Cat Bites - Dangers and Disease

Myth: You can't get a disease from a bite from your own cat.

Fact: Anyone can get an infection from any cat bite.

Cats carry a germ called Pasteurella multocida in their mouths, a bacterium that can cause severe infections in humans. Both humans and animals have a mouthful of germs, but normally the body's own immune system keeps them in their place. The skin is one of the most important natural barriers. When this is disrupted by a bite, especially a puncture wound, bacteria are introduced into the deeper tissues, where they are nourished by a constant supply of blood. Cat teeth are often sharp and needle-like, and may penetrate to underlying tendons and ligaments, where infection can endanger the use of the effected limb.

Any cat bite should be cleaned immediately with soapy water and rinsed for several minutes. Even with thorough cleansing, infection is likely. However, taking antibiotics before signs of infection develop does not seem to decrease the likelihood of a wound becoming infected.

Infections from cat bites spread quickly, especially when the bite wound is on the hand. Within hours redness, swelling, pain, and warmth may develop at the site of the wound. A red streak may extend upwards as inflammation spreads along the lymphatic channels and veins that lead away from the wound. If these symptoms occur, call your doctor right away. He may decide to offer you an antibiotic over the phone, or more likely will want to see you. Either way, you will need an antibiotic. Penicillin or amoxicillin left over from a sore throat or ear infection is not likely to be effective. If you decide to wait a few days and see how things develop, you're likely to end up in the hospital on intravenous antibiotics.

Cats carry other diseases as well. Cat scratch disease is caused by Bartonella henselae. Infection with this organism produces a crusted, red bump or pustule at the site of the cat scratch or bite within 3 to 10 days of exposure. Swollen glands develop within the next 2 weeks. Bites on the arm or hand produce swollen glands in the armpits, whereas those on the lower extremities cause lymph nodes in the groin to swell. Along with the swollen glands comes fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, and headache. In general, no antibiotics are needed for this infection, which takes 2 to 5 months to resolve.

Contracting rabies from an unvaccinated cat is a possibility. In the US, the highest incidence of cat rabies is clustered in the lower New England states. If your own cat bites you but has been vaccinated, the risk is practically nonexistent. If a ferrel cat bites you, you should contact your doctor or health department right away to see if you are a candidate for rabies immunization. If you wait until you have symptoms, you'll be dead soon. Don't skimp on immunizing your pet - spending $20 now could save you $2,000 or more in the long run.

Copyright 2010 Cynthia J. Koelker, M.D.

About Cat Scratch Disease

Owning a family or personal pet is a common joy for many people throughout the United States. Among the most common domesticated animals that people choose to adopt are cats. Cats are more low-maintenance than other types of common pets, and they can live either inside or outside the residence. Certain breeds of cats also offer up benefits such as maintaining pest and rodent control around the home.

How do I catch cat scratch disease?

While cats are sources of pleasure for many, however, they also can pose certain threats to you, your family, or anyone else who may come into contact with them. Cats can be temperamental, and often times they may -- even unintentionally -- scratch or bite people. When this happens, the attacked person is at risk of developing what is known as cat scratch disease (also known to some as cat scratch fever).

Only 40% of cats are liable to ever carry with them Bartonella henselae, the bacterium that causes cat scratch disease. Those that do have this type of bacteria in their systems carry it in their saliva. When the infected felines scratch or bite a human, they are liable to pass it along to the wounded victim. While cats themselves do not show any signs of infection from Bartonella, affected humans can experience many undesirable and painful symptoms.

What are the symptoms?

Typically, the first sign of cat scratch disease is a bump or blister on the skin, similar to one that may develop as a result of a bug bite. Over time, roughly a couple of weeks, the individual's lymph nodes will swell up and become tender. Other common symptoms include fatigue, headache, achiness, and fever. People may also suffer from a sore throat, loss in appetite, or weight loss.

People who are more likely to develop cat scratch fever and suffer from the more severe symptoms include those who have depleted or deficient immune systems, such as those who are suffering from HIV/AIDS or who are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer treatment. In these victims, cat scratch disease may be fatal if it is left untreated.

How do I prevent cat scratch disease?

If one is looking to prevent the development of this disease, he or she should always thoroughly clean any open wound sustained from a cat bite or scratch. One should apply anti-bacterial ointment to the wounded area and then cover it up with a sterile bandage. If symptoms begin to develop, the afflicted individual should seek medical attention.

Cat Scratch Disease - From Claws To Humans

Symptoms of Cat Scratch Disease

Cat scratch disease is a malady spread by cats, but that affects only humans; it's also called cat scratch fever. Disease symptoms are most frequently diagnosed in the colder winter and fall months of the year for reasons scientists don't understand; it's possible that cats are more likely to be indoors at this time, increasing the chance of human exposure overall to feline diseases.

