Two U.S. professors who developed better tests for the diagnosis of the bacterial infection commonly called cat scratch disease have won the 2018 Global One Health Award.
The award, presented by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s One Health Committee, went to Ed Breitschwerdt, DVM, DACVIM, of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Christopher W. Woods, MD, MPH, of the Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina. They will be honored in September at the WSAVA World Congress in Singapore.
Having joint winners from veterinary and human medicine “epitomizes the One Health initiative,” said committee chairman Michael Lappin, DVM, Ph.D., DACVIM.
“Professors Breitschwerdt and Woods have worked tirelessly in this field and their work has helped countless two- and four-legged animals,” Dr. Lappin said.
The researchers’ work recognizes “their work on atypical manifestations of bartonellosis in people and, in particular, veterinary health care providers,” WSAVA stated.
“Multiple Bartonella spp. can infect people and their pets with cat scratch disease, the most recognized manifestation,” WSAVA noted in its announcement June 27. “However, Bartonella spp. are considered ‘stealth’ pathogens and can be difficult to diagnose. Professors Breitschwerdt and Woods have developed more sensitive Bartonella tests for use with humans and other species and have applied these tests to people, in the process discovering new chronic disease associations, including headaches, blurred vision, fatigue and polyarthritis that can be confused with Lyme disease.
“Veterinarians appear to be at high risk due to contact with pets and their fleas.”