CAT SCRATCH DISEASE

Bartonellosis, also known as Cat Scratch Disease or Cat Scratch Fever, is an infectious disease of humans.  Evidence is increasing that perhaps the cat becomes infected with the causative organism, but it does not appear to produce any disease in the cat.  Very little is known or understood about the role of the cat as a reservoir for this disease.

What are the risk factors?

A cat scratch is sometimes, but not always, associated with this disease.  In one study, 99% of patients with CSD had exposure to cats.  An increased risk of transmission is present when a kitten is involved, as opposed to adult cats.

Most cases are reported in the fall and winter, but the reason for its apparent seasonality remains unknown.

What are the clinical signs?

Antibodies are proteins which are produced by the immune system in response to some stimulus.  About 5% of the United States population is known to have antibodies to CSD.  Interestingly, about 20% of U.S. veterinarians will test positive for CSD antibodies.  Very few of those testing positive have actually had the disease.  The majority have had inapparent infections or have been exposed to the CSD organism without any disease occurring.

This is generally a mild disease in humans.  Many people experience fever, chills, and lethargy which last only a few days.  Unless the skin test is performed or the organism is cultured, it may be diagnosed as influenza.  However, the more severe forms of the disease will produce very high fevers, marked lethargy, anorexia, and swollen lymph nodes, usually in the axillae (armpit) or groin.  The lymph nodes may enlarge to the point of rupturing or they m÷j÷/Û#DÐ<9ûIøËÂžé¿>éž¹†å‰•u´Eº6“)9_áÎ+ÒÃÉJœ©¾§%)Ôž+‘+™¹s“–#­ý:Û1³oàíÝ+Ìj1�Öç¥Q*zÍjZŠ6Y€ÇÍÆkÛü¦=Ý¦¿xÓ,gNÑ^ñH<»(üÿ*¶×ÆŽmÂßÄËél|ð_Âò§–4ßû�cÁ3Ïq#ç=ò›y¯�5ˆÂÒFHd†[­CVÕt:(ÃÞöoC„2JŽóÆHÈµ´÷]ÂFbžª:ÙÊÕ™Õœmkž�¦ÌÚM³ßœyPÙ½èç’IÇãŠþ‚ÿà š$Ÿà˜ÿðNØÏLTmKÅ_¿áª|so&ùo/dà~ðº¤ûØáF	ÇŽJ¦Q¾ò±ä¨¯í*u"ìÑü±üDÜž!º±#ji²»~îÞö¯=TUfˆ•®,[~Ó—©ëGÝ››W|äîÈ=MwÞ™¢IÓåÎÂTÐW“»»7ÌzZÝ,¾¼Q67Û°ÚC�Ò¼÷Á¾fº&`G’ø×E8EÔR‘›Œ]&“Ôú2=Ab	å2©^£w_­tVºÜÄC‹¢Š’†‘Ck¦S‡´R�…E:PkÈý|Ñ¼amàŸø"wŽZÏíPx¿ãÿíÁgáÏíZE3éÚm¢Ÿ$rÕlg�˜¿|pŸðX/ßiŸ¿fŸ‚í©iº¶™ðsöGðŽ€ëmjBGqqmî·ñ€Í�oQ^†e^ÍÓKvš9°.4Ôe_âknçä®�ñ/ÅÞœ_øCÄÞ#ð¥ä#1Üxk]º±aôò]Gnõôÿ�ÿà§¶·ÃøÆŸañË]ñ&Œé²â…¦·nëýÖûJ#îõÁGˆ¤Ÿ$·ûÎ¹B›´š!