Cat-scratch disease, or benign inoculation lymphoreticulosis, is an infectious disease caused by bacteria present on the claws of cats. It is transmitted during a bite or a cat scratch.
Cat scratch disease is a zoonosis, i.e. a disease transmitted to humans by animals, in this case by bite or scratch from a cat. To confirm the diagnosis, a blood test with serology study can be performed. The first ones symptoms are cutaneous (papule or pustule). What are the treatments to cure cat scratch disease?
Definition: what is cat scratch disease?
“Cat-scratch disease, or benign inoculation lymphoreticulosis, is a disease transmitted by animals, especially by cat scratches or bites“, defines Barbara Dufour, teacher-researcher in contagious diseases and epidemiology at the National Veterinary School of Alfort. It’s a infectious zoonosis, a zoonosis being a disease whose causative agents are transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa. This disease is quite common, especially in children, but usually benign. “It can lead to more severe disease in people with severe immunity problems, vascular angiomatosiswhich mainly affects the circulatory system” inform the veterinarian.
What causes cat scratch disease?
Cat scratch disease is caused by bacteria called Bartonella Henselae, present on the claws of the cat, and penetrating into the body on the occasion of a small cutaneous wound, often a scratch of a cat, more rarely a bite of a cat, hence its name. It translates into a inflammation of the nodes above the drained area : it is often about adenopathies of the armpit or the neck, secondary to an injury of the hand or the arm at the children petting a cat. “It is a vector-borne disease in cats: it is transmitted from cat to cat by fleas infected with the bacteria. Humans become infected by being scratched or bitten by a cat. The cat’s coat is indeed soiled by flea excrement containing living bacteria, the cat scratches and licks itself and therefore transfers the bacteria mechanically to its claws and teeth” describes Barbara Dufour. “Young cats transmit this bacteria the most to humans.” she clarifies.
What are the symptoms of cat scratch disease?
3 to 10 days after the injury, a red, painless papule or pustule at the site of inoculation, then a few days later there is an inflammation of the lymph nodes above the drained area: this is often adenopathy in the armpit or neck, secondary to an injury to the hand or arm in children playing with it. a cat . These symptoms usually resolve spontaneously within a few days. More rarely :
- fatigue and loss of appetite;
- moderate fever;
- headaches ;
- sometimes abdominal pain;
- rarely, conjunctivitis.
The diagnosis of cat scratch disease is made in the presence of these clinical signs, and the search for contact in the previous month with a cat, sometimes the memory of a scratch or a bite. The presence of a cat in the environment reinforces clinical suspicion. If in doubt, a blood test with serology study can confirm the diagnosis.
A cat infected with the bacteria does not pose a risk to humans if it does not have fleas
Most of the time, the signs regress on their own in a few days and in this case antibiotic treatment is not useful. In some cases, a antibiotic treatment is necessary, especially in people whose body’s defenses are reduced or in case of neurological or cardiac impairment. The lymph nodes may remain inflamed for two or three months. “In the prevention of cat scratch disease, it is advisable to rid cats of fleas. Even a cat infected with the bacterium Bartonella Henselae does not present a risk to humans if it does not have fleas. informs Barbara Dufour.
Thanks to Barbara Dufour, teacher-researcher in contagious diseases and epidemiology at the National Veterinary School of Alfort.