[Bartonella spp. as a zoonotic pathogens transmitting by blood-feeding arthropods]

Prior to 1993, Bartonella bacilliformis was the only member of the Bartonella genus. Now, the genus Bartonella currently contains over 30 species of Gram-negative bacteria that parasitize mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells. Bartonella spp. have been isolated from a variety of mammal species, most often from rodents, ruminants and carnivores, and these animals are implicated as reservoirs for the genus Bartonella. The persistent bacteriemia is more readily documented in the primary reservoir species and may occur less frequently or to a much lower lever in accidental hosts. In the natural host, clinical manifestations of the infection may be minimal or unrecognizable. Several insects have been implicated in Bartonella transmission, including flies and ticks. The reservoir host and vector varying depending on the Bartonella species involved, although, neither the reservoir, nor the vector has been identified definitively for many recently described Bartonella species. Humans are natural reservoir hosts for two species: Bartonella bacilliformis and Bartonella quintana, but many animal-associated Bartonella can also cause disease in humans. Members of the genus Bartonella are involved in a variety of human diseases, such as Carrion's disease, cat scratch disease, trench fever, bacillary angiomatosis, endocarditis, pericarditis and neuroretinitis. Most cases of bartonellosis are now diagnosed by tests based on PCR or through serological tests using specific antigens.