1. Got a cat???

2. Well you might just want to take a step back……

3. Cat Scratch Fever/Disease
By:
Bridget Huelsman

4. About Disease
Cat scratch disease is a disease caused by bartonella bacteria. It is believed to be transmitted by cat scratches and bites, or exposure to cat saliva.

5. Symptoms
Bump (papule) or blister (pustule) at site of injury (usually the first sign occurs 3-10 days after infected)
Fatigue
Fever (in some patients)
Headache
Lymph node swelling near the scratch or bite (occurs 1 to 4 weeks after infected)
Overall discomfort (malaise)
Less common symptoms:
Draining lymph nodes'
Enlarged spleen
Loss of appetite
Sore throat
Weight loss

6. Cure
Usually the disease does not need medical treatment, but in severe cases treatment with antibiotics such as azithromycin can be helpful.

7. Worst Case Scenario
It is usually worse with those who have weaker immune systems and those with AIDS. Also with younger children symptoms can be worse. Causing bigger bumps, lymph nodes to swell bigger, wider spread of lesions, and sometimes bumps can appear on eyes (Parinaud oculoglandular syndrome). Plus an inflammation of the brain can occur causing seizures. In any of these cases it is recommended to take antibiotics.

8. Layers it affects
Wherever a lesion is made for the Bartonella Bacteria to enter is where a inoculation lesion occurs (blister or bump that grows outwards from the dermis). Also affects the lymph nodes and makes them swell near where the wound is (Stratified Columnar).

9. Worried? Here is when to call the Doctor
The bite or scratch was from a cat and the wound does not seem to be healing
An area of redness around the wound keeps expanding for several days
The child develops a fever that lasts for a few days after receiving the scratch or bite

10. Extra Facts:
Kittens are more likely to carry Bartonella henselae than adult's cats, and 40% of kittens are likely to carry Bartonella henselae.
Cats are carriers and have no signs of these bacteria, therefore there is no way to tell which kitties are carriers or not. Evidence has shown that fleas also carry these bacteria, yet no evidence has been discovered that being bitten from an infected flea can also give to CSF.
In rare cases (1%-5%), cat-scratch disease can cause complications such as an irreversible inflammation of the eye or seizures (convulsions). Diseases mostly appears in children and young adults.

11. Works Cited