cat scratch disease
(CSD) is a
bacterial infection
spread by cats. The disease spreads when an infected cat licks a person’s open wound, or bites or scratches a person hard enough to break the surface of the skin.
What is the
best antibiotic
for cat scratch fever?
- Rifampin – Efficacy of 87%
- Ciprofloxacin – Efficacy of 84%
- Gentamicin intramuscularly – Efficacy of 73%
- Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMZ) – Efficacy of 58%
What are the 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.
Do cat scratches need antibiotics?
If you are scratched or bitten by a cat or kitten, it is important to promptly wash the area with soap and water. Cat scratch disease can be treated by antibiotics.
Can a cat scratch cause a bacterial infection?
Cat-scratch fever is an infection caused by a kind of bacteria called Bartonella henselae (it’s also sometimes called Bartonella henselae infection). You can get it if a cat that has this type of bacteria licks an open wound on your skin or bites or scratches you.
Is Bartonella curable?
henselae), is an infectious disease with symptoms that can vary from mild to severe. Although in most patients the disease resolves spontaneously within 2-4 months without treatment , in people with severe cases and/or patients with a suppressed immune system, such as HIV/AIDS, antibiotic treatment is recommended.
How do you get Bartonella?
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.
Does cat scratch disease go away on its own?
Cat scratch disease is rarely serious and usually goes away on its own in 2 to 4 months without treatment.
Is amoxicillin good for cat scratch fever?
Conclusion: Amoxicillin can be used as a prophylactic antibiotic in dog and cat bite or scratch wounds , and there is no significant difference in infection rate from amoxicillin-clavulanate.
Is Bartonella serious?
Bartonella henselae causes an important emerging infection that was first reported in 1990. It is mainly carried by cats and causes cat-scratch disease, endocarditis, and several other serious diseases in humans.
How long does Bartonella last?
1 – 3 Weeks After Exposure Underarms, neck, and groin regions are most frequently affected. Skin may feel hot and become red, and the lymph nodes might feel sore and tender. This typically persists for approximately 2 – 4 months, but may persist for up to a year or even longer.
What antibiotics treat 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.
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 serious is cat-scratch fever?
Cat scratch fever usually isn’t serious and generally doesn’t require treatment. Antibiotics can treat people with serious cases of cat scratch fever or weakened immune systems. Azithromycin (Zithromax) is used to decrease lymph node volume quickly. It’s typically prescribed for five days.
Can indoor cats cause cat-scratch fever?
If your cat is strictly an indoor cat, her chances of developing bartonella or “cat scratch fever” (as it is often nicknamed) are low , but you should still be aware of the risks.
What bacteria is in cat bites?
-
pasteurella species
. - Actinomyces species.
- Propionibacterium species.
- Bacteroides species.
- Fusobacterium species.
- Clostridium species.
- Wolinella species.
- Peptostreptococcus species.
How long after a cat scratch does infection set in?
Symptoms of cat-scratch disease This could happen 3 to 10 days after the bite or scratch. The sore or blister may take a long time to heal. You may experience a low-grade fever (under 102°F), headache, fatigue, or poor appetite. An infection of the lymph nodes can also develop.
Should I be worried if my cat scratched me?
Risks associated with cat scratches These wounds can sometimes sting, bleed, and even become infected Both feral and domesticated cats may also transmit certain viruses and bacteria when they scratch human skin. Some of the possible health complications include: cat-scratch fever (also called cat-scratch disease).
How long does it take to recover from cat scratch fever?
Antibiotics may be used to speed recovery in cases of acute or severe illness but most people do not require treatment. Recovery occurs spontaneously within 2 to 4 months.
Is Bartonella and Lyme disease the same thing?
Conclusion. The symptoms of bartonellosis and Lyme borreliosis are similar because what the patient feels in everyday life is largely mediated by the host response. However, key differences between their causative pathogens make them each a disease of their own with their own unique challenges for testing and treatment.
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.
What kind of disease can you get from a cat scratch?
Cat scratch disease (CSD) is caused by a bacterium called Bartonella henselae, which may be carried in the saliva of infected cats and in the bodies of cat fleas.
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.
How do you treat cat-scratch fever in humans?
Most cases of cat-scratch disease are self-limited and do not require antibiotic therapy. If an antibiotic is chosen to treat cat-scratch disease, azithromycin (Zithromax) appears to be effective at reducing the duration of lymphadenopathy.
What antibiotic is given for cat scratch?
In some cases, treatment with antibiotics such as azithromycin can be helpful. Other antibiotics may be used, including: Clarithromycin. Rifampin.
Can you get toxoplasmosis from a cat scratch?
It is unlikely that you would be exposed to the parasite by touching an infected cat, because they usually do not carry the parasite on their fur. It is also unlikely that you would become infected through cat bites or scratches Indoor cats that do not hunt prey or consume raw meat are unlikely to be infected with T.
What is positive Bartonella?
A positive immunofluorescence assay (IFA) IgM (titer >1:20) suggests a current infection with either Bartonella henselae or Bartonella quintana A positive IgG (titer >1:128) suggests a current or previous infection. Increases in IgG titers in serial specimens suggest active infection.
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.
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.
How is Bartonella transmitted from cats to humans?
Cats can be infested with infected fleas that carry Bartonella bacteria. 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.
Can Bartonella cause blindness?
Two-thirds of cases of neuroretinitis are caused by bartonellosis Neuroretinitis is usually characterized by sudden, complete vision loss and swelling that creates a star pattern in the macula (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye that feeds information into the optic nerve).
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.
Can humans spread cat-scratch fever?
Cat scratch disease is not contagious from person to person The bacteria spread by the scratch or bite of an infected animal, most often a kitten. They also can spread if the animal’s saliva (spit) comes in contact with a person’s eye or through broken skin.
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%.
Will doxycycline treat cat scratch fever?
Cat-scratch disease is usually a self-limited illness that does not necessarily require antibiotic therapy. Severe or persistent cases respond well to several antibiotics, including erythromycin and doxycycline.
What is the best antibiotic for cat bites?
Amoxicillin with clavulanate is the current recommendation for antibiotic treatment for cat bites. In penicillin-allergic patients or those with penicillin-resistant strains, other alternatives are necessary.
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.
Is there a vaccine for Bartonella?
henselae vaccine is regarded as the best way to preventing its infection in human.
Sources
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/diseases-conditions/cat-scratch-disease
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/cat-scratch-disease