Contact your doctor if you develop any symptoms of
cat scratch disease
or infection. CSD is caused by a bacterium called
bartonella henselae
About 40% of cats carry B.
What are symptoms of Bartonella?
The symptoms of Bartonella can vary from mild to severe, and usually begin 5 to 14 days after infection.
common symptoms
include fever, headaches, fatigue, poor appetite, brain fog, muscle pain, and swollen glands around the head, neck, and arms.
What percentage of cats have Bartonella?
Bartonella henselae bacteremia has been documented in 30-40% of domestic and adopted shelter cats. Kittens showing evidence of infection were more likely to have a high bacterial load compared to young adult cats.
What happens if cat scratch fever is not treated?
Symptoms typically involve fatigue, fever and swollen lymph nodes. But in a small number of cases,
cat-scratch disease
can cause the brain to swell or infect the heart. Infections like those can be fatal if they aren’t properly treated. “Most of the people who get seriously sick from cat-scratch are immunocompromised.
What happens if Bartonella goes untreated?
Untreated cases may take months to resolve, and some cases become chronic Symptoms may include a gradual onset of fever, weakness, headache, joint pain, and/or night sweats. Other symptoms may include lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, and/or hepatomegaly.
How long do Bartonella symptoms last?
The duration of illness caused by B. henselae is usually 2 to 4 months with spontaneous recovery.
What is the
best treatment
for Bartonella?
Bartonellosis is generally treated with macrolides, tetracyclines, aminoglycosides, or chloramphenicol Chloramphenicol is not usually used to treat either B henselae or B quintana infection, although it has been used to treat B bacilliformis infection. Chloramphenicol primarily has been used to treat Oroya fever.
Is Bartonella fatal?
Some of the diseases due to Bartonella species can resolve spontaneously without treatment, but in other cases, the disease is fatal without antibiotic treatment and/or surgery.
Can you have cat scratch fever for years?
The blister or bump may last between one and three weeks. The swollen lymph nodes usually take two to four months to disappear, but can last from six months to a year or more.
Do all cats carry Bartonella?
Yes, but it’s only a nickname for one variety of bartonella, a condition caused by a bacterium found in flea and tick feces. Up to 20 percent of cats with no risk factors still have the disease , according to the National Veterinary Laboratory.
Can indoor cats give cat scratch fever?
No, it’s not common. Cat-scratch disease sends more people to the hospital than health officials previously believed, the CDC reported this week. Cats do not usually appear sick when they are infected.
Should I treat my cat for Bartonella?
The test indicates the presence of antibodies, which the body uses to fight specific infections. A positive test result means that your cat has been exposed to Bartonella. If your cat is showing signs of disease and has a positive test result, your veterinarian may recommend antibiotics to treat the disease.
What is the mortality rate of cat-scratch disease?
The cases were more frequent from September to January. A total of 652 (83.5%) cases were urgent hospital admissions. The average hospital stay was 8.4 ± 8.9 days. The overall lethality rate of the cohort was 1.3%.
Can Cat Scratch Fever cause neurological problems?
Encephalitis is the most frequent neurologic manifestation of cat-scratch disease although myelitis and radiculitis may occur Recovery is usually if not always complete.
How Long Does Cat Scratch Fever last in humans?
Once your child has had cat scratch disease, he or she is unlikely to get it again. Treatment of cat scratch disease may include: Watching and waiting. In most cases skin signs will go away within three weeks , and lymph node swelling will go away within four months.
What body system does cat scratch fever affect?
For people with a weak or compromised immune system , cat scratch fever is a greater risk. In these cases, severe disease can develop into a blood infection and fever. The bacteria can infect the eye, nervous system or develop into nodular skin lesions.
How do you test for Bartonella?
Western blot tests appear to have greater specificity. The DNA of various Bartonella species can also be amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in blood, spinal fluid, and tissue; given the cross-reactivity of the Bartonellaantibody tests, PCR may be the most reliable and useful test for Bartonella infection.
How do you get Bartonella infection?
Bartonella bacteria are spread to humans by fleas, body lice, sand flies, or contact with flea-infested animals There is no evidence that ticks spread Bartonella infection to people. In the United States, the most common form of bartonellosis is caused by Bartonella henselae.
What does Bartonella look like?
Early signs of bartonellosis include fever, fatigue, headache, poor appetite, and an unusual streaked rash that resembles “stretch marks” from pregnancy Swollen glands are typical, especially around the head, neck and arms.
Is Bartonella an autoimmune disease?
