Emerging Bartonella in humans and animals in Asia and Australia

Abstract

Bartonella species, belonging to the alpha 2 subgroup of Proteobacteria, have either been considered or established as potential human and mammal pathogens. Five novel species of Bartonella have been reported in Thailand and Australia. Recently, three strains of B. tamiae were isolated from febrile illness patients in Thailand, while B. australis was isolated from kangaroos, and B. coopersplainsensis, B. queenslandensis, and B. rattiaustraliensis were isolated from rats in Australia. The 17 novel Bartonella strains isolated from rodents in southern China that were identified using the partial citrate synthase gene (gltA) sequence displayed a similar genetic diversity, as compared to those obtained from rodents captured in northern Thailand. Herein, the authors review and discuss the few available reports on Bartonella infection in order to raise awareness of Bartonella infection transmitted from mammalian reservoirs to humans via arthropod ectoparasitic vectors such as fleas, ticks, and lice in Asia and Australia. The identification of Bartonella species on these continents was reported in eastern Asia (China, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Taiwan), south central Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, and Nepal), southeast Asia (Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand), the Middle East (Israel and Jordan), and Australia. The rate of Bartonella infection was found to be high in arthropod ectoparasitic vectors, mammals, and febrile patients in these tropical zones.