What is Bartonella?
Bartonella is one of many genera existing bacteria. It is also described as gram -negative, which means that it cannot stick to the dye called Crystal Violet. Like all bacteria, this genus can be small, but can cause several diseases and infections not only to animals but also to people. It has been found that eight different types of this bacteria cause infection. It was found that a specific species called Bartonella Quintana infected the tooth dated 4,000 years ago.
Animals and pets can be infected with Bartonella bacteria through fleas, ticks and lice. They can also catch the disease by contact with feces with excreted bacteria. People, on the other hand, can also be infected with bugs, mosquitoes and ticks, as well as contact with pets such as cats and dogs, and rodents like rats and squirrels. Bacteria can also be transferred from animal bites or even simple scratches. It is said that kittens and puppies are more contagious because their blood can have inheRent bacteria.
One of the most popular infections passed by Bartonella comes from cats called "cat scratch fever", transmitted by Bartonella Henselae. The infected area would usually be swollen, red and contain some pus. Other symptoms that indicate infection include fever, headache, fatigue and loss of appetite. Many people do not realize that they are infected because the symptoms appear only after one to two weeks. If a person has a strong immune system, the infection may disappear by itself, but it may take a while, sometimes up to a month before the infection disappears completely.
In unusual cases, Bartonella can be very dangerous, especially for a person with a weakened immune system. The infection that began on the skin can spread to different parts of the body, such as the eyes and kept and blurred vision specifically in the eyes. Internal organs such as liver and kidneys can also benfricted and will not work normally. In rare cases, the heart or brain may be infected, resulting in serious consequences, such as swelling of the heart valves and dysfunction in brain performance.
people with diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus, cancer and Lyme diseases are more vulnerable when they are infected with Bartonella. They may require more aggressive treatment or higher dosage of antibiotics. Pregnant women should also be carefully treated as drugs can affect the fetal development inside the womb.