Explore the vast range of titles available.

We investigated the diversity of Bartonella in Apodemus agrarius, an important rodent of peri-domestic habitats, which has spread into Europe in the past 1000 years. Spleen samples of 344 A. agrarius from Eastern Slovakia were screened for the presence of Bartonella spp. using 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region and bacteria were detected in 9% of rodents. Based on sequencing of three housekeeping genes (gltA, rpoB and groEL) Bartonella genotypes were ascribed to the species typical for mice and voles: B. grahamii, B. taylorii and B. birtlesii. However, the study also confirmed presence of genotypes belonging to the B. clarridgeiae/B. rochalimae clade, and the B. elizabethae/B. tribocorum clade, which are not commonly found in woodland rodents. In addition, a potential recombination event between these two genotypes was noted, which highlights an important role of A. agrarius in shaping Bartonella diversity and evolution.

Abstract Bartonella spp. are facultative intracellular bacteria that typically cause a long-lasting intraerythrocytic bacteremia in their mammalian reservoir hosts, thereby favoring transmission by blood-sucking arthropods. In most cases, natural reservoir host infections are subclinical and the relapsing intraerythrocytic bacteremia may last weeks, months, or even years. In this review, we will follow the infection cycle of Bartonella spp. in a reservoir host, which typically starts with an intradermal inoculation of bacteria that are superficially scratched into the skin from arthropod feces and terminates with the pathogen exit by the blood-sucking arthropod. The current knowledge of bacterial countermeasures against mammalian immune response will be presented for each critical step of the pathogenesis. The prevailing models of the still-enigmatic primary niche and the anatomical location where bacteria reside, persist, and are periodically seeded into the bloodstream to cause the typical relapsing Bartonella spp. bacteremia will also be critically discussed. The review will end up with a discussion of the ability of Bartonella spp., namely Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana, and Bartonella bacilliformis, to induce tumor-like vascular deformations in humans having compromised immune response such as in patients with AIDS. This review will outline the current molecular knowledge how members of the arthropod-borne genus Bartonella spp. efficiently persist in their mammalian hosts to cause the typical chronic and relapsing bacteremia, which in some immunosuppressive conditions such as in AIDS is manifested by the growth of tumor-like vascular deformations.

Despite the worldwide occurrence of bartonellae in a broad range of mammal species, in which they usually cause a long-lasting erythrocytic bacteremia, few studies reported Bartonella spp. in avian hosts. The present work aimed to investigate the occurrence and molecular identity of Bartonella spp. infecting birds in the Pantanal wetland, central-western Brazil using a multigene approach. For this purpose, blood samples were collected from 517 individuals from 13 avian orders in the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Groso do Sul. DNA was extracted from avian blood and 500/517 (96.7%) samples were positive in a conventional PCR targeting the avian β-actin gene. Nineteen (3.8%) out of 500 avian blood samples were positive in a qPCR assay for Bartonella spp. based on the nuoG gene. Among 19 avian blood DNA samples positive in the qPCR for Bartonella spp., 12 were also positive in the qPCR for Bartonella based on the 16S-23S RNA Intergenic region (ITS). In the PCR assays performed for molecular characterization, one 16S rRNA, three ribC, and one nuoG sequences were obtained. Based on BLASTn results, while 1 nuoG, 2 ribC, and 2 ITS sequences showed high identity to Bartonella henselae, one 16S rRNA and 2 ITS showed high similarity to Bartonella machadoae in the sampled birds. Bartonella spp. related to B. henselae and B. machadoae were detected, for the first time, in wild birds from the Brazilian Pantanal.

Background Bartonellosis is an emerging vector-borne disease caused by different intracellular bacteria of the genus Bartonella (Rhizobiales: Bartonellaceae ) that is transmitted primarily by blood-sucking arthropods such as sandflies, ticks and fleas . In Tunisia, there are no data available identifying the vectors of Bartonella spp. In our research, we used molecular methods to detect and characterize Bartonella species circulating in fleas collected from domestic animals in several of the country’s bioclimatic areas. Results A total of 2178 fleas were collected from 5 cats, 27 dogs, 34 sheep, and 41 goats at 22 sites located in Tunisia’s five bioclimatic zones. The fleas were identified as: 1803 Ctenocephalides felis (83%) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae), 266 C. canis (12%) and 109 Pulex irritans (5%) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). Using conventional PCR, we screened the fleas for the presence of Bartonella spp., targeting the citrate synthase gene ( gltA ) . Bartonella DNA was detected in 14% (121/866) of the tested flea pools [estimated infection rate (EIR) per 2 specimens: 0.072, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.060–0.086]. The Bartonella infection rate per pool was broken down as follows: 55% (65/118; EIR per 2 specimens: 0.329, 95% CI: 0.262–0.402) in C. canis ; 23.5% (8/34; EIR per 2 specimens: 0.125, 95% CI: 0.055–0.233) in P. irritans and 6.7% (48/714; EIR per 2 specimens: 0.032, 95% CI: 0.025–0.045) in C. felis. Infection rates, which varied significantly by bioclimatic zone ( P  < 0.0001), were highest in the humid areas. By sequencing, targeting the gltA gene and the 16S–23S rRNA Intergenic Spacer Regions (ITS), we identified three Bartonella zoonotic species: B. elizabethae , B. henselae , B. clarridgeiae , as well as uncharacterized Bartonella genotypes. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that fleas in Tunisia have been shown to carry zoonotic species of Bartonella . The dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis , should be considered the main potential vector of Bartonella . Our study not only provides new information about this vector, but also offers a public health update: medical practitioners and farmers in Tunisia should be apprised of the presence of Bartonella in fleas and implement preventive measures.

