Bartonella Infection in Animals: Carriership, Reservoir Potential, Pathogenicity, and Zoonotic Potential for Human Infection

Abstract

SUMMARY Recent observations have begun to support a role for Bartonella spp. as animal as well as human pathogens. Bartonella spp. are vector-transmitted, blood-borne, intracellular, gram-negative bacteria that can induce prolonged infection in the host. Persistent infections in domestic and wild animals result in a substantial reservoir of Bartonella organisms in nature that can serve as a source for inadvertent human infection. The prevalence of bacteremia can range from 50 to 95% in selected rodent, cat, deer, and cattle populations. Dogs infected with Bartonella spp. can develop lameness, endocarditis, granulomatous lymphadenitis, and peliosis hepatis, lesions that have also been reported in association with human infection. Understanding the role of Bartonella spp. as pathogens in cats and other wild or domestic animals awaits the results of additional studies. Considering the extensive animal reservoirs and the large number of insects that have been implicated in the transmission of Bartonella spp., both animal and human exposure to these organisms may be more substantial than is currently believed.

Experimental Infection of Domestic Cats withBartonella koehleraeand Comparison of Protein and DNA Profiles with Those of OtherBartonellaSpecies Infecting Felines

“…B. clarridgeiae has a major flagellar protein (flagellin A) at 41 kDa (46), but no similar protein band was observed at 41 kDa for B. koehlerae. The absence of flagella and a specific band at 41 kDa have also been reported for B. henselae (6,20). The results obtained from pairwise comparisons of protein profiles either for whole organisms or for OMPs indicated that B. koehlerae is phenotypically more closely related to B. henselae (Houston I strain) than to B. clarridgeiae.…”

“…For genetic comparison, PCR-RFLP has been commonly used for differentiation and identification of Bartonella species (6). As indicated by Droz et al (16), the citrate synthase gene PCR-RFLP analysis, using HhaI, TaqI, or MseI digestion, showed that B. koehlerae has a unique pattern, different from those of B. henselae and B. quintana.…”

Fever of Unknown Origin Due to Zoonoses

“…Bartonella elizabethae (Xenopsylla cheopis oriental rat flea vector, Rattus norvegicus rat host) and Bartonella vinsonii (Trombicula miroti vole ear mite, Ixodes scapularis deer tick, and other unknown tick vectors) cause endocarditis [123,125]. Dogs are hosts for B vinsonii (subsp.…”

“…In the Netherlands, Ixodes ricinus ticks are coinfected with Borrelia burgdorferi and Bartonella spp. In the United States, Peromyscus leucopus mice cosegregate B burgdorferi, Babesia microti, and Bartonella sp [125].…”

“…Seroprevalence in cats in the United States is 3.7% to 54.6%, with the highest rates in warmer areas with higher flea infestations. Feral cats, opossums, zoo animals, rodents, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, gray foxes, elk, blacktailed deer, and wild rabbits may also host the bacteria [125].…”