Shortly after their discovery in HIV patients in the 1980’s, Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana were confirmed by CDC researchers as the key agents behind Cat Scratch Disease and Trench Fever.
Emerging research implicates up to 10 newly discovered species of Bartonella in human and animal disease. Bartonella infections can be a serious problem for those with poor immune systems, causing life-threatening infections of the heart, liver, spleen and central nervous system. Less commonly well-known is the fact that Bartonella species can also cause persistent blood infections associated with a host of chronic medical complaints affecting many parts of the body, including the nervous system, joints, muscles, eyes, bones, lymph nodes, and internal organs. Bartonella infection can mimic many immune-mediated disorders and can easily be missed.
See our new Bartonella brochure onto learn more about infection with these hard-to-detect bacteria.