subject: 5 Important Facts To Know About Bartonella [print this page] 5 Important Facts To Know About Bartonella
Among the things that you should know about bartonella infection include the fact that there may be multiple carriers; that the full range of symptoms may not always be identified at once as bartonella is often hard to diagnose accurately; there may be a link between the disease and acute psychiatric disorders; and it is very common to treat bartonella with antibiotics. While Bartonella is a newcomer medically speaking, it is a serious infection. This type of bacteria, the one that causes the infection, can inhabit both people and animals. Nine of the bacterial species in the genus Bartonella are known to cause infection in humans. There is a possibility of multiple carriers of the infection As Bartonella is a very new arrival in medical field, the route of the infection's transmission is yet to be fully understood. Carriers of the infection, according to experts, are most likely to be fleas, ticks, and lice. One of the primary sources of infection, as noted in "The Journal of Medical Microbiology," are the fleas found on European rats. Furthermore, it has been proposed by the California Lyme Disease Association that cats are carriers of lyme disease. Considering that both humans and non-humans are affected by this disease, it is possible that the bartonella infection has multiple carriers. All the symptoms have not been discovered yet Headache, fatigue, loss of appetite, fever and the development of an unusual rash are the most common symptoms of bartonella infection. Typical symptoms include swelling in the glands located in the head, arms and neck, which we know thanks to the California Lyme Disease Association. Doctors have also observed additional conditions such as lower abdominal pain, gastritis, tender skin nodules, sore soles and sore throats. Medscape Today has identified additional atypical signs like distorted or blirred vision, abdominal pain, severe abnormalities in the tissues of the spleen and liver, boils, arthritis, neurological disorders and conditions involving the tissues and valves of the heart, apart from the common symptoms. There has been a potential link discovered among the infection and acute pyschiatric disorders Acute psychiatric disorders like anxiety, depression and panic attacks are a few of the results of bartonella infection, according to some medical reports. James Schaller and Glenn Burkland, both researchers, believe that this link between psychiatric conditions and bartonella infection is possible considering the neurological disorders that have been identified as symptoms and actual reports made by patients. Certain ailments are very difficult to diagnose Since bartonella has a variety of symptoms that have not been completely verified, true diagnosis is somewhat hard to establish. Also, when the two most common bartonella strains are tested their results are not consistent. The other risks associated with this disease are the uncertainty pertaining to its transmission as well as its history. Antibiotics is generally used to cure Bartonella Antibiotics like azithromycin, doxycycline, erythromycin and levofloxacin are common treatments of bartonella. As for patients suffering from anxiety or depression caused by the infection, they are administered with anti-depressants and anti-anxiety treatments. Based upon inferences made from case studies, Schaller and Burkland have concluded that patients who have been infected with Bartonella typically need a higher dose of psychiatric medications. Psychiatric symptoms that arise due to bartonella vanish once the infection is successfully combated with the help of antibiotics. We are not sure about the reasons for bartonella infection. Still learning about the disease and understanding its new trends can keep you one step ahead of it.
