An HIV patient diagnosed with bacillary angiomatosis is considered to have progressed to full-blown AIDS

It occurs almost exclusively in patients with AIDS

A life-threatening but curable infection that causes an eruption of purple lesions on or under the skin that resemble Kaposi's sarcoma

Studies suggest that antibiotics may prevent the disease. Patients also should be sure to treat cats for fleas

The Bartonella genus includes at least 11 bacteria species, four of which cause human diseases, including cat-scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis. However, bartonellosis refers exclusively to the disease caused by B. bacilliformis.