5 Important Facts To Know About Bartonella

Though only recently discovered by medical professionals and epidemiologists, bartonella is an infection that should not be discounted by any means. The species of bacteria that causes the infection can affect both animals and humans. In fact, nine species of the bartonella bacteria have been determined to affect humans, so it is important to be aware of some information about this infection.

The infection has a possibility of multiple carriers

As Bartonella is a very new arrival in medical field, the route of the infection's transmission is yet to be fully understood. Carriers of the infection, according to experts, are most likely to be fleas, ticks, and lice. In accordance with the publication "The Journal of Medical Microbiology", Europeans rats which are infected with fleas are the primary agents that can cause infections in humans. Furthermore, it has been proposed by the California Lyme Disease Association that cats are carriers of lyme disease. Considering that both humans and non-humans are affected by this disease, it is possible that the bartonella infection has multiple carriers.

All the symptoms of the bartonella disease have not been noticed

The most common symptoms of bartonella are fever, headache, poor appetite, fatigue and the appearance of an unusual rash. The California Lyme Disease Association also reveals that swollen glands in the patient's head, arms and neck are also common symptoms. Additional symptoms observed by doctors have included sore throats and soles, tender skin nodules, gastritis, and lower abdominal pain. Apart from these common symptoms, Medscape Today identified additional atypical signs that include distorted or blurred vision, abdominal pain, severe abnormalities in the tissues of the spleen and liver, boils, arthritis, neurological disorders and conditions involving the tissues and valves of the heart.

This infection may lead to severe psychiatric problems

The bartonella infection can have alarming mental effects such as increased anxiety and panic or a downward spiral into depression, according to some research studies. Researchers James Schaller and Glenn Burkland believe that the link between bartonella infection and psychiatric conditions is possible, since symptoms in reports made by patients are identifiable as neurological disorders.

It is very difficult to make an accurate diagnosis

Since bartonella has a variety of symptoms that have not been completely verified, true diagnosis is somewhat hard to establish. In addition, findings differed in tests of the most familiar bartonella varieties. The other risks associated with this disease are the uncertainty pertaining to its transmission as well as its history.

Antibiotics is the most common treatment procedure for Bartonella.

Some of the more common treatments for bartonella include antibiotics like azithromycin, doxycycline, erythromycin and levofloxacin. Anti-depressants or anti-anxiety treatments may be administered to patients experiencing mental conditions related to the infection. According to research conducted by Schaller and Burkland, patients who have contracted bartonella require higher doses of psychotropic drugs. However, it has also been observed that psychiatric symptoms that resulted from bartonella are eliminated when the infection has been successfully treated by antibiotics.

True, there is still some uncertainties surrounding bartonella, but educating yourself as much as possible about the disease is a great way to reduce the risk of infection.