Table 2 Human infections by small mammal-associated Bartonella spp.

Bartonella alsatica

Prosthetic vascular graft infection

Male, 66 years old, hunter

PCRs (biopsies), sequence analysis

Doxycycline 2 × 100 mg/day (6 months)

Improvement of renal function (no comprehensible link to antibiotic treatment)

[219]

Endocarditis

Female, 77 years old, rabbit breeder

Serology (not standardized)^a, culture and PCR (blood) negative

Gentamicin (15 days), amoxicillin (6 weeks)

Clinical improvement, no details given

[220]

Lymphadenopathy

Female, 79 years old, rabbit butcher

PCRs (lymph node), sequence analysis, serology (not standardized)^a, histology (unspecific)^b

Doxycycline 200 mg/day (3 weeks)

Surgical removal of lymph nodes, no further details given

[115]

Endocarditis

Male, 74 years old, bioprosthetic aortic valve, parotideal cancer

Shell vial culture, PCR (valves and blood), sequence analysis, histology (unspecific)^b

Amoxicillin 12 g/day, gentamicin 320 mg/day changed to doxycycline 200 mg/day (6 weeks), ceftriaxone 2 g/day

Valve replacement, patient became apyretic

[221]

Bartonella doshiae

Unspecific (fatigue, blurred vision, arthralgia)

Female, 45 years old

Prolonged cultivation, PCR detection from blood

NA

NA

[222]

Bartonella elizabethae

Bacillary angiomatosis

Male, 35 years old, human immunodeficiency virus-positive

PCR (biopsy), sequence analysis, histology (unspecific)^b

NA

No patient follow-up (patient incompliance)

[223]

Acute febrile illness

Patients from rural Thailand (n = 2/14)

PCR from shell vial cultures, sequence analysis

NA

NA

[224]

Lymphadenopathy

Female, 18 years old, culture negative

PCRs (lymph node)

Azithromycin 3 × 250 mg/day, duration NA

Restitutio ad integrum

[225]

Bartonella grahamii

Lymphadenopathy

Female, 57 years old, cat scratch (exposed to infected rodents), leukaemia and bone marrow transplantation

Several PCRs (lymph node) and sequence analysis, histology (unspecific)^b

Azithromycin 250 mg/day (5 weeks)

Clinical restitutio ad integrum, no abnormal findings by ultrasound examination

[25]

B. grahamii^c

Neuroretinitis

Male, 55 years old, dog owner

PCRs (anterior chamber fluid), sequence analysis, serology (not standardized)^a

Doxycycline 200 mg/day, rifampin 600 mg/day

Intraocular inflammation extinguished, cataract development

[226]

Bartonella rattimassiliensis

Acute febrile illness

Patients from rural Thailand (n = 1)

PCR from shell vial cultures, sequence analysis

NA

NA

[224]

Bartonella tribocorum

Acute febrile illness, unspecific (fatigue, muscle pain, headache)

Patients from rural Thailand (n = 1)

Shell vial culture, PCR (blood) and sequence analysis

NA

NA

[224]

Male, 64 years old, dog owner

Prolonged cultivation, PCR detection from blood

NA

NA

[222]

Bartonella vinsonii subsp. vinsonii

Acute febrile illness

Patients from rural Thailand (n = 1)

PCR from shell vial cultures, sequence analysis

NA

NA

[224]

Blood stream infection (fever, unspecific neuropsychiatric symptoms)

Female, 14 years old

Pre-enriched media PCRs (blood), sequence analysis

Doxycycline (2 months), clarithromycin (2 months), rifampin (2 months), no success

Minimal symptomatic improvement

[227]

Bartonella vinsonii subsp. arupensis

Acute febrile illness

Patients from rural Thailand (n = 2)

PCR from shell vial cultures, sequence analysis

NA

NA

[224]

Acute febrile illness, unspecific (fever, myalgia, fatigue), elevated liver enzymes

Patients from rural Thailand (n = 4)

Pre-enriched media PCR, sequence analysis

NA

NA

[228]

Hepatic granulomatous lesions

Female, 11 years old, cat exposure

PCR (liver biopsy, cat blood)

Azithromycin 500 mg (4 weeks) followed by doxycycline 2 × 100 mg (four weeks)

Clinical improvement (decrease in size of hepatic lesions)

[229]

Endocarditis

Male, 79 years old, bioprosthetic aortic valve

Serology (non-standardized)^a, PCR, (serum) sequence analysis

Doxycycline 200 mg/day, ofloxacin 200 mg/day, duration NA

Clinical improvement (no details given)

[230]