BARTONELLA: THE OVERLOOKED “MASTER INFECTION” BEHIND LYME
Many people have Bartonella infection in their bodies. It is one of the most abundant infections in people. Vets will tell you that 80 percent of all house cats and nearly 100 percent of hunting cats carry Bartonella microbes. Yet Bartonella is frequently overshadowed by its more famous sister Lyme disease. Bartonella can exist alongside of and independently of Lyme and is often missed in testing and clinical diagnosis. To find out more about identifying this nasty infection and what you can do about it, please read on …
What is Bartonella?
Bartonella refers to a group of bacteria that hide inside the cells of the body. In the early 1900s, the scientist Alberto Barton was working in Peru during an outbreak of a severe illness later linked to what we now call Bartonella. He discovered the bacteria transmitted by sand flies inside red blood cells of infected patients. He was the first to identify this type of bacteria in human disease and the group of infections we recognise today as Bartonella was named in his honour. Common species include Bartonella henselae (cat scratch disease) and Bartonella quintana (trench fever). This bacterial infection is transmitted via ticks, fleas, lice, spiders, animal scratches (particularly cats) and bites. It infects the lining of blood vessels (endothelial cells), red blood cells and the nervous system.
Why Bartonella is So Problematic
Described by many clinicians as a “stealth” or “master” infection, Bartonella can suppress or dysregulate the immune system, drive chronic inflammation, interfere with microcirculation (blood vessel health), and form biofilms making it harder to eradicate. It often persists despite successful treatment for Lyme. Symptoms can be severe yet fluctuating, leading to misdiagnosis. It is one of the most common infections found in autistic children and those with infection-driven autoimmune brain inflammation.
Common Symptoms of Bartonella
As I was infected by Bartonella myself a few years ago, I am pretty familiar with what to look for in Bartonella symptoms. These can include any of the following:
*Pain - this can be one of the main symptoms that distinguishes Bartonella from other infections like Lyme. Generalised pain in the body including pain in the joints and connective tissue surrounding joints that migrates round the big bones of the body i.e. knees, hips, elbows. I often wonder how many hip and knee replacements are due to Bartonella.
*Symptoms in soles of the feet - tenderness/sensitivity in bottom of foot.
*Sharp, often ice-pick like headaches - Bartonella particularly likes the occipital areas of the head, the back of the head and neck.
*Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach) - If gastritis is present and H. pylori infection has been ruled out, think Bartonella. It can irritate the stomach so that people lose their appetite or get acid reflux.
*Low grade fluctuating sore throat - People will Bartonella may wake up with a sore throat and think they are coming down with a cold, but then the sore throat goes away.
*Bladder irritation/frequent urination - It can cause interstitial cystitis and other chronic inflammatory conditions of the urinary system. Interestingly, when I had Covid, I suffered from bladder irritation. This was unusual as I hadn’t had a urinary tract infection for decades. Standard urine tests were negative, antibiotics had no effect. It was only when I realised that Covid had reawakened Bartonella and used an antimicrobial Bartonella cocktail that urinary tract symptoms went away.
*Eye symptoms - can include “red eye” (blood shot eyes), conjunctivitis, inflammation of the outer layer of the eye, resulting in dry, irritated eyes.
*Skin problems - Red bands or stretch marks (called striae) are common and very noticeable. Often misdiagnosed as “growing pains.” Also acne and other skin problems.
*Compromised detoxification - Bartonella lives in the liver and spleen where it can inflame these organs. This compromises the body’s detoxification system in a major way, lymph glands become congested and lymph flow becomes thick and sluggish.
*Temperature dysregulation - Not everyone with Bartonella will be able to run a fever as you need a well functioning immune system to respond accordingly. However, Bartonella may provoke a feeling of sudden heat or sweating but with the body temperature remaining a low normal.
*Fluctuating moods - this can go from angry and irritable to feeling depressed. I wonder how many people diagnosed with “bi-polar” are in fact suffering from Bartonella infection in the brain.
Why It’s Often Missed
Standard Bartonella testing has low sensitivity. Antibody response may be weak or absent with chronic immune suppression. Symptoms overlap with other infections, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia and sadly, many mental health diagnoses. My favourite test for detecting Bartonella and the one I ran on myself, is the Bartonella Elispot test by Armin labs, a specialist infection lab in Germany. Elispots are my gold standard method for detecting difficult-to-find infections which are good at hiding from the immune system. Instead of antibodies, an Elispot test measures lymphocyte response (a type of white blood cell in the immune army) which fight like Ninjas in the presence of infection.
Why Bartonella Can Be Harder Than Lyme
Bartonella lives inside cells and is protected from detection by the immune system. As it affects blood vessels, it has a widespread effect over the whole body. It can rapidly adapt or persist and often requires longer and more targeted therapy than Lyme. It may become more active (flare) when treating Lyme. It can be reactivated by Covid and can be then much harder to bring back under control.
Approach to Bartonella
Because of the nature of the beast, you have to pull out all the stops to tame Bartonella. Some clinicians advocate judicious use of antibiotics, others like myself, prefer the use of targeted antimicrobials. People can get stuck in a constant round of antibiotics while failing to address the factors in their body and environment that help keep the infection going. I did not choose to use an antibiotic to target my own Bartonella infection. Instead, I used antimicrobials recommended from the research of Dr Klinghardt and medical literature of other experienced researchers. It is also key to realise that it’s not the presence of bugs which makes us sick, but the way our immune system reacts to this bugs that produces the symptoms. This tells us that the internal environment of our bodies (the terrain) is critical in recovery of health. If our bodies are poisoned by mercury fillings, titanium implants, toxic foods, chemicals, too much alcohol, pesticides on our gardens, not to mention radiation from wifi, we’ll have a tough time silencing a beast like Bartonella. If, on the other hand, we’re prepared to take responsibility for cleaning up our internal environment (removal of toxic dental materials and infections, removal of inflammatory and introduction of nourishing foods, clean-up of our homes) we stand a chance of fulfilling the treatment goals of no neurological symptoms, pain syndromes or skin manifestations.
If you are suffering from unexplained debilitating symptoms and would like to find out why, please get in touch with the Good Health Clinic on goodhealthclinic@outlook.com to request a free 30 minute Enquiry Call or book an appointment. Please note that an Enquiry call is not a consultation but an exploratory call to see if this is a clinical approach you wish to pursue.To your very good health,
Suzanne Jeffery (Nutritional Medicine Consultant)
M.A.(Oxon), BSc.(NMed), PGCE, GNC, BSEM, MNNA, CNHC
The Good Health Clinic at The Business Centre, 2, Cattedown Road, Plymouth PL4 0EG
Tel no: 07836 552936/ Answer phone: 01752 774755
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All advice given out by Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic is for general guidance and informational purposes only. All advice relating to other health professionals’ advice is for general guidance and information purposes only. Readers are encouraged to confirm the information provided with other sources. Patients and consumers should review the information carefully with their professional health care provider. The information is not intended to replace medical advice offered by other practitioners and physicians. Suzanne Jeffery and the Good Health Clinic will not be liable for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, exemplary or other damages arising therefrom.