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Bartonella infection

Last reviewed: 5 Oct 2024
Last updated: 13 Jun 2023

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Key diagnostic factors

  • fever
  • skin manifestations (cat-scratch disease [CSD])
  • lymphadenopathy (CSD, Oroya fever)
  • episodic abdominal pain (CSD)
  • headache, post-orbital (trench fever)
  • maculopapular rash (trench fever)
  • nodular skin lesions (verruga peruana, Peruvian wart)
Full details

Other diagnostic factors

  • gastrointestinal symptoms
  • bone and joint pain (trench fever)
  • severe pallor (Oroya fever)
  • hepatosplenomegaly (Oroya fever)
  • dyspnoea, heart murmur, and signs of cardiac failure (CSD, trench fever)
  • mental state changes (CSD, Oroya fever)
  • nuchal rigidity (CSD)
  • red eye (CSD, trench fever)
  • painless visual loss, with unilateral, abrupt onset (CSD)
  • bone pain (CSD)
  • mastoiditis (CSD)
  • Janeway lesions, Osler nodes, or splinter haemorrhages (CSD, trench fever)
  • chest pain
  • gastrointestinal bleeding
  • photophobia
Full details

Risk factors

  • cat scratches and bites
  • exposure to arthropod vectors
  • homelessness or poor living conditions
  • history of cardiac valvular disease
  • immunosuppression
Full details

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • serology: Bartonella henselae (cat-scratch disease [CSD])
  • culture: B henselae (CSD)
  • aspiration or biopsy of lymph nodes (CSD)
  • serology: B quintana (trench fever)
  • culture: Bartonella quintana (trench fever)
  • blood smear (Carrion's disease)
  • culture: Bartonella bacilliformis (Carrion's disease)
  • serology: B bacilliformis (Carrion's disease)
  • immunofluorescence antibody (IFA) assay: B vinsonii
  • polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay: B vinsonii
  • culture: B vinsonii
Full details

Investigations to consider

  • PCR: B henselae (CSD)
  • tuberculin skin testing (TST)
  • interferon-gamma release assays (IGRA)
  • PCR: B quintana (trench fever)
  • tissue biopsy (trench fever)
  • tissue biopsy (Carrion's disease)
  • echocardiogram
  • CT abdomen
  • lumbar puncture with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
  • bone scan
Full details

Treatment algorithm

INITIAL

suspected Bartonella endocarditis

ACUTE

cat-scratch disease: no endocarditis, hepatic involvement or bacillary angiomatosis

trench fever: no endocarditis or bacillary angiomatosis

bacillary angiomatosis

peliosis hepatis or hepatosplenic micro-abscesses

confirmed Bartonella endocarditis

Carrion's disease: Oroya fever

Carrion's disease: verruga peruana

Bartonella vinsonii infection

Contributors

Authors

Janak Koirala, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA
Janak Koirala

Professor Emeritus of Medicine

Division of Infectious Diseases

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Springfield

IL

Disclosures

JK declares that he has no competing interests.

Vidya Sunadareshan, MD, MPH

Professor of Medicine

Chair, Division of Infectious Diseases

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Springfield

IL

Disclosures

VS declares that she has no competing interests.

Sangita Basnet, MD, FAAP

Professor of Pediatrics

Department of Pediatrics

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Springfield

IL

Disclosures

SB declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

Russell Wesley Steele, MD

​Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases

Tulane University School of Medicine

New Orleans

LA

Disclosures

RWS declares that he has no competing interests.

Miguel G. Madariaga, MD, MSc

Infectious Diseases Consultant

Naples Community Hospital

Naples

FL

Disclosures

MGM declares that he has no competing interests.

Katarina Westling, MD, PhD

Division of Infectious Diseases

Karolinska University Hospital

Huddinge

Stockholm

Sweden

Disclosures

KW declares that she has no competing interests.

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