Cat scratch fever or bacillary angiomatosis is a bacterial disease transmitted via a cat scratch or bite. A previously unidentified, pathogenic species of Bartonella (formerly Rochalimaea), B. henselae, has been identified as the primary causative agent. A related species, B. quintana, may also produce illness in immunocompromised individuals. This invention provides a method of diagnosing B. quintana infection in a subject by detecting the presence of a nucleic acid specific to a purified heat shock protein of B. quintana.   

Inventors: Burt Anderson and Russell L Regnery

CDC Reference Number: E-048-92/3

USPTO Serial Number: 

Patent Number: 5,693,776