Bartonellosis

Last Updated: 2023-07-07

Author(s): Anzengruber F., Navarini A.

ICD11: 1C11

  • Other haemolytic infections
  • Granuloma pyogenicum
  • Kaposi's sarcoma

  • Odriozola 1895
  • Barton 1909

  • Verruga peruana
  • Carrión fever
  • Oroya fever

Infectious disease which, in addition to cutaneous manifestation, also leads to sepsis.

  • occurrence only in the high mountain valleys (600-3000m) of Peru, Ecuador and southwest Colombia
  • Approximately 5% of the population of the endemic area is expected to be asymptomatic carriers

  • Pathogen: Bartonella bacilliformis
  • Transmission: sand flies of Lutzomyia spp., especially Lutzomia verrucarum
  • Transmission occurs during the act of sucking and after blood transfusions
  • Incubation period: weeks - months

  • Bartonella bacilliformis causes both dermal nodules (verruga peruana) and sepsis (Oroya fever)
  • The cutaneous manifestation includes pedunculated, verruciform, grouped and eroded papules and nodules. In particular, the face, extremities, but also mucous membranes are affected. Petechial exanthema
  • Sepsis, reduced general condition, fever, anaemia, hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy
  • A secondary infection with salmonella may occur

  • Travel history
  • Clinical
  • Detection of pathogens by blood culture or biopsy

  • Similar to bacillary angiomatosis
  • Bacterial detection is achieved by Warthin-Starry staining

  • Letality: 10-90%
  • Survivors experience spontaneous recovery, often after years

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  2. Breitschwerdt EB. Bartonellosis: one health perspectives for an emerging infectious disease. ILAR J 2014;55:46-58.
  3. Bai Y, Malania L, Alvarez Castillo D, Moran D, Boonmar S, Chanlun A et al. Global distribution of Bartonella infections in domestic bovine and characterization of Bartonella bovis strains using multi-locus sequence typing. PLoS One 2013;8:e80894.
  4. Prutsky G, Domecq JP, Mori L, Bebko S, Matzumura M, Sabouni A et al. Treatment outcomes of human bartonellosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Infect Dis 2013;17:e811-9.
  5. Edouard S, Nabet C, Lepidi H, Fournier PE , Raoult D. Bartonella, a common cause of endocarditis: a report on 106 cases and review. J Clin Microbiol 2015;53:824-9.
  6. Fleischman DA, Chomel BB, Kasten RW, Andre MR, Goncalves LR , Machado RZ. Bartonella clarridgeiae and Bartonella vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii exposure in captive wild canids in Brazil. Epidemiol Infect 2015;143:573-7.