Cat Scratch Disease

1
Cat Scratch Disease

• By Ariel Bledsoe
• March 30, 2006
• Health

2
Population Most Affected By the Disease

• Most of the people who are infected with this
  disease are children and adolescents under the
  age of 21.

3
Is it a genetic disorder or not?

• Cat scratch disease
• is not a genetic disorder.

4
Cause

• Cat scratch disease is caused by a bacterium
  named Bartonella henselae.

5
Method of Transmission

• Fleas transfer the bacteria to cats. The
  bacteria lives in the cats saliva.
• Cats can then transfer the disease through a bite
  or scratch.
• You can also get the disease if you pet a cats
  fur where the saliva of the cat leaves the
  bacteria.

6
Prevention

• Teach children to respect animals and not to
  provoke them.
• Do not pick up strange cats.
• Thorough cleaning of cat scratches and bites may
  be helpful.
• You should wash your hands after playing with a
  cat.
• Keeping the house and your pet free of fleas will
  reduce the risk that your cat could become
  infected with the bacteria.

7
Incubation Period

• It takes 3 to 10 days for a blister or small bump
  to appear.
• Lymph nodes start to swell 1 to 4 weeks later.

8
Duration

• The inoculation lesion where the bacteria entered
  the body usually takes 1 to 3 weeks to heal.
• The swollen lymph nodes typically disappear
  within 2 to 5 months, although they occasionally
  last much longer.

9
Potential as Bioweapon

• This disease does not have much potential as a
  bioweapon as it is relatively harmless.

10
Signs and Symptoms

• First a blister or sore, with or without pus or
  fluid, often shows up on the skin at the place
  where the bacteria entered the body.
• These blisters are often mistaken for insect
  bites. They are called inoculation lesions.
  They are most commonly found on the arms and
  hands, head, or scalp.
• Within two weeks, the lymph glands nearby usually
  become swollen and tender.
• Adults often have other symptoms such as fever,
  tiredness, headache, and loss of appetite.
• About 5 of persons with CSD develop irreversible
  retinitis encephalitis.

11
Diagnosis

• Cat scratch disease is diagnosed based on
  symptoms and a history of a scratch by a cat.
• A blood test can confirm the diagnosis.

12
Treatment

• Most people recover on their own within 3 weeks.
• Bed rest is not necessary, but it may help if the
  person tires easily.
• Children can still play, but quiet play should be
  encouraged, taking care to avoid injuring swollen
  lymph nodes.
• Tenderness and swelling can be relieved by
  putting warm soaks or a heating pad on the sore
  area.
• Persons with severe pain or symptoms are
  sometimes treated with antibiotics.
• A doctor may need to open and drain painful, red
  lymph glands that contain pus.

13
Prognosis

• All of the complications of cat scratch disease
  usually resolve without any lasting illness.
• Having one episode of CSD usually makes people
  immune for the rest of their lives.

14
What About Your Cat?

• Bartonella henselae does not make a cat sick, and
  kittens or cats may carry the bacteria for months
• Experts believe that almost half of all cats have
  a Bartonella henselae infection at some time in
  their lives, and cats less that one year old are
  more likely to be affected
• If your cat is infected, do not put it to sleep.
  Call your veterinarian about the problem.

15
Sources

• http//kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacteria/_
  viral/cat_scratch.html/
• http//familydoctor.org/024.xm/
• http//www.dhpc.org/infect/Catscratch.html