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Cats are known to be the main reservoir for Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae, which are the agents of ‘cat-scratch disease’ in humans. In the present study, we investigated the prevalence of the two Bartonella species on 1754 cat bloods collected from all prefectures in Japan during 2007–2008 by a nested-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the 16S–23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region. Overall, Bartonella DNA was detected in 4·6% (80/1754) of the cats examined. The nested-PCR showed that 48·8% (39/80) of the positive cats were infected with B. henselae mono-infection, 33·8% (27/80) with B. clarridgeiae mono-infection and 17·5% (14/80) were infected with both species. The prevalence (5·9%; 65/1103) of Bartonella infection in the western part of Japan was significantly higher than that (2·3%; 15/651) of eastern Japan (P < 0·001). Statistical analysis of the cats examined suggested a significant association between Bartonella infection and FeLV infection (OR = 1·9; 95% CI = 1·1–3·4), but not with FIV infection (OR = 1·6; 95% CI = 1·0–2·6).

Bartonella species are highly fastidious, vector borne, zoonotic bacteria that cause persistent intraerythrocytic bacteremia and endotheliotropic infection in reservoir and incidental hosts. Based upon prior in vitro research, three Bartonella sp., B. bacilliformis , B. henselae, and B. quintana can induce proliferation of endothelial cells, and each species has been associated with in vivo formation of vasoproliferative tumors in human patients. In this study, we report the molecular detection of B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii , B. henselae , B. koehlerae, or DNA of two of these Bartonella species simultaneously in vasoproliferative hemangiopericytomas from a dog, a horse, and a red wolf and in systemic reactive angioendotheliomatosis lesions from cats and a steer. In addition, we provide documentation that B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii infections induce activation of hypoxia inducible factor-1 and production of vascular endothelial growth factor, thereby providing mechanistic evidence as to how these bacteria could contribute to the development of vasoproliferative lesions. Based upon these results, we suggest that a fourth species, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii , should be added to the list of bartonellae that can induce vasoproliferative lesions and that infection with one or more Bartonella sp. may contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic reactive angioendotheliomatosis and hemangiopericytomas in animals.

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 spp. are opportunistic, vectorborne bacteria that can cause disease in both animals and humans. We investigated the molecular occurrence of Bartonella spp. in 634 phlebotomine sand fly specimens, belonging to 44 different sand fly species, sampled during 2017-2021 in north and northeastern Brazil. We detected Bartonella sp. DNA in 8.7% (55/634) of the specimens by using a quantitative real-time PCR targeting the 16S-23S internal transcribed spacer intergenic region. Phylogenetic analysis positioned the Lutzomyia longipalpis sand fly-associated Bartonella gltA gene sequence in the same subclade as Bartonella ancashensis sequences and revealed a Bartonella sp. sequence in a Dampfomyia beltrani sand fly from Mexico. We amplified a bat-associated Bartonella nuoG sequence from a specimen of Nyssomyia antunesi sand fly. Our findings document the presence of Bartonella DNA in sand flies from Brazil, suggesting possible involvement of these insects in the epidemiologic cycle of Bartonella species.

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.

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 Leishmaniasis is an emerging vector-borne disease that occurs in Thailand. Although Leishmania ( Mundinia ) parasites, the causative agents of the disease have been identified, the vectors of the disease remain unidentified. In the present study, we collected sand flies from three caves located in endemic areas of leishmaniasis, including Lampang and Chiang Rai in northern Thailand, and Songkhla in southern Thailand. Methods Female sand flies were identified on the basis of morphological characteristics and confirmed by cytochrome c oxidase subunit I ( COI ) sequencing. Sand fly DNA samples were screened for Leishmania , Trypanosoma , and Bartonella DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on the basis of the ITS1 region of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA), SSU rRNA, and gltA genes, followed by phylogenetic relationships and haplotype diversity analysis. Results A total of 557 sand flies were identified, comprising four genera ( Sergentomyia , Phlebotomus , Grassomyia , and Idiophlebotomus ) and 11 species. Molecular detection of pathogens demonstrated that Leishmania DNA was not detected. However, Trypanosoma DNA was detected in 11 samples of Phlebotomus mascomai from Lampang (7 for T . noyesi ), Se . anodontis from Chiang Rai (1 each for T . noyesi and Trypanosoma sp.), and Se . khawi from Songkhla (2 for Trypanosoma sp.). Bartonella DNA was detected in 16 samples of Se . anodontis and Se . barraudi s.l. from Chiang Rai, Se . anodontis from Lampang, and Se . khawi from Songkhla. The novel Bartonella sp. detected in Thai sand flies was phylogenetically related to Bartonella sp. from bats. Genetic diversity analysis showed high haplotype diversity in both Trypanosoma parasites and Bartonella bacteria. Conclusions The data from the present study indicate that phlebotomine sand flies could be potential vectors of zoonotic diseases caused by Trypanosoma sp. and Bartonella sp. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the natural infection of Bartonella associated with bats in Thailand, and the presence of T . noyesi and amphibian trypanosomes. However, further investigation is required to elucidate and enhance the understanding of potential vectors and transmission dynamics of pathogens in Thailand, particularly with regard to different seasonality, habitats, and host ranges. Graphical abstract

Bartonella spp. are parasites of mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells, and are transmitted by blood-feeding arthropod ectoparasites, including fleas. This study aimed to: (i) identify the main flea species responsible for Bartonella transmission and the specific Bartonella species they carry, (ii) evaluate how host-related factors influence the prevalence of Bartonella , (iii) examine the genetic diversity of Bartonella from different flea species and mammalian hosts, including rodents and European moles, and (iv) determine the haplotypes of Bartonella derived from rodents. Blood samples were collected from seven rodent species and two European moles in Poland ( n  = 994), and fleas were collected from rodents ( n  = 833). Bartonella spp. were identified and genotyped through rpoB and gltA genes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two dominant Bartonella spp. in rodents and fleas: B. grahamii and B. taylorii . Moreover, 17 haplotypes of B. taylorii and 9 of B. grahamii were identified. The sequences of Bartonella sp. from T. europaea clustered in a unique separate group, possibly indicating a novel species. The study confirmed fleas as vectors of Bartonella transmission in rodents and highlighted the significant genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in both fleas and rodents.

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.

Bats are recognized as hosts of diverse Bartonella species, and Bartonella are known agents of human disease. Here, we reported the isolation of 26 Bartonella strains belonging to eight distinct species from two bat species ( Myotis laniger and M. adversus ) and their ectoparasites (bat flies and bat mites) collected from Chongming County, Hubei Province, China. We obtained whole genome sequences of the bat-borne Bartonella spp. with second and third generation sequencing. The genome size of the bat-borne Bartonella spp. ranged from 1.39 to 1.98 Mb, with the GC content from 35.30%-38.92%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the bat-borne Bartonella spp. were divergent from currently known Bartonella spp., and the Average Nucleotide Identity (ANI) values were all below 95%, indicating that they were all novel species. Comparative genomic analysis underscored distinct characteristics of bat-borne Bartonella spp. in cell motility, replication, recombination, and the biogenesis of the cell wall/membrane/envelope, suggesting that bat-borne Bartonella spp. exhibited unique host adaptability. Notably, the virulence factor genes of two bat-borne Bartonella spp., strains B23 and 39, were highly analogous to those of the currently known Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana , indicating that they might be pathogenic to humans and animals. Altogether, our findings significantly broaden the diversity of the Bartonella genus, and provide new insights into the host specificity and evolutionary relationship of bat-borne Bartonella spp..