Cat-scratch disease
| Cat-scratch disease | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | Infectious diseases  |
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. It was first described in 1889 by Henri Parinaud. [1]
Transmission
The cat was recognized as the vector 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. It is often transmitted at the same time a human may get Lyme Disease. It is often missed when people are tested and diagnosed for Lyme Disease as the symptoms can be similar, such as fatigue, and headaches.
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.
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.
Treatment
Azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, and multiple other antibiotics have been used successfully.
In popular culture
The American rock guitarist Ted Nugent wrote a song called Cat Scratch Fever.
Episode 33 of Batman the Animated Series is entitled Cat Scratch Fever; however, it should be noted the disease Selina Kyle has is not true CSF.
References
- ^ Jerris RC, Regnery RL (1996). "Will the real agent of cat-scratch disease please stand up?". Annu. Rev. Microbiol. 50: 707–25. doi:10.1146/annurev.micro.50.1.707. 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. PMID 1959317.
External links
- Cat Scratch Disease on National Organization for Rare Disorders site
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