Cat Scratch Disease ... 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, ...[SkiptoContent]SharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterSharetoPinterestShareviaEmailKidsHealth/forParents/CatScratchDiseaseCatScratchDiseaseReviewedby:RalucaPapadopol,MDLargertextsizeLargetextsizeRegulartextsizePrintCatscratchdiseaseis abacterialinfectionthatapersoncangetafterbeing scratched,licked,orbittenbyacatorkitten.IntheUnitedStates,mostcaseshappeninthefallandwinterandusuallyaffectkids,probablybecausethey'remorelikelytoplaywithcatsandbebittenorscratched.Bartonellahenselae,thebacteriathatcausethisdisease,liveininfectedcats'salivabutdon'tmaketheanimalssick. Infact,kittensorcatsmaycarrythebacteriaformonths.Fleasspreadthebacteriabetweencats.Signs&SymptomsThefirstsignofthisinfectionisablisterorasmallbumpthatdevelopsseveraldaysafterthescratchorbiteandmayresembleabugbite.Thisblisterorbumpiscalledaninoculationlesion(awoundatthesitewherethebacteriaenterthebody).Lesionsaremostcommonlyfoundonthearmsandhands,head,orscalpandusuallyarenotpainful.Withinacoupleofweeksofascratchorbite,oneormorelymphnodesclosetotheareaoftheinoculationlesionwillswellandbecometender.(Lymphnodesareroundoroval-shapedorgansoftheimmunesystemthatareoftencalledglands.)Forexample,iftheinoculationlesionisonthearm,thelymphnodesintheelboworarmpitwillswell.Theseswollenlymphnodesappearmostoftenintheunderarmorneckareas,althoughiftheinoculationlesionisontheleg,thenodesinthegroinwillbeaffected.Theyrangeinsizefromabout½inchto2inchesindiameterandmaybesurroundedbyalargerareaofswellingundertheskin.Theskinovertheseswollenlymphnodescanbecomewarmandred.Inmostkids,swollenlymphnodesarethemainsymptomofthedisease,andtheillnessoftenismild.Ifkidshaveothergeneralsymptoms,theymightincludefever(usuallylessthan101°For38.3°C),fatigue,lossofappetite,headache,rash,sorethroat,andanoverallillfeeling.Theswollenlymphnodesusuallydisappearwithin2to4months,althoughsometimesc