What About Cat Scratch Disease?

 

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Cat Lovers Take Note

We love those sweet, little purring darlings? They are so cuddly and easy to snuggle up with on a cold rainy day. However, have you ever been scratched or bitten by a cat enough so that thesurface of the skin is broken? If so, you may want to learn about cat scratch disease.

Cat-scratch disease (CSD) is a bacterial infection spread by cats. The disease can be spread when a cat licks a person’s open wound, or scratches or bites a person hard enough to break the surface of the skin.

If you are infected about 3 to 14 days after the skin is broken, a mild infection can occur at the site of the scratch or bite. The infected area may feel warm or painful. It may also appear swollen and red with round, raised lesions and can have pus.Some symptoms you may develop include fever, headache, exhaustion, and poor appetite.  One major symptom to look for is if your lymph nodes closest to the original scratch or bite become tender, swollen, or painful.

Cats that carry the bacteria, Bartonella henselae, which causes cat scratch fever, may show NO signs of illness.  Approximately 40% of cats carry the bacteria at some point in their lives. As much as you might love cats, it’s important that you not let them lick at any scabs or wounds you may have because this is another way the germs causing the disease can be spread.

Most cases of cat scratch disease are self limited meaning they can resolves themselves on their own after a few weeks. However, if your lymph nodes remain persistently inflamed or if the illness is very severe, it’s important to contact your doctor who can prescribe antibiotics.

Please also know the disease can cause a more serious illness in people with a weakened immune system or who are under the age of five. The disease can cause severe inflammation of multiple organs including the eyes, heart, or other internal organs.

 

 

 

 

 

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