Bartonella and Cat Scratch Fever

Most people know very little about this infection other than it involves a fever spread by cat scratches. In fact, it involves infection by bacteria of the genus Bartonella. There are 24 Bartonella species, 14 of which can infect humans and five of which are harbored by cats. The fives Bartonella species harbored by cats are spread by fleas. The most well-studied and most common Bartonella organism is Bartonella henselae. Classically, cats transmit the organism when they are parasitized by fleas, scratch themselves, get infected flea dirt in their claws, and scratch a person or another cat with their dirty claws.

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