Bartonella are parasitic pathogens that infect many mammals, including humans, and cause significant diseases. This study investigates the presence, genetic diversity, and tissue tropism of Bartonella in bats and their ectoparasites along the China–Myanmar border. Bats and ectoparasites were collected from Yingjiang, Ruili, and Gengma Counties. Nested PCR (nPCR) and quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) were used to detect and quantify Bartonella in bat tissues. Bartonella was isolated using brain–heart infusion broth and tryptone soy agar medium containing 5% sheep blood (TSA containing 5% sheep blood), and DNA sequences were analyzed with Clustal W and MEGA X. In total, 601 bats from 11 species (four families and seven genera) and 32 ectoparasites (two orders, three families, and four genera) were collected. The qPCR results revealed Bartonella detection rates of 22.96% (138/601) in bats and 62.50% (5/8) in ectoparasites. Using nPCR to detect the Bartonella gltA and rpoB genes in bats, ectoparasites, and strains isolated from bat blood samples, yielding 58 and 10 strains, respectively. When comparing bats, ectoparasites, and isolated strains to other Bartonella in GenBank, the gltA gene was 74.21%–100.00% at the nucleotide level of similarity and 75.70%–100.00% at the amino acid level. In comparison, the rpoB gene was 79.58%–100.00% at the nucleotide level of similarity and 89.71%–100.00% at the amino acid level. By phylogenetic analysis except for Bartonella sp. and uncultured Bartonella sp., we found a clade that was less than 96.0% at the nucleotide level of similarity in the gltA gene and less than 95.4% at the nucleotide level of similarity in the rpoB gene. Based on the threshold values for the delineation of new species of Bartonella , we believe that a new species of Bartonella prevalent in bats was discovered in this study, which we named “ Candidatus Bartonella dianxisis ”. Otherwise, the average copy number of Bartonella in bat tissues (blood, spleen, heart, brain, kidney, lung, liver, and rectum) ranged from 1.15 × 10 4 to 6.87 × 10 4 copies/μL, with the highest levels observed in blood and spleen. Our findings highlight the genetic diversity of Bartonella in bats and ectoparasites along the China–Myanmar border and underscore potential public health risks associated with these pathogens.

Bartonellosis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution that can infect humans and a large number of mammals including small companion animals (cats and dogs). In recent years, an increasing number of studies from around the world have reported Bartonella infections, although publications have predominantly focused on the North American perspective. Currently, clinico-pathological data from Europe are more limited, suggesting that bartonellosis may be an infrequent or underdiagnosed infectious disease in cats and dogs. Research is needed to confirm or exclude Bartonella infection as a cause of a spectrum of feline and canine diseases. Bartonella spp. can cause acute or chronic infections in cats, dogs and humans. On a comparative medical basis, different clinical manifestations, such as periods of intermittent fever, granulomatous inflammation involving the heart, liver, lymph nodes and other tissues, endocarditis, bacillary angiomatosis, peliosis hepatis, uveitis and vasoproliferative tumors have been reported in cats, dogs and humans. The purpose of this review is to provide an update and European perspective on Bartonella infections in cats and dogs, including clinical, diagnostic, epidemiological, pathological, treatment and zoonotic aspects.

Bartonella species are blood-borne, re-emerging organisms, capable of causing prolonged infection with diverse disease manifestations, from asymptomatic bacteremia to chronic debilitating disease and death. This pathogen can survive for over a month in stored blood. However, its prevalence among blood donors is unknown, and screening of blood supplies for this pathogen is not routinely performed. We investigated Bartonella spp. prevalence in 500 blood donors from Campinas, Brazil, based on a cross-sectional design. Blood samples were inoculated into an enrichment liquid growth medium and sub-inoculated onto blood agar. Liquid culture samples and Gram-negative isolates were tested using a genus specific ITS PCR with amplicons sequenced for species identification. Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana antibodies were assayed by indirect immunofluorescence. B. henselae was isolated from six donors (1.2%). Sixteen donors (3.2%) were Bartonella-PCR positive after culture in liquid or on solid media, with 15 donors infected with B. henselae and one donor infected with Bartonella clarridgeiae. Antibodies against B. henselae or B. quintana were found in 16% and 32% of 500 blood donors, respectively. Serology was not associated with infection, with only three of 16 Bartonella-infected subjects seropositive for B. henselae or B. quintana. Bartonella DNA was present in the bloodstream of approximately one out of 30 donors from a major blood bank in South America. Negative serology does not rule out Bartonella spp. infection in healthy subjects. Using a combination of liquid and solid cultures, PCR, and DNA sequencing, this study documents for the first time that Bartonella spp. bacteremia occurs in asymptomatic blood donors. Our findings support further evaluation of Bartonella spp. transmission which can occur through blood transfusions.

