Cat Scratch Fever

If you're like a majority of individuals, you do not know cat scratches could cause an infectious disease known as Cat Scratch Fever. The reason most of us have never heard of this disease is that it is rare. The disease is also called benign lymphoreticulosis and Cat Scratch Disease.

Henni Painaud first discovered the disease in 1889. The disease is most often seen in children within a week or two of being scratched by a cat. A bug bite shaped formation tends to grow at the site of the scratch and may last for weeks or months. Other symptoms of Cat Scratch Fever include headaches, fever, chills, fatigue, backache, and stomach discomfort. In more severe cases, an individual may experience convulsions and an alteration in mental status.

Most cases of Cat Scratch Fever are benign. However, individuals who have compromised immune systems, such as individuals who possess AIDS, diabetes, or cancer, the disease's symptoms may be more severe. In extremely rare cases, the disease can be fatal.

Treatment of Cat Scratch Disease is usually unnecessary. However, if lymph nodes remain infected and painful for more than a couple of months, a doctor may prescribe an antibiotic. In more severe cases, when infected lymph nodes are very large, the individual may need to undergo surgery in order to have the lymph node drained.

Because other diseases such as Lymphoma and Tuberculosis can cause similar symptoms, obtaining a diagnosis of Cat Scratch Disease is difficult. There are no diagnostic tests for the disease; thus, doctors must rely on the patient's history with cats, the rule out process of other diseases, the presence or absence of typical clinical symptoms for the disease, and examination of swollen lymph nodes in making a diagnosis.

In the 1990s, it was discovered a bacterium known as Bartonella Henselae is responsible for producing the symptoms of Cat Scratch Fever. Individuals can be infected with the bacterium when they are bitten or scratched by a cat. While cats carry this bacterium that is infectious to humans, cats are not affected by the presence of the bacterium in their system.

There are some simple ways in which to prevent being infected with Cat Scratch Disease. Of course, the simplest and most obvious way to prevent the possibility of being infected with Bartonella Henselae is to avoid cats. But, if you are a cat lover, as I am, this solution is not feasible. Nor is it necessary. Washing your hands after handling your cat is a great way to decrease your chances of being infected with the disease. In addition, ensure your cats and/or kittens remain flea free. Doing so will decrease disease transmission even greater.

Declawing your kittens or cats is an extreme and unnecessary prevention measure. If you have children, however, you should encourage them to wash their hands frequently. Keep an eye on any cat scratches or bites your cat gives you or any member of your household and visit a doctor if the cat scratch does not heal properly.