Cat-scratch disease
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cat Scratch Disease | |
| Classification and external resources | |
| ICD-10 | A28.1 |
|---|---|
| ICD-9 | 078.3 |
| DiseasesDB | 2173 |
| eMedicine | emerg/84 |
| MeSH | D002372 |
Cat scratch disease (CSD) also known as Cat scratch fever, is a usually benign infectious disease caused by the intracellular bacterium Bartonella. It is most commonly found in children 1–2 weeks following a cat scratch or bite. It was first discovered in 1889 by Henri Parinaud. [1]
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[edit] Transmission
The cat was recognized as the natural reservoir of the disease in 1950 by Dr. Robert Debré.[2][3]
The causative organism was first thought to be Afipia felis, but this was disproved by immunological studies demonstrating that cat scratch fever patients developed antibodies to two other organisms, Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae, which are rod-shaped Gram negative bacteria.
Kittens are more likely to carry the bacteria in their blood, and are therefore more likely to transmit the disease than are adult cats. Ticks are also a major transmitter of this disease. CSD is often transmitted at the same time as Lyme Disease, but is overlooked when people are tested and diagnosed, since the symptoms (fatigue and headaches) are similar.
[edit] Other names
The condition has also been termed Cat-Scratch Adenitis, Cat-Scratch-Oculoglandular Syndrome, Debre's Syndrome, Debre-Mollaret Syndrome, Foshay-Mollaret Cat Scratch Fever, Foshay-Mollaret syndrome, Foshay-Mollaret Cat-Scratch Fever Syndrome, Lymphadenitis-Regional Non-bacterial, Lymphoreticulosis-Benign Inoculation, maladie des griffes du chat, Parinaud oculoglandular disease, and Petzetakis' disease.
[edit] Signs and symptoms
Cat scratch fever presents with tender regional lymphadenopathy, sterile suppurative papules at the site of inoculation, slight fever, headache, chills, backache, abdominal pain, malaise, alteration of mental status, and convulsions. It may take 7 to 14 days, or as long as two months, before symptoms appear. Most cases are benign and self-limiting, but lymphadenopathy may persist for several months after other symptoms disappear. The prognosis is generally favorable. In temperate climates, most cases occur in fall and winter. The disease usually resolves spontaneously, with or without treatment, in one month. In immunocompromised patients more severe complications sometimes occur.
The New York Times Magazine described a case, presenting as a meningitis, with fever, headache, and impaired vision (due to swelling of the optic nerves). [4]
[edit] Treatment
Azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and multiple other antibiotics have been used successfully.
[edit] References
- ^ Jerris RC, Regnery RL (1996). "Will the real agent of cat-scratch disease please stand up?". Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 50: 707–25. doi:. PMID 8905096.
- ^ Chomel BB (2000). "Cat-scratch disease". Rev. - Off. Int. Epizoot. 19 (1): 136–50. PMID 11189710.
- ^ Arlet G, Perol-Vauchez Y (1991). "The current status of cat-scratch disease: an update". Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 14 (3): 223–8. doi:. PMID 1959317.
- ^ Sanders, L."Vision Quest", "The New York Times", 4/10/2009.
[edit] External links
- Cat Scratch Disease on National Organization for Rare Disorders site
- Catscratch Disease on eMedicine
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