Cat scratch Disease
Transmission? Vector born as in the bacteria Bartonella henselae was first expelled by a flea which infected a cat which then can infect a human by scratches bites or even liking a wound. Cats are also often asymptomatic so it is difficult to know a cat is infected prior to your infection.
How does the disease progress? There is a large latency period of 3 to 10 days for loss of appetite, fatigue, swelling, redness of skin and pus from the natural immune response.
Close lymph nodes near the infected area can be swollen and infected in one to three weeks. Rarely it can also cause breast masses, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, Neuroretinitis (eye pain) or hepatosplenomegaly. Another study found it caused cysts in the lung and kidneys.
While generally the bacterial infection can be fought by the body's own natural defenses some risk factors for the more severe complications are age and immunocompromising conditions like HIV.
Diagnosis- Metagenomic next-generation sequencing can inform a practitioner of the exact bacteria but because the latency period is so long they often have to look for unilateral lymph node enlargement and take a detailed history. They can also test the lymph for the bacteria,
Doxycycline and azithromycin are effective medications for this bacterial infection if you are having trouble fighting the infection.
Knowledge of this disease is essential because an insignificant scratch can cause weeks of issues all of which are hard to diagnose if one interaction with a cat if forgotten about. Children and elderly are also at risk so it's important to know their safety at rick when new animals are brought into the home as well.
Cleveland Clinic. (NA). Cat Scratch Fever. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23537-cat-scratch-fever
Klotz, S., Ianas, V., & Elliott, S. (2011, January 15). STEPHEN A. KLOTZ, MD, VOICHITA IANAS,. Cat-scratch Disease. https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2011/0115/p152.html
Zhou, T., Zheng, Y., Zhang, H., & Liu, Y. (2024, January 14). A case report of diagnosis of cat-scratch disease using metagenomic next-generation sequencing. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1322651/full
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