Bartonella schoenbuchii sp nov., isolated from the blood of wild roe deer

The genus Bartonella comprises two human-specific pathogens and a growing n umber of zoonotic or animal-specific species. Domesticated as well as wild mammals can serve as reservoir hosts for the zoonotic agents and transmissi on to humans may occur by blood sucking arthropods or by direct blood to bl ood contact. Humans may come into intimate contact with free-ranging mammal s during hunting, especially during evisceration with bare hands, when acci dental blood to blood contact frequently occurs. The objective of this work was to determine the presence and the polymorphism of Bartonella strains i n wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) as the most widely spread game in Wes tern Europe. We report the isolation of four Bartonella strains from the bl ood of five roe deer. These strains carry polar flagella similar to Bartone lla bacilliformis and Bartonella clarridgeiae, Based on their phenotypic an d genotypic characteristics, three of the four roe deer isolates were diffe rent and they were all distinct from previously described Bartonella specie s. They can be distinguished from each other and from other Bartonella spec ies by their protein profile, ERIC-PCR pattern, 16S rRNA and citrate syntha se (gltA) gene sequences, as well as by whole DNA-DNA hybridization. In spi te of their considerable heterogeneity, all four strains fulfil the criteri a for belonging to a single new species. The name Bartonella schoenbuchii i s proposed for this new species. The type strain R1(T) of Bartonella schoen buchii has been deposited in the National Collection of Type Cultures as NC TC 13165(T) and the Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen as DSM 13525(T).