by At Galaxy Diagnostics, our mission is to provide reliable results using advanced diagnostics developed by researchers who are dedicated to preserving the human-animal bond. An important part of our mission is improving patient, veterinarian, and healthcare provider understanding of Bartonella and Borrelia species through excellent customer service as well as the educational materials offered on our website and in the media. The People’s Pharmacy, Science, Better Health Guy, and the Townsend Letter, are just a few of the places where our scientists and their work have appeared.
This week we have launched a new resource under the “Education” tab on our website titled From Cat Scratch Disease to Bartonellosis. The webpage provides an overview of Bartonella infections and emphasizes the different ways they can impact human health.
“Bartonellosis” is a broad term used to encompass the spectrum of diseases caused by Bartonella species. Acute infections, such as cat scratch disease (CSD) or Trench Fever, commonly present with a rapid onset of symptoms and resolve within a few weeks of diagnosis and antibiotic treatment. For more than a century, acute Bartonella infection was the only type known to medical science.
Chronic Bartonella infection was identified in the latter half of the 20th century. However, these infections may be confused with other chronic disease, such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia. Even today, bartonellosis often does not make it on the differential list for these clinical presentations. Furthermore, risk factors that contribute to Bartonella exposure and methods of diagnosing the infection may not be known or considered by physicians. This is dangerous for patients’ long-term health.
The goal of this new page is to help shed light on the diverse presentations of bartonellosis and the almost two dozen species of Bartonella currently known to affect human health. You can access the page here.
The page builds on additional resources available on our website. We produced a recorded webinar titled Understanding Bartonella, sponsored by the One Health Commission. This training video involved individuals from over 30 countries and currently has been viewed on YouTube almost 18,000 times. It is also available through the CDC TRAIN continuing education website.
We invite you to make use of these materials for yourself and to share them with healthcare journalists and media outlets.