How do you get bartonella

Treatment is not recommended unless your pet becomes sick. For cats that do become sick, the illness usually consists of fever for days, with the cat recovering on its own. Symptoms requiring veterinary care include fever, vomiting, lethargy, red eyes, swollen lymph nodes or decreased appetite.

Most cat scratches do not result in cat scratch disease, and short of cleaning the wound with soap and water, there is no particular action to take. If your child develops a fever; enlarged, tender lymph nodes that develop 1—3 weeks after being scratched; or a pustule at the scratch site, please take her to your health care provider.

Treatment with antibiotics is usually not necessary but may help reduce lymph node swelling. Complete this free online training and the Minnesota Department of Health will provide certification that your venue has learned about these issues.

Reptiles and Amphibians: Salmonella Some reptiles and amphibians can make cool pets, but they can also be a source of illness. Reptiles e. Turkey: Safe Thawing and Cooking Food safety tips for handling, thawing, roasting, storing, and reheating turkey. Cooking for Groups Consumer information about preparing and serving food for large groups.

For the last 30 years, Breitschwerdt has been studying Bartonella, a genus of bacteria found in animals, ticks and humans. The Raleigh teen lost her peripheral vision. She next began to suffer bouts of joint and muscle pain and numbness in her hands. Then came the headaches, memory loss and hallucinations. And, unlike Lyme disease, another tick-borne illness that can cause an array of distressing symptoms, Bartonella is right in the backyard of most North Carolinians. He said that, historically, vets have considered common cat flea a nuisance but have under-appreciated it as a disease vector.

For several years, Breitschwerdt has seen all sorts of animals and mites, ticks, fleas and even spiders test positive for Bartonella. Breitschwerdt has worked with the One Health Commission , a collective that looks at the links between environmental, human and animal health. Though his professional and personal life has been guided by his care for animals, his most recent work is geared towards detecting and treating Bartonella infection in humans.

Keep reading to learn more about the different types of Bartonella , how they are spread, and what diseases they cause. Bartonella is a group of bacteria that can cause disease in humans, one of which is Cat Scratch Disease sometimes called Cat Scratch Fever. Cats typically contract the bacteria from the bites or droppings of fleas or lice, then spread it to humans.

However, like the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever, Bartonella is actually a group of bacteria — in this case, including at least 37 distinct species. These species have different reservoir hosts, and about half of them can cause a range of diseases in humans, including:.

This means that accurate diagnosis of a Bartonella infection requires testing technology designed to detect different species of the bacteria. While most cases of Bartonellosis disease are spread through the bites or scratches of infected cats, Bartonellosis has also been found to be spread by ticks.

In fact, the same blacklegged ticks also known as deer ticks that cause Lyme disease have been found to carry and transmit Bartonella. As mentioned above, the disease and symptoms caused by a Bartonella infection depend on what species of Bartonella has been transmitted.

Covered below are a few common types of Bartonella , their reservoir hosts, their vectors how they are transmitted , and the diseases they cause.