Abstract

Bartonella spp. are aerobic, gram-negative pleomorphic bacteria, belonging to the α₂ subgroup of the Proteobacteria. Many Bartonella spp. are pathogens of humans, dogs, and cats. Numerous domestic and wild animals can serve as chronically infected reservoir hosts for Bartonella spp. An increasing number of arthropod vectors have been implicated in the transmission of Bartonella spp. The main source of transmission to humans is cats by means of scratches, whereas infection is less likely to occur by cat bite. Most human cases of infection with Bartonella henselae, named cat scratch disease (CSD), present as an acute febrile lymphadenopathy. The presence of cat fleas is essential for the maintenance of the infection within the cat population. The role of dogs as reservoirs of Bartonella spp. is less clear, because they seem to be only accidental hosts. Nevertheless, dogs are excellent sentinels for human infections, because a similar disease spectrum develops in dogs.

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