Saturday, May 8, 2010

Cat Scratch Disease

Cat scratch fever is a bacterial disease that isn't very well known. It's actually caused by a bacteria called Batonella Henselae, which infects the human and it can be quite discomforting.

For a long period of time, adults and kids got scratched by cats but didn't make the connection between the scratch and the disease they got. When you have this disease you will probably notice enlarged lymph nodes, in the area of the armpit, and areas of red skin that is very warm, and tough. These are the symptoms of cat scratch disease.

The lymph nodes which are located on the upper limbs and on the neck of the human that is infected will get swollen when you are scratched and you get an infection. Some of the other symptoms you might notice are fever, headaches, appetite loss and fatigue.

People were confused by this disease for a long time, because it looked like it was caused by a bacteria, but they couldn't find any in the infection. A small organism was finally found in the infection, and it was the Proteobacteria.

If you're a cat owner, you might ask yourself if you can get affected by the Bartonella Henselae, and the answer to that question will be a yes.

Humans that get this illness usually have cats that scratches or bites them at some point. Almost half of all cats will have this bacteria at least once in their life, so there is a good chance you will get infected if you have a cat.

You will not see any symptoms in the cats that have this disease, so if you own more than one cat, you don't know which one gave you the infection. If you have a disease that attacks your immunity, then your risk of getting this illness from your cat is increased.

While fleas are known to carry this bacterium, there is no evidence that they are the cause of the disease. In most cases, this disease will show up either during the winter or in late fall, but nobody knows why that is.

Usually, those that are most likely to get sick will be young kids, as they play with cats and kittens more often. Don't worry though, the disease isn't a serious one. The lymph nodes will be swollen for up to a month. Still, you should visit a doctor if you see any symptoms of cat scratch disease.

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