Bartonellosis, an increasingly recognized zoonosis
By Linda on Feb 24, 2010 in Infections | comments(0)
Full article: http://eutils.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/eutils/elink.fcgi?dbfrom=pu
bmed&id=20148999&retmode=ref&cmd=prlinks
PMID: 20148999
Excerpt:
Summary Cat scratch disease is the most common zoonotic infection
caused by Bartonella bacteria. Among the many mammals infected
with Bartonella spp., cats represent a large reservoir for human
infection, as they are the main reservoir for Bartonella
henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae and Bartonella koehlerae.
Bartonella spp. are vector-borne bacteria, and transmission of B.
henselae by cat fleas occurs mainly through infected flea faeces,
although new potential vectors (ticks and biting flies) have been
identified. Dogs are also infected with various Bartonella
species and share with humans many of the clinical signs induced
by these infections. Although the role of dogs as source of human
infection is not yet clearly established, they represent
epidemiological sentinels for human exposure. Present knowledge
on the aetiology, clinical features and epidemiological
characteristics of bartonellosis is presented.
