Bartonellosis: an emerging infectious disease of zoonotic importance to animals and human beings.
OBJECTIVE
To provide a review of clinically relevant observations related to Bartonella species as emerging pathogens in veterinary and human medicine.


METHODS
Literature as cited in PubMed and as generated by each of the authors who have contributed to various aspects of the clinical understanding of bartonellosis.


RESULTS
Important historical and recent publications illustrating the evolving role of animal reservoirs as a source of human infection.


RESULTS
Comprehensive review of the veterinary literature.


CONCLUSIONS
In addition to inducing life-threatening illnesses, such as endocarditis, myocarditis, and meningoencephalitis and contributing to chronic debilitating disease, such as arthritis, osteomyelitis, and granulomatous inflammation in cats, dogs, and potentially other animal species; pets and wildlife species can serve as persistently infected reservoir hosts for the transmission of Bartonella spp. infection to veterinary professionals and others with direct animal contact.
Breitschwerdt
Edward B
EB
Department of Clinical Sciences, Center for Comparative Medicine and Translational Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. ed_breitschwerdt@ncsu.edu
Maggi
Ricardo G
RG
Chomel
Bruno B
BB
Lappin
Michael R
MR
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000382:microbiology; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000382:microbiology; D001474:Bartonella Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission* / Q000662:veterinary*; D002415:Cats; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000662:veterinary; D013045:Species Specificity; D015047:Zoonoses