Bartonellas excluding B. bacilliformis

Abstract

Bartonellae are Gram-negative bacilli or coccobacilli belonging to the α‎-2 subgroup of Proteobacteria. A given Bartonella species usually persists within a given mammalian host, with transmission between hosts by haematophagous arthropods. A single species, such as B. henselae or B. quintana, can cause acute or chronic infection, with vascular, proliferative, or suppurative features depending on the host’s immune response. Many new Bartonella species isolated from various mammals have been identified as zoonotic. Cat-scratch disease—caused by B. henselae and commonly associated with a cat scratch, presents with a discrete papule or vesicle typically developing at the site within a week, followed by regional lymphadenopathy, sometimes with fever and constitutional symptoms. Disseminated infection can cause neuro-retinitis and (rarely) encephalopathy.