Cat scratch disease and other zoonotic Bartonella infections

BartonellaSpp. in Pets and Effect on Human Health

“…Prevalence of infection varies considerably among cat populations (strays or pets) with an increasing gradient from low in cold climates (0% in Norway) to high in warm and humid climates (68% in the Philippines) ( 2 ). At least 2 genotypes have been identified and designated Houston-1 (type I) and Marseille (previously BATF) (type II) ( 1 , 2 ). The respective prevalence of these 2 genotypes varies considerably among cat populations from different areas.…”

“…Cats are usually bacteremic for weeks to months, but some cats have been reported to be bacteremic for >1 year. Young cats (<1 year) are more likely than older cats to be bacteremic ( 11 ), and stray cats are more likely to be bacteremic than pet cats ( 1 , 2 ). …”

“…The clinical description of CSD was first reported in France by Debré et al in 1950, but the etiologic agent was identified only in 1992 ( 1 , 2 , 6 ). The annual number of cases in the United States has been estimated to be between 22,000 and 24,000, with ≈2,000 cases that require hospitalization, and thousands of cases may occur yearly in Europe.…”

“…clarridgeiae , which has been suspected in a few cases of CSD; and B . koehlerae , recently reported as the cause of human endocarditis ( 1 , 4 ). Domestic dogs could be one of the reservoirs for B .…”

“…This article provides an update on the etiologic agents, new clinical features, and evolving epidemiologic characteristics of these emerging zoonoses. We will not discuss the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Bartonella infections, as several recent review articles have been written on this subject ( 1 , 2 , 10 ). …”