth and its culture re quirement explain that this pathogen, a gram-negative bacterium, could not be isolated until 1990. Moreover, blood and tissue samples reques t lysis and crushing for recovering by culture. The clinical, histolog ical, microbiological and pathogenic aspects of these infections are d escribed and discussed.