Contributions to Microbiology / Bartonella and Afipia Species Emphasizing Bartonella henselae

Bartonella henselae is a bacterial pathogen that has been observed in sections of clinical specimen from patients with cat scratch disease. The first cultivation of this organism was successful in the early 1990s, and its biology and medical implications are still under extensive investigation. This book gives an overview of the clinically relevant aspects of the bacterial genera Bartonella and Afipia, with special focus on the species Bartonella henselae. Written by international experts in the field, chapters extensively discuss human diseases caused by B. henselae, covering diagnostics, pathology and therapy as well as the latest research findings and modern molecular biological techniques. Consideration is also given to epidemiological aspects in human and animal infections, with special emphasis on the application of new molecular methods for the characterization of isolates. In summary, this is a unique and very comprehensive description of what is currently known about this emerging pathogen. The book is highly recommended for clinical microbiologists and specialists in infectious diseases, physicians in general and internal medicine, epidemiologists and molecular biologists, and will also be of interest to pathologists, dermatologists, veterinarians and AIDS researchers.