Bartonella: A stealth pathogen that's waiting to strike

Could your veterinary job destroy your life?
A young mother, athlete, and veterinary practice manager suffered through extreme fatigue and muscle pain for three years before she discovered her life would never be the same. Could the same thing happen to you simply because of where you work?
Nov 26, 2010
By: Steve Bennaka, Associate Editor
FIRSTLINE


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Tracy Vargas is not the mom she used to be. She simply doesn’t have the energy. Her joints hurt, she gets frequent headaches, and she finds herself short of breath with the slightest physical activity. Often, it’s difficult just to get out of bed.

For Vargas, practice manager at Town and Country Animal Clinic in Olney, Md., life hasn’t been the same since she contracted bartonellosis more than three years ago. Her three sons, ages 11, 7, and 5, do their best to put on a brave face and be understanding on the days when Vargas just can’t do the things she’d like to do.

“It’s heartbreaking as a mom,” Vargas says. “I hate the days that I’m short on patience due to the constant pain and fear that looms over me every day. I sometimes watch them sleep and I cry, praying that the air comes to my lungs and the chest tightness goes away. And then there are those dreaded days when I have to say, ‘Sorry, boys, find something quiet to do because Mommy’s having a rough day.’ That makes me feel like a failure.”

Until May, Vargas didn’t even know what was wrong with her body—and neither did anyone else. After countless visits to her physician, she was diagnosed with everything from fibromyalgia to a pulmonary embolism. It wasn’t until talking to Town and Country’s practice owner, Dr. Wendy Walker, that she began to wonder if she could find answers through veterinary testing.

Dr. Walker had experienced similar symptoms, so the pair sent blood samples to Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, DACVIM, who’s researching the Bartonella species through his role as professor of medicine and infectious diseases at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine in Raleigh, N.C. Sure enough, Dr. Breitschwerdt identified the infection in both women’s blood. They finally had an answer—though one nobody likes to hear: They had contracted bartonellosis, a debilitating zoonotic disease that stems from the Bartonella bacteria found in many pets’ blood and most commonly transmitted to people when cat bites or scratches are contaminated with flea excrement.

“This has destroyed my life on every level,” Vargas says.
http://veterinaryteam.dvm360.com/firstline/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/699069

There is more to this article. I had a friend once and she contcated something odd from her dogs, I forgot what it was called and she was in & out of the emergency room for month's and no-one knew what she had. From now on, I'm keeping track of these Zoonotic diseases, so my doctor is aware P.S. my friend contracted: Campylobacter...I'll do another post on this. Took the doctors months to find out what was wrong with her she was so sick