Cat Scratch Disease

What is Cat Scratch Disease?

Cat scratch disease is a bacterial disease caused by Bartonella henselae.  Fleas transmit the infection to cats.  Approximately 40% of cats carry Bartonella henselae with kittens being the most common.  Cats infected with B. henselae do not show any signs of illness.  It is transmitted to humans from cat bites and scratches. About 90% of cases involve children and adolescents.   

Clinical signs in people

It is usually a mild disease in healthy people with an infection at the point of injury, swelling of lymph nodes around the head and neck and occasionally a low grade fever.  The signs generally resolve on their own without treatment.  However in rare cases people with compromised immune systems can develop more serious symptoms such as neurological signs.  

Please call you family doctor if you notice 

• A cat scratch or bite that is not healing
• An area of redness around a cat scratch/bite that continues to get bigger
• Fever that lasts for several days after a cat scratch/bite
• Painful and swollen lymph nodes
• Bone or joint pain

Is my cat infected?

There are tests available to detect Bartonella heselae.

Prevention

• Don’t give up your cat!  This is a relatively rare condition and there are common sense methods to prevent the disease
• Cat owners should 
• Avoid rough play with cats - most cat scratches/bites come from cats that are provoked
• Do not allow cat to lick any open wounds
• Wash hands after association with cat
• Flea control is very important since transmission among cats occurs by flea bites