Skip to main content

Bartonella Infections

Robert V Ellis, MD and Carrie Lynn Ellis, MS, DVM Reviewed 06/2022
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Fastidious intracellular anaerobic gram-negative bacilli:

    • 37 distinct species, at least 14 known to cause disease in humans

    • Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana are most common ...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • CSD (B. henselae)

    • Typical CSD (up to 90% of cases)

      • Several days after inoculation, 2- to 3-mm nontender papules at the trauma site progress to reddened vesicles with or without crust.

      • Te...

TREATMENT

Many cases of CSD are self-limited; antibiotic treatment guided by clinical presentation and disease severity 

MEDICATION

  • Antipyretics and analgesics for symptom management

  • Antibiotic choice de...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

Immunocompromised patients have increased risk for relapse. 
  • Extended periods of antibiotics are recommended (at least 3 months).

  • Check IgG antibo...

REFERENCES

1
Panel on Oppprtunistic Infections in Adults and Adolescents with HIV. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in adults and adolescents with HIV: recommenda...

ADDITIONAL READING

  • Minnick MF, Anderson BE, Lima A, et al. Oroya fever and verruga peruana: bartonelloses unique to South America. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014;8(7):e2919.

  • ...

CODES

ICD10

  • A44.9 Bartonellosis, unspecified

  • A28.1 Cat-scratch disease

  • A79.0 Trench fever

  • A44.1 Cutaneous and mucocutaneous bartonellosis

  • A44.8 Other forms of bartonellosis

  • A44.0 Systemic bartonellosis

SNOMED

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Diagnosing Bartonella infections require a high degree of clinical suspicion.

  • CSD is self-limited in most immunocompetent patients.

  • Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk for c...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

 
×