Vector-borne diseases account for nearly 20% of all globally recognised infectious diseases. Within the spectrum of flea-borne pathogens, Bartonella and Rickettsia bacteria are prominent, contributing to the emergence and resurgence of diseases on a global scale. This study investigates the presence of species of Bartonella and Rickettsia harboured by fleas collected from wild rodents in northwestern Argentina (NWA). A total of 28 fleas from three genera and seven species were assessed. DNA of Bartonella and Rickettsia spp. was found in 12 fleas (42.8%). Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of gltA and rpoB genes showed the presence of Bartonella quintana in eight fleas of two species, Craneopsylla minerva minerva and Polygenis acodontis . Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences of gltA , ompA and ompB genes identified Rickettsia felis in ten fleas of five species, C. m. minerva , P. acodontis , Polygenis bohlsi bohlsi , Polygenis byturus and Tiamastus palpalis . These bacterial species mark the first report in all flea species studied. This study represents the first survey of flea-borne bacteria for NWA. The results provide information to address strategies for the control and prevention of bartonellosis and rickettsiosis that could have an impact on public health in one of the geographical areas of Argentina with the highest incidence of infections transmitted to humans by ectoparasites.

Bartonella species, which are globally distributed gram-negative facultative intracellular bacteria, can infect a diverse range of hosts. Rodents are crucial for the maintenance and dissemination of Bartonella spp., several of which are pathogenic to humans. Although Bartonella infections have been studied in various animals, Bartonella genetic diversity in wild rodents and their fleas has not been investigated. This study examined Bartonella prevalence and genetic diversity in wild rodents and fleas from South Korea in 2023–2024. Bartonella was predominantly detected in the rodent species, Apodemus agrarius . A total of 278 rodent blood and spleen samples, along with 22 pools derived from 33 fleas, were analyzed for the presence of Bartonella DNA. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), targeting the small stable RNA A gene, identified Bartonella spp. in 133 rodents (47.84%) and 11 flea pools (50%). Phylogenetic analysis was conducted using partial sequences of the Bartonella citrate synthase gene and the 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis using the maximum likelihood method identified eight Bartonella spp. in these rodents, including Bartonella grahamii and Bartonella elizabethae , which are pathogenic to humans. Bartonella taylorii was the species most frequently detected in the rodents. Half of the flea pools analyzed using qPCR were positive for Bartonella spp. Bartonella grahamii and taylorii were identified as the dominant species in fleas. These findings suggest that in South Korea, wild rodents serve as natural reservoirs for a diverse range of Bartonella spp., with fleas enhancing the risk of zoonotic disease transmission to humans, necessitating caution to prevent infection. This study outlines a potential vector–host relationship concerning Bartonella spp. transmission and persistence in South Korea.

Bartonellae cause zoonotic diseases and are transmitted by arthropods. Rodents are reservoirs for most Bartonella spp. As the knowledge about Bartonella in rodents and their parasitizing ectoparasites is scarce in Germany, this study’s objectives were to investigate Bartonella spp. in small mammals and in their ectoparasites. A total of 79 small mammals (seven species) were captured and their ectoparasites collected at seven sites around Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, in 2010 and 2011. Altogether, 79 spleen samples, 135 fleas (five species) and 365 ticks (three species) were investigated for Bartonella spp. by PCR targeting the ITS 16S–23S rRNA region. In total, 52 (65.8 %) small mammals, 73 (54.1 %) fleas and 51 (16.3 %) ticks were positive for Bartonella spp. Most small mammals were positive for uncultured Bartonella sp. (n = 29) followed by Bartonella grahamii (n = 12), Bartonella taylorii (n = 8) and Bartonella sp. N40 (n = 3). Likewise, most fleas were positive for uncultured Bartonella sp. (n = 45) followed by B. grahamii (n = 14), B. taylorii (n = 8), B. sp. N40 (n = 5) and Bartonella elizabethae (n = 2). Most ticks were positive for B. sp. (n = 19) followed by B. grahamii (n = 10), Bartonella chomelii (n = 3), B. taylorii (n = 2) and B. sp. N40 (n = 1). This study’s results suggest that rodents and fleas may be reservoirs and vectors, respectively. Zoonotic B. grahamii and B. elizabethae were found in rodents and their fleas. Therefore, humans may contract Bartonella infection by contact to wild rodents. Ticks seem of minor importance in transmitting Bartonella spp. found in fleas and rodents. However, ticks might be vectors of B. chomelii.