"In 2011, the Global Disease Detection (GDD) Regional Center in Guatemala worked closely with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), Division of Vector Borne Diseases, and the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, in rural and urban regions of Guatemala, in order to collect specimens from bats to determine the prevalence of pathogens, including novel types of Bartonella, known to be associated with bats. Bartonella is recognized as a significant cause of acute and chronic disease globally."