CatScratchFeverMedicallyreviewedbyDanielMurrell,M.D.—WrittenbytheHealthlineEditorialTeam—UpdatedonFebruary1,2019CausesRiskfactorsSymptomsincatsSymptomsinhumansPicturesDiagnosisComplicationsTreatmentPreventionWhentocallyourdoctorOutlookWhatiscatscratchfever?Catscratchfever,alsocalledcatscratchdisease(CSD),isabacterialinfection.ThediseasegetsitsnamebecausepeoplecontractitfromcatsinfectedwithBartonellahenselaebacteria.TheCentersforDiseaseControlandPrevention(CDC)estimatesthat12,000peoplewillbediagnosedwithcatscratchfever,and500peoplewillbehospitalizedeachyearintheUnitedStates.CasessurgebothinJanuary—possiblyduetoincreasedadoptionsofkittens—andintheperiodbetweenAugustandNovember.Whatcausescatscratchfever?Youcangetcatscratchfeverfromabiteorscratchfromaninfectedcat.Youcanalsogetthediseaseifsalivafromaninfectedcatgetsintoanopenwoundortouchesthewhitesofyoureyes.Occasionally,youmaygetthediseasefromafleaoratickcarryingthebacterium.Youcan’tgetcatscratchdiseasefromanotherhuman.Whoisatriskforcatscratchfever?Anyonewhoownsorinteractswithacatisatriskofcontractingcatscratchfever.TheCDCreportsthatcatscratchfeverismostprevalentinthesouthernpartoftheUnitedStatesandmostcommonamongchildrenbetweentheagesof5and9yearsold.Peoplewhowerehospitalizedweremorelikelythanoutpatientstobemale,thoughthemajorityofpeoplewhoarediagnosedarefemale.Youhaveanincreasedriskofbecomingseriouslyillfromcatscratchfeverifyouhaveaweakenedimmunesystem.Peoplewhomightfallintothiscategoryincludethosewhoarepregnantorwhoarelivingwith:cancerdiabetesHIVorAIDStransplantedorgansWhatarethesymptomsofcatscratchfeverincats?CatscancarryB.henselae,buttheydon’tgenerallygetsickfromthebacteria.Forthisreason,youcan’talwaystellifthey’recarriers.Catslikelycontractthebacteriafrominfectedfleas.Inveryrareinstances,humanscancontractthebacteriadirectlyfromfleas.AccordingtotheCDC,around40percentofcatscarrythebacteriaatsometimeintheirlives,mostcommonlyaskittens.Treatmentforcatsisn’tusuallyrecommended.Whatarethesymptomsofcatscratchfeverinhumans?C