BARTONELLA INFECTIONS
BARTONELLA INFECTIONS
• Etiology. Bartonella spp.; tiny gram-negative bacilli that can adhere to and invade mammalian cells such as endothelial cells and erythrocytes.
• Transmission. Cat scratch or bite. Body louse or sandfly bite.
CLINICAL MANIFESTATION
Vary with the immune status of the host.
Bartonella henselae Immunocompetent host: Cat-scratch disease. HIV disease: Bacillary angiomatosis.
B. bacilliformis Nonimmune, nonresidents of endemic area: Oroya fever with severe febrile illness, profound anemia. With immunity after convalescence: Verruga peruana with red-purple cutaneous lesions (peruvian warts; resemble angiomatous lesions of bacillary angiomatosis).
B. quintana Trench fever presenting as a febrile systemic illness with prolonged bacteremia; no cutaneous manifestations. Diseases caused by Bartonella species:
• Cat-scratch disease: B. henselae.
• Bacillary angiomatosis: B. henselae, B. quintana.
• Bacillary peliosis: B. henselae.
• Trench fever: B. quintana.
• Bartonellosis (Carrión disease); Oroya fever and verruga peruana: B. bacilliformis.