Introduction
Feline Bartonellosis, caused by the Bartonella bacteria, is in itself not a contagious disease. However, the Bartonella bacteria can be transmitted between cats, dogs, and humans and may lead to some illnesses such as Bartonellosis and a condition in people known as Cat Scratch Fever.
Transmission of Bartonellosis
The primary transmission of the Bartonella bacteria between cats and dogs occurs through flea, and sometimes tick, bites. The bacteria can also be transmitted through cat scratches if cats have infected flea dirt under their claws. Fleas ingest, and then carry, the bacteria when they feed off an infected host. When they eliminate, their feces can contain live Bartonella bacteria, and the feces, also known as flea dirt, can then be gathered under a cat’s claws while the cat scratches itself.
There are still ongoing studies to determine why some cats carry the Bartonella bacteria in their blood without any effects, and why some seem to develop the Bartonellosis disease. Studies on how this disease affects infected dogs are also ongoing. Currently, dogs seem to carry the bacteria without any symptoms and if symptoms do appear they are mild flu like symptoms.
Bartonellosis in People
Bartonella infections are considered to be a kind of zoonotic disease because they are passed from animals to people. Cats can infect people with Cat Scratch Fever if they scratch people while they have infected flea dirt under their claws. While cats can carry multiple types of Bartonella bacteria in their blood stream, the Bartonella henselae strain seems to be the one responsible for causing Cat Scratch Fever.
In most cases, people are resistant to developing infections caused by exposure to Bartonella henselae. However, people that have compromised immune systems seem to have an increased chance of developing Cat Scratch Fever.