Bartonella infections in cats and dogs including zoonotic aspects

Parasites & Vectors

Table 7 Treatment decision based on culture, PCR and serology results in sick animals with suspected Bartonella infection [16, 59, 62, 104, 112, 128]

Diagnostic methods			Bartonella infection^a	Treatment decisions options
Culture	PCR	Serology	Bartonella infection^a	Treatment decisions options
+	+	+	Confirmed	Treat
+	+	-	Confirmed	Treat
+	-	-	Confirmed	Treat
+	-	+	Confirmed	Treat
-	+	+	Confirmed	Treat
-	+	-	Confirmed	Treat
-	-	+	Bartonellosis not excluded; Repeat culture and PCR if the suspicion of clinical bartonellosis remains	Do not treat or treat empirically if disease progresses. Empirical treatment should not be routinely recommended
-	-	-	Bartonellosis not excluded; Repeat serology in 2–3 weeks or culture and PCR in a few days if the suspicion of clinical bartonellosis remains	Do not treat or treat empirically if disease progresses. Empirical treatment should not be routinely recommended

^aDespite diagnostic confirmation of bartonellosis in cats and dogs, as listed in the table, vector-borne disease co-infections, co-morbidities and other differential diagnoses should be evaluated in conjunction with or prior to administration of antimicrobial drugs
Key: +, positive; -, negative

ISSN: 1756-3305