ñÿüIøœl­¾/þÌ?|PðF!ŸYðî‡&�u1ÉÌ¬ !wóÐ`qÈ¯KøâOø%ßÄDOxã§Àmeð³ êkZz·ÄnUÎIÎxï]˜LM:‰ÒŸºº¾¬Š÷�, ¹™õo‚?g�ÙÑõ½SýŸà¦úõŒZ¤3ÍàogAº‘AbE.äÛÆ|°¹Í~²k£ö�ÖþxƒGø1ñLÔõÇÓ—†/-þ$iñ±Pò>ÙlÂ“žÝ*ñP£Z*ºº¶c‡juý¥uvºt?,5¸ÿà¨ßug¸ø±û0xkãv�å:?ü$þ±ñ¼g8"k6/ïŸ~E|Mãï‹ÿ³÷‹u°ŸcÉ~êYx¯ï~ÜÍ¥”ÝL7+Ôr0¤W_°�³Œbý£êÞÇeJðŠ“øo²,h¿a¯‰¶PÿÂûü2Ö$BßÙ_¼0‚&'>Ñw�öŽ+­Õÿà—ŸfðÖ§ã/„=ø#ñçÂúEƒê·��|oÇ’£ŸôiðûòÚ2IàsN®^“úšøV­íò9è×’š…U¾Çã×Š¼âÅñ‚ÙêZ=Ý¾ÝKìÎ¢áö·Ì2¼Aç±­�zÞæ×[ñBCiš[höåGe¸®½<<ª¸^/©ÝVJ�UÎþG€9-3Có1;Š×eáßêú¼‹-–™xŠÃwÙ-$”ãÜ(5æàð˜ŒN%Ò¡ßdsb±tèAÊZPøkÃP%�´–ík4Î°y�<;NG'xýÅŽÆÊëöùý�´é.g–ßMðG„c´–y€dÙBHAÁ=cðœ4Õ<Llpáª:®nž·Z3ó'ã½”³|`ø£vcr.<ªÜ+H¸|ß¸ç~•læ6‘eó7•pxõMSn+DzuÜ­7Ñ¤fæuÃÇ&°ÿåî&%]ü°î¼åG5u"å' ‚‚Ž‡9qp“£@‘0‘‡Üšátß2A!Œy–Ë#”lvœö4©§ÑºÕ:”œO¤|DÚ«þÇÞŽk�ºU÷Æ]bòÎÐð7ªFý�ÍŽ�«àOÀDñ¶Ñ°¼Z¼ÖNuW/c«,4#Ž&Ò3¸«Œã5èP]wä*ÃÃ‡†¼÷9qPŒàÖÇÙ¿'Ü!B+íƒ^ûWéQCâë+ˆÊ�µé‰)Ç©ÆS]8Ø¿e�¹ž[%;>‡ÈOŒ•#$¹¦¯@ÏÉÆÂtÎ’Š]‹6óy®(Ï+ ’þá­U•ÁÝS-�8|(úëöQÕ¾ë%]?ãW�üKá_ØÛ™¤‹Ã¶­uurùÈ†8ÉØ¡�V8ÇÐ_¶'Æø§ÀZ€~xR	|6Ðoð¶«^ÇÛ/KíÈTèƒ=Ía�¥ÏJ*‡]Ù¶PêuËýØì¼ÏÉ¶-¼’rTÕ„2s×³Á­èA((‘>z•%+ž¥á�J(ííœ�ÓÚ]«·¼:Èñ=Ÿ“¨É2ÆR;Ãö˜Ðž�ŽkÖª›¡t"Œ”n’9¤È%UyéžÕ«b…²Ê@el0­pYßÜÔš·›g¾|5øgã/ˆ—‰¥øKB¼Ô¯”Œ„@N2ÎpsÜšû?Gøgû:ü	µ[¿�>%‡â‡Ž`m>øñZ™p[í7À<dgåìàœŒsõÕ0ëU^oá�êqT„«¯cIÙug¿|/ø•ñW^ñ¯ˆ¼O§é_¾¯î´Ûk3K0HÀýäò¹‰l““Zÿië“áßxÇàn¥Ž¹6¢</¨x³PÐáYtì˜ZPLM£ç¯<™“t¨åz�|‡‚‹úÇ$U©­=OÊÝgÇž'×õÛÝWVÔõÍVþf’òûR½’ww=NXœ­#C›ìW7Ú—˜GÙ¤”¹ÆšóðQ”±0©9u5ÌÜ”]8Ò…<1wàÛÃþëâËÌ%¯Ž¾xOT·òã	±d©í+)9çæ¯ƒ?o½þŸÛSö±Ó>Ï„µý ¼K*³¨¬³,ªxözúTªQ„ã+»´p`hã)JµV­|¯¤âHäDrIo1�wh<ˆ d�t.|ñà¦¤æö*OÚK©³kL�ÔÆÃ!kYm"†×³‰I*Ž•·´Š2›÷”d>Wó­žcÃ¢î8õ¯ÓÙQº‹öýºô³tÛµoxÔe‰bÑçžp6•Ï>ØëÉJy]hrÔŒyà¯FüÔ¯õoØ§ö2Ô¥–ÚHaÓµ�ÄÛÅ¶ehî;JÄüã’=3Éø¢ÊöVˆÃ�Ž£�ãïRÁ(ºsP=7ÎðQqÑÝœ�Š/dµŠFQ±>e÷¯/œ‘A& Ò£c•‘“ZB6ƒL72�÷<ƒÅ§„Ü¢Ì§'ŒŒWÑß°‡í–¿<wã|@Ž=àoÇ­¼ñÃZ¤ÄXÛ¼äG¤;E<9�‚0Ç#Ûá:Ü™¼põ>éþG>kgJqÞýÇÛßÿeßZkÚ�ìyã;8uíWXðºüBý˜¼dì¯s¦È¥¢±¶•	IÕÇ;CX¤1e¯È+/Ùó__ëZ¯csg¨èz¬ºV¡gs#Ã<gŒ§�Àñƒ^ïe´c�…x[³ùØ<s©–ËÙúýçÖÞðŸàÛ(Å[…N®ºîgŸÌ�¶ñ³Ë†lñÇ¹Í|Î'•~JkcXáùp3ªž­¡´eÿü#þøeáEY,fÒ¼£-®Ÿ¼«@¾OŸ½q�§Í˜°÷¯«ÿeÿŒ÷Ÿ4hbÔSHÕ~%xB�L¾Ð®Q|M¡¨U(€ñöØÕFÑüxÆA>];ÅB­Iw7ÄJX<º5g™þÝ®þxûÁ^3Òã�<5ñCÃPx†Î˜YMœ²�Íi"·)"¯Qè>2ß[!!ÊuýÔQ0.+ø÷Æœº�>%…I+Þ'÷�8×ˆá™*R²¿âE¦üIÕl]Õe½@ß)ÙpÜ~®¦ŒwÖÖÞYºže$»g+ñùt]k%c÷*ugË>×ãý�ÇÛ­/Ò�ÚË28÷éÚ7í«¼ˆ/ÚwIo)�~µÏŠË¥:7¥ÝÊ«=#Møí¦2	u8ƒ¾Ó"A#+`g¦	"µ¿ák|3ñXõmCš6ãKˆãê@úq^U_íª£Tvõge>£r©K6¾ý˜<_:Új>ðü_i?=ÒÛ*°õätÉö$V7‰?bOÙÄGlM.“w).�o­mŒ“Ðààçë]ÔxŸ7ÀM9;ùœ8ŒŸ	^N•t¤�ñüïàíø¹—Aø�whê…£3Î³ ?ïwòïŠ?à˜Þ!™gµð§Ž¼?­J¨I-Þ6üø•®Qâ