Ocular Spiroplasma Ixodetis in Newborns, France

Alexandre Matet (1, 2) , Anne Le Fleche-Mateos (3) , Francois Doz (1, 2) , Pascal Dureau (4) , Nathalie Cassoux (1, 2)

1 Institut Curie [Paris]
2 UPD5 - Université Paris Descartes - Paris 5
3 IP - Institut Pasteur [Paris]
4 Fondation Ophtalmologique Adolphe de Rothschild [Paris]

Cataract and uveitis are rare in newborns but potentially blinding. Three newborns with cataract and severe anterior uveitis underwent cataract surgery. Spiroplasma ixodetis was detected in lens aspirates using bacterial 16S-rRNA PCR and transmission electron microscopy. These findings, which suggest maternal-fetal infection, are consistent with previous experimental Spiroplasma-induced cataract and uveitis.

Keywords: ticks; eye; infection; microphthalmos; uveitis; vector-borne infections; cataract; newborn; infant; bacteria; Spiroplasma; PCR; France

Domains: Infectious diseases; Pediatrics; Molecular biology

Alexandre Matet, Anne Le Fleche-Mateos, Francois Doz, Pascal Dureau, Nathalie Cassoux. Ocular Spiroplasma Ixodetis in Newborns, France. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2020, 26 (2), pp.340-344. ⟨10.3201/eid2602.191097⟩. ⟨pasteur-02795004⟩