Cat scratch disease is a bacterial infection that a person can get after being scratched, licked, or
bitten
by a cat or kitten.
In the United States, most cases happen in the fall and winter and usually affect
kids, probably because they're more likely to play with cats and be bitten or scratched.
Bartonella henselae, the bacteria
that cause this disease, live in infected cats' saliva but don't make the animals
sick. In fact, kittens or cats may carry the bacteria for months. Fleas spread
the bacteria between cats.
Signs & Symptoms
The first sign of this infection is a blister or a small bump
that develops several days after the scratch or bite and may resemble a bug
bite. This blister or bump is called an inoculation lesion (a wound at the site
where the bacteria enter the body). Lesions are most commonly found on the arms and
hands, head, or scalp and usually are not painful.
Within a couple of weeks of a scratch or bite, one or more lymph nodes close to
the area of the inoculation lesion will swell and become tender. (Lymph nodes are
round or oval-shaped organs of the immune system that are often called glands.) For
example, if the inoculation lesion is on the arm, the lymph nodes in the elbow or
armpit will swell.
These swollen lymph nodes appear most often in the underarm or
neck areas, although if the inoculation lesion is on the leg, the nodes in the groin
will be affected. They range in size from about ½ inch to 2 inches in diameter and
may be surrounded by a larger area of swelling under the skin. The skin over these
swollen lymph nodes can become warm and red.
In most kids, swollen lymph nodes are the main symptom of the disease, and the
illness often is mild. If kids have other general symptoms, they might include fever (usually less than
101°F or 38.3°C ), fatigue, loss of appetite, headache,
rash, sore
throat, and an overall ill feeling.
The swollen lymph nodes usually disappear within 2 to 4 months, although sometimes
can last much longer. In rare cases, a person might develop other symptoms,
including infections of the liver, spleen, bones,
joints, or lungs, or
a lingering high fever without other symptoms.