Well you might just want to take a step
back……
Cat Scratch
Fever/Disease
By:
Bridget Huelsman
About Disease
• Cat scratch disease is a
disease caused by
bartonella bacteria. It is
believed to be
cat
scratches and
bites, or
exposure to cat
saliva.
transmitted by
Symptoms
•
Bump (papule) or blister (pustule) at
site of injury (usually the first sign
occurs 3-10 days after infected)
• Fatigue
• Fever (in some patients)
• Headache
• Lymph node swelling near the scratch
or bite (occurs 1 to 4 weeks after
infected)
• Overall discomfort (malaise)
Less common symptoms:
• Draining lymph nodes'
• Enlarged spleen
• Loss of appetite
• Sore throat
• Weight loss
Cure
• Usually the disease
does not need
medical treatment,
but in severe cases
treatment with
antibiotics such as
azithromycin can
be helpful.
Worst Case Scenario
• It is usually worse with those who
have weaker immune systems and
those with AIDS. Also with
younger children symptoms can be
worse. Causing bigger bumps,
lymph nodes to swell bigger, wider
spread of lesions, and sometimes
bumps can appear on eyes
(Parinaud oculoglandular
syndrome). Plus an inflammation
of the brain can occur causing
seizures. In any of these cases it is
recommended to take antibiotics.
Layers it affects
• Wherever a lesion is made
for the Bartonella Bacteria
to enter is where a
inoculation lesion occurs
(blister or bump that
grows outwards from the
dermis). Also affects the
lymph nodes and makes
them swell near where the
wound is (Stratified
Columnar).
Worried? Here is when to call the
Doctor
• The bite or scratch was from a cat and the
wound does not seem to be healing
• An area of redness around the wound keeps
expanding for several days
• The child develops a fever that lasts for a few
days after receiving the scratch or bite
Extra Facts:
• Kittens are more likely to carry Bartonella henselae than adult's
cats, and 40% of kittens are likely to carry Bartonella henselae.
• Cats are carriers and have no signs of these bacteria, therefore
there is no way to tell which kitties are carriers or not. Evidence
has shown that fleas also carry these bacteria, yet no evidence
has been discovered that being bitten from an infected flea can
also give to CSF.
• In rare cases (1%-5%), cat-scratch disease can cause
complications such as an irreversible inflammation of the eye or
seizures (convulsions). Diseases mostly appears in children and
young adults.
Works Cited
http://pawclawfin.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/cat-self-defense.jpg
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002581/
http://www.toilettrainacat.com/Images/Cat_Scratch.jpg
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/cat_scratch.html
http://www.askthecatdoctor.com/catscratchfever.html
http://www.csuchico.edu/shs/services/safe-antibiotic-use.shtml
http://cat-chitchat.pictures-of-cats.org/2008_09_11_archive.html
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/214100-overview
http://cute-cat-pictures.blogspot.com/
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/304564/ten_facts_about_cat_scratch_fever_pg2.html?cat=53
http://www.dhpe.org/infect/catscratch.html
http://www.andersonhuntingenterprises.com/contact.htm