Cat Scratch Disease (Print Version)

Also called: Also called: Cat scratch fever, CSD

Cat scratch disease (CSD) is an illness caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. Almost half of all cats carry the infection at some point. The infection does not make cats sick. However, the scratch or bite of an infected cat can cause symptoms in people, including

Swollen lymph nodes, especially around the head, neck and upper limbs
Fever
Headache
Fatigue
Poor appetite

For people with weak immune systems, CSD may cause more serious problems. The best way to avoid CSD is to avoid rough play with cats that could lead to scratches or bites. If you do get a scratch or bite, wash it well with soap and water. If the bite or scratch gets infected or if you have symptoms of CSD, call your doctor.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

Cat-Scratch Disease(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/firstaid/bites/024.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/healthy/firstaid/bites/024.printerview.html

Overviews

Cat Scratch Disease (Bartonella henselae Infection)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/diseases/catscratch.htm

Related Issues

Diseases from Cats(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/animals/cats.htm

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Cat-scratch disease of the head and neck in a pediatric... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18722212&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Ocular bartonella infections. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18645403&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura as a complication of Bartonella henselae infection. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18622151&tool=MedlinePlus
Cat Scratch Disease -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=cat-scratch+disease[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Medical Encyclopedia

Cat Scratch Disease - http://vsearch.nlm.nih.gov/vivisimo/cgi-bin/query-meta?v:project=medlineplus&binning-state=group%3d%3dMedical%20Encyclopedia&query=Cat+Scratch+Disease

Organizations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - http://www.cdc.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.cdc.gov/spanish/
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/

Children

Cat Scratch Disease(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/cat_scratch.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Animal Bites - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/animalbites.html
Animal Diseases and Your Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/animaldiseasesandyourhealth.html
Lymphatic Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/lymphaticdiseases.html
Pet Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pethealth.html
Infections - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/infections.html