An update on human bartonelloses

The data available on Bartonella species has increased rapidly in the last decade with 12 new species and subspecies being described and bartonellas being found to be associated with an increasing spectrum of clinical syndromes in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. In addition B. weissii is found in cats. This rapid expansion of knowledge has come about with the development of new culture and molecular biology techniques to isolate and identify the organisms. Much of the information on the bartonellas and the emerging infectious diseases they cause has been derived from the USA and Europe although there is growing evidence that the organisms may be important pathogens in other regions including southern Africa. In this review we describe the bacteriology, epidemiology, clinical and laboratory signs, diagnosis and treatment of bartonella infections and the most recent data on bartonellas in southern Africa.