Bartonella is a bacterial infection caused by a scratch from an infected cat. It causes three known infections: ‘Cat Scratch Disease,’ Trench Fever, and Carrion’s Disease. SmarTest Labs performs disease-specific tests for the Infectious Disease tests to determine the presence of the Bartonella bacteria. Bartonellosis is a group of emerging infectious diseases caused by bacteria belonging to the Bartonella genus. Bartonella includes at least 22 named species of bacteria that are mainly transmitted by carriers (vectors), including fleas, lice, or sandflies.

• Common symptoms among the three diseases include fever, headaches, muscle aches, and sometimes rashes.
• Cat Scratch Disease also causes swelling of the lymph nodes, and sometimes an abscess appears at the scratch site.
• Carrion’s Disease sufferers may also develop abdominal pain, severe anemia, and the growth of warts under the skin.
• Some species of the Bartonella bacteria can cause endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves.