Bartonella

Bartonella is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. It is the only genus in the family Bartonellaceae. Bartonella species cause bartonellosis, which is a group of zoonotic infectious diseases that affects both humans and animals. Common forms include cat-scratch disease (Bartonella henselae) and trench fever (Bartonella quintana). As Facultative intracellular parasites, Bartonella species can infect healthy people, but are considered especially important as opportunistic pathogens. Bartonella species are transmitted by vectors such as fleas, sand flies, ticks and mosquitoes. Currently, 12 Bartonella species are known to infect humans. As research continues, more species transmissible to humans from vectors can be discovered. 37 different species and 3 subspecies of Bartonella exist. While 12 species can infect humans, 3 Bartonella pathogens are largely associated with human transmission and infection: B. henselae, B. quintana, and Bartonella bacilliformis.