Cat-scratch disease is a bacillary infection that primarily affects children and adolescents. It is caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae and is transmitted via feline saliva. Felines contract the disease through fleas, and humans are infected when bitten or scratched by an infected cat, typically a very young cat. The disease is typically benign and self-limiting; that is, the symptoms are mild and tend to resolve within 2 to 4 months without treatment.
Disease from the scratch or bite of a cat, characterized by inflammation and pustule formation of the affected skin; lymph node swelling and sometimes fever and malaise can occur. The etiologic agent is thought to be a virus. Usually no treatment is necessary; the symptoms spontaneously abate. Also called cat scratch fever.
An uncommon disease caused primarily by the Bartonella bacteria, which are transmitted among cats by fleas. Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is usually hut not always associated with a history of a cat’s scratch or bite. The disease is generally mild and improves without treatment. It most frequently affects people younger than 17 years.
A febrile disease characterized by lymphadenitis and, in some cases, conjunctivitis, uveitis, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, or central nervous system infections, transmitted to people by cats, especially kittens. Fever, malaise, headache, and anorexia accompany the lymphadenopathy. The causative organism is Bartonella henselae (formerly Rochalimaea), which in cats usually produces asymptomatic infection. Diagnosis is based on clinical findings, a history of contact with cats, and positive results from a cat scratch antigen skin test. Antibiotics are not recommended in mild disease, but aminoglycosides, quinolones, or macrolides may be indicated for severe, disseminated disease.
An infectious disease caused by bacteria, which is transmitted through the common cat flea, results in a self-limiting and generally mild infection in individuals who are in good health.