Bartonella quintana Endocarditis in Dogs

Bacterial endocarditis is an uncommon, often fatal, disease of dogs (1). Although a variety of bacteria can be isolated with routine blood cultures, Bartonella spp., gram-negative bacteria with fastidious growth requirements, are the most common etiologic agents (1). While B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii (2), B. clarridgeiae (3), and B. washoensis (4) cause endocarditis in dogs, B. henselae and B. quintana are the most common species that cause endocarditis in humans (5). We provide the first evidence that B. quintana can also infect dogs and cause endocarditis.