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Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing of Cerebrospinal Fluid for the Detection of Central Nervous System Pathogens
Published on: April 17, 2026
Bartonella sp. bacteremia in patients with neurological and neurocognitive dysfunction
E B Breitschwerdt1, R G Maggi, W L Nicholson
1College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, 4700 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27606, USA. ed_breitschwerdt@ncsu.edu
Abstract:
We detected infection with a Bartonella species (B. henselae or B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii) in blood samples from six immunocompetent patients who presented with a chronic neurological or neurocognitive syndrome including seizures, ataxia, memory loss, and/or tremors. Each of these patients had substantial animal contact or recent arthropod exposure as a potential risk factor for Bartonella infection. Additional studies should be performed to clarify the potential role of Bartonella spp. as a cause of chronic neurological and neurocognitive dysfunction.
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