Persistent infection of pets within a household with three Bartonella species.
We monitored by blood culture and immunofluorescence assay (IFA) bartonella infection in one dog and eight cats in a household to determine the prevalence and persistence of the infection as well as its transmissibility to humans. Ectoparasite control was rigorously exercised. During a 3-year period, Bartonella clarridgeiae was recovered from one cat on two occasions, and B. henselae was isolated from another cat on four occasions. During a 16-month period, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii was isolated from the dog on 8 of 10 culture attempts. Despite extensive household contact, the pet owner was seronegative to all three species by IFA for Bartonella-specific immunoglobulin G.
Kordick
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North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Companion Animal and Special Species Medicine, Raleigh 27606, USA.
Breitschwerdt
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EB
D000818:Animals; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D001473:Bartonella / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D002415:Cats; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000382:microbiology*; D004285:Dogs; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S