YouAreHere:Home→MedicalEncyclopedia→Cat-scratchdiseaseURLofthispage://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001614.htmCat-scratchdiseaseCat-scratchdiseaseisaninfectionwithbartonellabacteriathatisbelievedtobetransmittedbycatscratches,catbites,orfleabites.CausesCat-scratchdiseaseiscausedbythebacteria Bartonellahenselae.Thediseaseisspreadthroughcontactwithaninfectedcat(abiteorscratch)orexposuretocatfleas.Italsocanbespreadthroughcontactwithcatsalivaonbrokenskinormucosalsurfaceslikethoseinthenose,mouth,andeyes.SymptomsApersonwhohashadcontactwithaninfectedcatmayshowcommonsymptoms,including:Bump(papule)orblister(pustule)atsiteofinjury(usuallythefirstsign)FatigueFever(insomepeople)HeadacheLymphnodeswelling(lymphadenopathy)nearthesiteofthescratchorbiteOveralldiscomfort(malaise)Lesscommonsymptomsmayinclude:LossofappetiteSorethroatWeightlossExamsandTestsIfyouhaveswollenlymphnodesandascratchorbitefromacat,yourhealthcareprovidermaysuspectcat-scratchdisease.Aphysicalexaminationmayalsorevealanenlargedspleen.Sometimes,aninfectedlymphnodemayformatunnel(fistula)throughtheskinanddrain(leakfluid).Thisdiseaseisoftennotfoundbecauseitishardtodiagnose.TheBartonellahenselae immunofluorescenceassay (IFA)bloodtestisanaccuratewaytodetecttheinfectioncausedbythesebacteria.Theresultsofthistestmustbeconsideredalongwithotherinformationfromyourmedicalhistory,labtests,orbiopsy.Alymphnodebiopsymayalsobedonetolookforothercausesofswollenglands.TreatmentGenerally,cat-scratchdiseaseisnotserious.Medicaltreatmentmaynotbeneeded.Insomecases,treatmentwithantibioticssuchasazithromycincanbehelpful.Otherantibioticsmaybeused,includingclarithromycin,rifampin,trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,orciprofloxacin.Inpeoplewith HIV/AIDS andothers,whohaveaweakenedimmunesystem,cat-scratchdiseaseismoreserious.Treatmentwithantibioticsisrecommended.Outlook(Prognosis)Peoplewhohaveahealthyimmunesystemshouldrecoverfullywithouttreatment.Inpeoplewithaweakenedimmunesystem,treatmentwithantibioticsusuallyleadstorecovery.PossibleComplicationsPeoplew