Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachussetts, USA.
Emerg Infect Dis. 2010 Mar;16(3):379-84. doi: 10.3201/eid1603.090443.
Bartonella spp. infect humans and many animal species. Mainly because PCR studies have demonstrated Bartonella DNA in ticks, some healthcare providers believe that these microorganisms are transmitted by ticks. B. henselae, in particular, is regarded as being present in and transmissible by the Ixodes scapularis tick. The presence of a microbial agent within a tick, however, does not imply that the tick might transmit it during the course of blood feeding and does not confer epidemiologic importance. After a critical review of the evidence for and against tick transmission, we conclude that transmission of any Bartonella spp. by ticks, to animals or humans, has not been established. We are unaware of any well-documented case of B. henselae transmission by I. scapularis ticks.
巴尔通体属细菌可感染人类和许多动物物种。主要因为 PCR 研究已经在蜱虫中检测到巴尔通体 DNA，一些医疗保健提供者认为这些微生物是通过蜱虫传播的。特别是，B. henselae 被认为存在于并可通过肩突硬蜱传播。然而，蜱虫内存在微生物并不意味着蜱虫在吸血过程中可能传播它，也不具有流行病学重要性。在对蜱虫传播的证据进行了批判性审查之后，我们得出结论，任何巴尔通体属细菌通过蜱虫向动物或人类的传播都尚未得到证实。我们不知道任何有文件证明的 I. scapularis 硬蜱传播 B. henselae 的病例。
