The Expanding Clinical Spectrum of Bartonelloses

Dear Colleagues,

Previously, Pathogens sponsored a very successful Special Issue entitled “The Evolving Biomedical Importance of Bartonella Species Infections”. Our sincerest thanks go to those researchers who shared their work as part of the Pathogens Special Issue. Clearly, as reflected in the publications figure above, the scientific and medical interest in this genus continues to progressively increase.

Following a very successful 10^th International Conference on Bartonella as emerging pathogens in Lima, Peru in November 2022, “Bartonella meets Borrelia” will be the theme of the 11^th International Conference on Bartonella as emerging pathogens that will be held in Germany in fall of 2024 (exact date and location to be determined). It is perhaps fitting that these two vector-transmitted genera are the focus of the next International Conference on Bartonella as emerging pathogens, as both genera share diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive challenges for researchers and patients around the world.

The genus Bartonella comprises fastidious Gram-negative, slow-growing, and facultative intracellular bacteria belonging to the Alpha-2 subgroup of the class Proteobacteria, Order Rhizobiales. These microorganisms are most often transmitted to humans through animal bites or scratches (cats, dogs, and other animals), by scratch inoculation of infected flea or body louse feces into the skin, and potentially by bites of other vectors including ants, biting flies, keds, mites, spiders, and ticks. Prior to the HIV epidemic in the early 1990s, Bartonella species were not known to have infected animals or humans in North America or throughout much of the world. Currently, at least 45 Bartonella species or subspecies have been characterized, of which 17 Bartonella species have been implicated in zoonotic infections in humans. It is now clear that these bacteria are globally important but remain medically underappreciated emerging pathogens impacting animal and human health. The increasing number of animal reservoir hosts known to be infected with various Bartonella species, in conjunction with the increasing number of competent or suspected arthropod vectors, makes this genus of substantial clinical and biomedical importance to microbiologists, diagnosticians, physicians, vector biologists, and veterinarians. The expanding spectrum of longstanding and complex cardiovascular, dermatologic, neurological, and rheumatologic disease manifestations makes this genus substantially important to patients. Hopefully, this Special Issue can provide new and important information relative to the biomedical importance of the genus Bartonella.

Prof. Dr. Edward B. Breitschwerdt
Guest Editor

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• epidemiology
• microbiology
• medicine
• vector biology
• bartonelloses

• The Evolving Biomedical Importance of Bartonella Species Infections in Pathogens (18 articles)