1-16 Autoimmune Bartonella diseases are not common but can be severe clinical signs. Bartonella induce very high antibody titers in cats and some humans, as well as cellular immune stimulation resulting in granuloma formations and lymphocyte and neutrophil accumulations in various tissues.
Is Bartonella contagious?
Cat scratch disease (CSD), Bartonella henselae These bacteria can be transmitted from a cat to a person during a scratch Some evidence suggests that CSD may be spread directly to people by the bite of infected cat fleas, although this has not been proven. CSD occurs worldwide, wherever cats live.
Should I be worried my cat scratched me?
Call your family doctor if you notice any of the following problems: A cat scratch or bite that is not healing. A red area around a cat scratch or bite that continues to get bigger for more than 2 days after the injury. Fever that lasts for several days after a cat scratch or bite.
When should I be concerned about cat scratch?
If a cat scratch or bite becomes red or swollen and you develop flu-like symptoms, including headache, decreased appetite, fatigue, joint pain, or fever , contact your healthcare provider.
Can a cat scratch cause sepsis?
A good cleaning and perhaps antibiotic ointment often takes care of the wound, but sometimes, these bites and scratches can result in a bacterial infection. Occasionally, these infections can trigger sepsis.
What antibiotic is used for cat scratch fever?
In some cases, treatment with antibiotics such as azithromycin can be helpful. Other antibiotics may be used, including: Clarithromycin. Rifampin.
Do I need a tetanus shot for a cat scratch?
You may need a tetanus jab if the injury has broken your skin and your tetanus vaccinations aren’t up-to-date Tetanus is a serious but rare condition that can be fatal if untreated. The bacteria that can cause tetanus can enter your body through a wound or cut in your skin. They’re often found in soil and manure.
What is the life cycle of Bartonella?
Infection cycle Every five days, some of the Bartonella bacteria in the endothelial cells are released into the blood stream, where they infect erythrocytes. The bacteria then invade a phagosomal membrane inside the erythrocytes, where they multiply until they reach a critical population density.
What does a Bartonella HERX feel like?
These symptoms include chills, fever, headache, and/or intensification of skin rashes Despite being described more than a century ago, it is still difficult for researchers and physicians to explain the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to JHR and the variations in patient susceptibilities.
Does doxycycline cure Bartonella?
Agents that penetrate the CNS or eye are favored, including doxycycline or azithromycin possibly with rifampin, clarithromycin, or a newer fluoroquinolone antibiotic. A combination of two drugs is favored because this may speed healing and because no single agent has been found to cure all cases in which it was used.
Is Bartonella a parasite or bacteria?
Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are parasites that can be transmitted to humans via insect bites and animal scratches, resulting in an infection known as “bartonellosis.” Cat-scratch disease and trench fever are forms of bartonellosis caused by different Bartonella species infecting humans.
Does doxycycline work for Bartonella?
For the treatment of Bartonella endocarditis in dogs and cats, doxycycline in conjunction with amikacin is recommended [9].
How does Bartonella affect the brain?
Fatigue, insomnia, memory loss and/or disorientation, blurred vision and loss of coordination, headaches, and depression were the most commonly reported symptoms (Table 1). Seizures, severe paresis, and debilitating migraines were the predominant neurological abnormalities in patients 1, 5, and 6, respectively.
Can Bartonella affect the lungs?
B. henselae joins a long list of pathogens that can cause lung infections in association with cell-mediated immunodeficiency states. Molecular methods are useful in diagnosis of this infection in light of the bacterium’s fastidious growth characteristics.
Does Bartonella cause anxiety?
Depression, anxiety and OCD are very common symptoms associated with Bartonella and the autoimmune encephalitis it causes.
Can you get cat scratch fever twice?
The good news is that people rarely get Cat Scratch Disease more than once “Many people with Cat Scratch Disease will recover without any help from antibiotics, but for others, antibiotics shorten the length of the illness. Those with serious disease such as AIDS may require intensive treatment” said August.
Does cat scratch disease go away on its own?
Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) is an uncommon infection caused by the bacteria Bartonella henselae. Generally people who get CSD are either bitten or scratched by a cat before they get sick. Most healthy people do not develop any symptoms, but those with a mild infection usually get better without any treatment.
Where is cat scratch fever most common?
CSD occurs wherever cats and fleas are found The most common symptoms include: Fever. Enlarged, tender lymph nodes that develop 1–3 weeks after exposure.
Citations
https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/214100-overview
https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/cat-scratch.html
https://eyewiki.aao.org/Cat_Scratch_Disease
https://www.cdc.gov/bartonella/veterinarians/index.html