Bartonella henselae is the causative agent of cat scratch disease (CSD) in humans, a self-limiting regional lymphadenopathy and cats are its main reservoir host ...Home » FelinebartonellosisFelinebartonellosis EditedJuly,2020 TheBartonellaspeciesinfectionincatsguidelineswerefirstpublishedintheJFelineMedSurg2013,15:563-569 byMariaGraziaPennisietal.andupdatedbyFulvioMarsilioin2015andbyMariaGraziaPennisiandFulvioMarsilioin2018.ThepresentguidelineswereupdatedbyMariaGraziaPennisiandFulvioMarsilio. Synopsis ThepathogenicroleofmanyBartonellaspp.aspathogensofhumansanddomesticanimalsisstillunknown.Bartonellahenselaeisthecausativeagentofcatscratchdisease(CSD)inhumans,aself-limitingregionallymphadenopathyandcatsareitsmainreservoirhost.TheimportantroleoffleasinthetransmissionofB.henselaeandB.clarridgeiaeamongcatshasbeendemonstratedandcontactinfectionsdonotoccur. Antibodiesarenotprotectiveandantibody-positivecatsmaybereinfected.MostcatsnaturallyinfectedbyB.henselaedonotshowclinicalsignsbutsomeindividualsmaydeveloplife-threateningcardiovasculardiseases.Moreover,otherBartonellaspecies,forwhichcatsareaccidentalhosts,mayhavepathogenicproperties.BartonellosisisdiagnosedinsymptomaticBartonellapositivecatsonthebasisofexclusionofothercompatiblediagnoses,andbyassessingtheresponsetoantibiotictherapy.Nobenefitderivesfromtestinghealthycatsandhumans,exceptincasesofimmunosuppressedpeopleinthehome. Strictfleaandtickcontrolistheonlyeffectivepreventivemeasure. Bacterialproperties Bartonella(B.) aresmall(2by0.5μm),vector-transmittedGram-negativeintracellularbacteriathatarewelladaptedtooneormoremammalianreservoirhosts.Untilnow,over22Bartonellaspecieshavebeendescribed,buttheirroleaspathogensofhumansanddomesticanimalsisthesubjectofongoinginvestigations(Table1). Bartonellaspp.PrimaryreservoirVectorAccidentalhostB.bacilliformisHumansLutzomiaverrucarumNoneB.quintanaHumansPediculushumanusCat,dog,monkeyB.elizabethaeRattusnorvegicusXenopsyllacheopisHumans,dogB.grahamiiSeveralspeciesofwildmiceRodentfleasHu