Bartonella facts for kids

Bartonella is a group of tiny living things called bacteria. They are so small you can only see them with a microscope! These bacteria are special because they are the only ones in their family, called Bartonellaceae.

What are Bartonella?

Bartonella bacteria are known as parasites. This means they live inside other living things, like animals or humans, and get their food from them. They often live inside the cells of their hosts. When they live inside a host, they can sometimes cause sickness.

There are many different types, or species, of Bartonella. Some of these types can make both animals and people sick.

Quick facts for kids Bartonella
Scientific classification
Domain:	Bacteria
Phylum:	Proteobacteria
Class:	Alphaproteobacteria
Order:	Rhizobiales
Family:	Bartonellaceae Gieszczykiewicz 1939
Genus:	Bartonella Strong et al. 1915
Species
B. acomydis B. alsatica B. ancashensis B. apis B. australis B. bacilliformis B. birtlesii B. bovis (syn.B. weissii) B. callosciuri B. capreoli B. chomelii B. clarridgeiae B. coopersplainsensis B. doshiae B. elizabethae B. florencae B. fuyuanensis B. grahamii B. heixiaziensis B. henselae B. jaculi B. japonica B. koehlerae B. naantaliensis B. pachyuromydis B. peromysci B. phoceensis B. queenslandensis B. quintana B. rattaustraliani B. rattimassiliensis B. rochalimae B. schoenbuchensis B. senegalensis B. silvatica B. silvicola B. talpae B. tamiae B. taylorii B. tribocorum B. vinsonii spp. arupensis spp. berkhoffii spp. vinsonii spp. yucatanensis B. washoensis Candidatus B. antechini Candidatus B. bandicootii Candidatus B. breitschwerdtii Candidatus B. durdenii Candidatus B. eldjazairii Candidatus B. mayotimonensis Candidatus B. melophagi Candidatus B. merieuxii Candidatus B. monaxi Candidatus B. rudakovii Candidatus B. thailandensis Candidatus B. volans Candidatus B. woyliei
Synonyms
Bartonia Strong et al. 1913 Grahamella (ex Brumpt 1911) Ristic and Kreier 1984 Rochalimaea (Macchiavello 1947) Krieg 1961

How do they spread?

Bartonella species are known as pathogens. This means they can cause diseases. These bacteria often spread through small creatures called vectors.

Vectors are like tiny delivery systems for the bacteria. Some common vectors include ticks, fleas, sand flies, and mosquitoes. When these insects bite, they can pass the Bartonella bacteria to animals or humans.

Scientists know of at least eight different types of Bartonella that can infect humans.

Where did the name come from?

The name Bartonella comes from a person! It was named after Alberto Leonardo Barton (1870–1950). He was a medical microbiologist. This means he studied tiny living things like bacteria, especially those related to health and medicine.

See also

In Spanish: Bartonella para niños