Bartonella Infections in Humans and Animals
Summary
Bartonella species are vector-borne, Gram-negative bacteria that infect a wide spectrum of mammals and cause zoonotic diseases of significant global impact. Transmission occurs principally via arthropod vectors such as fleas, lice and ticks, linking wildlife reservoirs, domestic animals and humans in complex ecological cycles. In humans, infection may result in a range of clinical syndromes, from the self-limiting lymphadenopathy of cat-scratch disease to severe manifestations including endocarditis, bacillary angiomatosis and neuroretinitis. Companion animals such as cats and dogs often serve as primary reservoirs for Bartonella henselae and Bartonella vinsonii, while rodents and bats harbour species including Bartonella grahamii and Bartonella mayotimonensis of emerging concern. Advances in molecular diagnostics have greatly improved detection of culture-negative infections, revealing previously unrecognised species and reservoirs. Control strategies focus on vector management, screening of blood products and targeted prophylaxis in at-risk populations. The One Health approach, integrating veterinary and medical perspectives, is essential to understand transmission dynamics, guide public health interventions and develop novel diagnostic, prophylactic and therapeutic measures against Bartonella infections across diverse ecological settings.
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Bartonella Infections in Humans and Animals publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in bartonella infections in humans and animals across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Bartonella: A genus of Gram-negative, facultative intracellular bacteria transmitted by arthropod vectors that infect a wide range of mammalian hosts, causing diseases from mild lymphadenopathy to severe endocarditis.
Zoonosis: An infectious disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans.
Pangenome: The full complement of genes within all strains of a species, encompassing both core genes and those variably present across strains.
Arthropod vector: An invertebrate animal, such as a flea, tick or fly, that carries and transmits pathogens between hosts.
Bacteremia: The presence of bacteria in the bloodstream, which may lead to systemic infection.
Endocarditis: Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves, often caused by bacterial infection.
References
- Bartonella spp. Infections Identified by Molecular Methods, United States - Volume 29, Number 3—March 2023 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases (2023).
- Microevolution of Bartonella grahamii driven by geographic and host factors. mSystems (2024).
- Sneaky tactics: Ingenious immune evasion mechanisms of Bartonella. Virulence (2024).
- Bartonella infections in cats and dogs including zoonotic aspects. Parasites & Vectors (2018).
- Bats as Reservoir Hosts of Human Bacterial Pathogen, Bartonella mayotimonensis - Volume 20, Number 6—June 2014 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC. Emerging Infectious Diseases (2014).
- Bartonella spp. - a chance to establish One Health concepts in veterinary and human medicine. Parasites & Vectors (2016).
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