BARTONELLA

Bartonella are intracellular parasites that are transmitted by the bite of infected Ixodes ticks to humans, and infect red blood cells, macrophages, and endothelial cells.

Bartonella henselae is the causative agent of the notorious cat-scratch fever, endocarditis, and several other serious diseases in humans. It can be transferred by fleas, body lice, and ticks – with ticks being the greatest source of human bartonellosis infection, often accompanied by Lyme disease.

SYMPTOMS

From Healthline

Common symptoms of cat scratch fever include:

  • a bump or blister at the bite or scratch site
  • swollen lymph nodes near the bite or scratch site
  • fatigue
  • headaches
  • body aches

Less common symptoms of cat scratch are loss of appetite, weight loss, and sore throat.

Rare symptoms of cat scratch fever may be linked to a more severe version of the disease. These symptoms include:

  • backache
  • chills
  • abdominal pain
  • joint pain
  • rash
  • prolonged fever

A bump or blister may develop on the skin at the site of infection 3 to 10 days after exposure. Other symptoms, such as swollen lymph nodes, may not occur for several days or weeks. Swollen lymph nodes typically occur between one and three weeks.

DIAGNOSIS

There are a number of ways in which Bartonella organisms could be detected such as immunohistochemical staining (for those with angiomatosis) and the commonly employed immunofluorescent fluorescent antibody (IFA). However, the most reliable method would be through performing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) blood test.

TREATMENT

Usually, infections caused by B. henselae would not need any antibiotic treatment. However, for complicated infections, antibiotic treatment must be pursued.

From Healthline

Azithromycin (Zithromax) is used to decrease lymph node volume quickly. It’s typically prescribed for five days. Other antibiotics sometimes used to treat cat scratch fever infections include:

  • ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
  • rifampin (Rifadin)
  • tetracycline (Sumycin)
  • trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra)

Treatment times and dosage of these antibiotics vary depending on each clinical case, but they can last from five days to two weeks. Talk to your doctor about possible drug interactions. Drug interactions are also possible if you consume alcohol.

The blister or bump may last between one and three weeks. The swollen lymph nodes usually take two to four months to disappear, but can last from six months to a year or more. They can also result in other complications.

The Lyme Connection

From Envita

It is not uncommon for patients with the Lyme disease coinfection Bartonella to contract encephalopathy, a brain disorder or disease. Up to 50 percent of patients who develop encephalopathy can be affected by seizures ranging from focal to generalized, and from brief and self-limited to status epilepticus, a dangerous condition in which epileptic seizures follow one another without recovery of consciousness between them. Headaches, cognitive dysfunction, and CNS lesions can all be related to Bartonella.