Bartonella is a widespread but often overlooked bacterial infection that invades red blood cells and spreads through 60,000 miles of blood vessels and lymphatics in the body. Unlike Lyme disease, it’s transmitted by a surprising range of vectors—ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, mites, bed bugs, and even biting ants—making exposure common. Yet diagnosis is challenging, with only 3% of cases showing the telltale swollen lymph nodes doctors look for. Its ability to form protective biofilms makes treatment with antibiotics alone ineffective. Dr. James Schaller, driven by his own family’s experience, advocates for a multi-layered therapy of antibiotics, herbs, and essential oils. He’s compiling his decades of research into a comprehensive 1,100-page textbook to raise awareness about this stealthy pathogen, which may underlie many unexplained chronic health issues.