Bartonella
A Serious Disease With
Potentially Serious Consequences
Lucy Barnes
Original Article- November 2008
Updated- May 2015, December 2015, July 2016, December 2016, January 2019
Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana, sometimes referred to as “cat-scratch” and “trench” fever respectively, are two types of intracellular gram negative bacteria which can cause severe, chronic health issues and sudden death. Maryland residents are at high risk for exposure to various Bartonella bacteria.
Possible signs and symptoms- Typically a gradual onset of symptoms. Central nervous system symptoms (muscle twitches, insomnia, mood swings, anxiety, antisocial behavior, tremors, irritability and seizures) are often more prominent and severe than other symptoms.
Fatigue, dizziness, vasculitis, stiff legs, immune system dysfunction, pain in feet (especially bottoms of feet- worse early in the morning), sweats, restlessness, myalgias, migrating pain (can be extreme) in and around joints, heart attacks, heart valve problems, endocarditis (mortality 25%), cardiomegaly, strokes, skin rashes (including "stretch mark" like rashes that may or may not itch or burn), skin tags, burning and crawling sensations.
Aseptic meningitis, encephalopathy, fever (often low-grade), panic attacks, liver or spleen abnormalities, low-grade fever, abscesses, hot flashes, muscle cramps, confusion, abdominal pain, hepatitis, seizures (mild to severe), numbness in hands, rage, depression, misophonia, difficulty walking, facial numbness, wandering (usually unilateral) joint pain, urinary disorders, or arthritis can be present.
Tender sub-cutaneous nodules may appear along the outer thigh, triceps shins and other areas of the extremities.
Some patients experience acute and relapsing symptom patterns, painful headaches, lymphadenopathy, GI symptoms (gastritis, abdominal pain), cognitive dysfunction, joint swelling, CNS lesions, red splotches or slightly raised red spots on skin, lymph node swelling, skin manifestations (acne, stretch marks, subcutaneous nodules) and spider veins.
Patients may also experience bone pain- especially in shins (Bartonella quintana, aka shin bone fever) and along the rib cage, chest wall pain, ice-pick pain sensations in head, mild sore throat, bladder inflammation or IC, softening of bone, bone infections, radiculitis, difficulty swallowing, transverse myelitis, polyneuropathy, slurred speech, elevated liver enzymes, gall bladder dysfunction, crusty scalp, respiratory complications, personality disorders, bipolar disorder and irregular pulse.
Bartonella can cause an array of eye related problems such as raccoon eyes (dark circles under/around eyes), dry eyes, conjunctivitis, neuroretinitis and a distortion or loss of vision.
Bartonella symptoms may wax and wane or appear to be in remission. Symptoms may return quickly if treatment is discontinued too soon. See the "Ask The Experts" 2016 article with more Bartonella symptoms and photos.
If not treated properly in the early stages, Bartonella can become a disabling or life-threatening condition that can be expensive and difficult to treat. Bartonella has been misdiagnosed or mistaken for vasculitis, breast cancer, hepatitis, Kaposi’s sarcoma, splenic lymphoma and a variety of neurological and psychiatric illnesses. People infected with Bartonella may also be coinfected with one or more of the 300 plus known Lyme strains, viruses and/or additional tick or vector borne diseases.