Cat scratch disease is produced by bacteria called Bartonella henselea that usually lives in the mouths of cats. They spread it to their claws through routine grooming. Interestingly, it is not transmitted through cat bites, only through cat scratches.

Most Americans have been exposed to this malady, and 5% of the US population has antibodies in their blood but no history of clinical malady. Because antibodies are only made in response to the invasion of a disease, it is clear that they were exposed to Bartonella directly. It is possible that they did not subsequently become ill, or that the disease was mistaken for the flu.

This disease presents flu-like symptoms. The most common symptoms include fever, chills, and lethargy, but they last for only a few days, much shorter than most flu's.

There is a more severe kind of that causes high fever, anorexia, weakness, and badly swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the armpits and groin area. Sometimes the lymph swelling gets so severe that the swelling spontaneously ruptures; at other times, doctors choose to surgically drain them to prevent the rupture and relieve the pain.

Typically, the most serious form of the disease is seen in younger children and the elderly, and people with frail immune systems, such as those who have HIV, are receiving chemotherapy, or who have been the recipient of an organ donation. When the serious form of the disease presents itself, the consequences for the victim can be disability or even death.

If the disease in humans is treated immediately with antibiotics, the outcome is generally good, but it's very hard to diagnose because cat scratch disease symptoms it's so similar to flu and because it is not a oft-seen disease. The symptoms are often overlooked in its earliest stages, and only caught when the lymph nodes are involved. Almost every documented case follows a cat scratch wound; a few occur after a bite, and a few even crop up with no noticeable cause.

Another oddity of cat scratch disease is that occasionally are adult cats involved in the transmission. Generally, a kitten passes the disease. This does not mean you should not worry about it with an older cat, but only that you should worry more about kittens. It is infectious for only about two or three weeks in a kitten, after which it goes dormant. It can return, however.

Kittens can be diagnosed as carriers by a simple blood test, and positive kittens can be treated successfully with antibiotics. Because this disease can come back, however, this is not a silver bullet for thwarting it. De-clawing kittens at an early age is the best way to prevent infection. You should be aware of the consequences to the cat before de-clawing it, however. Not only can it be dangerous for the cat to go outside, it can also be psychologically traumatic and cause unexpected complications like arthritis.

There are a few alternatives to de-clawing your cat, such as claw covers or trimming back their claws, but you will have to be wary if you are in a home with an immunocompromised person.

Fewer than ten percent of family members scratched by a cat carrying the disease will develop the sickness, and very serious illness from the disease is rare. If you've been exposed once, you are almost surely immune to it afterward.

Cat scratch disease must not be confused with other feline malady's, such as the cat-borne disease, toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis is poisonous to a pregnant woman's fetus, but presents in different ways and is more likely to be inhaled when a woman changes the litter box. Symptoms can be risky to a pregnant woman as well, but in an entirely different way.

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.

Symptoms of the Cat Scratch Disease

Close to 90% of people can contract cat scratch disease. This disease is a bacterial infection that can cause swelling of the lymph nodes. The lymph nodes are round organs of the immune system. This disease is caused by the bacterium known as bartonella henselae - which is found in most parts of the world. A cat will usually be infected by the bacterium through fleas. The cat will then spread it to humans through licking, scratching, or biting.

In the United States close to 22,000 cases of cat scratch disease are diagnosed annually. Most patients are under the age of 21. This is because younger children have a higher risk of being bitten or scratched by cats because of the way that they play with them.

Cat Scratch Fever Symptoms

After a few days of being scratched, licked, or bitten by a cat a small bump or blister will form called an inoculation lesion. Most people will mistake this for a bug bite. They will usually appear on the hands, arms, head, or scalp. These lesions are usually not painful.

Within a couple of weeks the scratch or one of the lymph nodes close to the area where the lesion is will begin to swell and become tender to the touch. If the lesion is on the arm then the lymph nodes in the elbow or the armpit will begin to swell.

The swollen lymph nodes will begin to show more often in neck. However, if the lesion is on the leg it is more likely that the nodes located in the groin will swell. The skin around the swollen lymph nodes will turn red and become warm and may begin to drain pus after some time.

Swollen lymph nodes are the most common symptoms - but some people may experience other more general symptoms along with this. One third of people infect with cat scratch disease will experience fatigue, fever, headache, loss of appetite, rash, and sore throat. There are also certain people who will experience atypical cases of the disease. In these rare cases they will experience infections in the bones, liver, lungs, spleen, and joints.

Could Your Candida Be Celiac Disease

Everyone has candida. It's a bacteria that lives naturally in all human bodies, mostly in the small intestine and the mucous membranes. It doesn't do anything harmful, and our bodies don't notice it. When it is allowed to flourish, though, it becomes problematic. The condition of system-wide candida symptoms is called candida dysbiosis.

The symptoms of candida dysbiosis are fatigue, headaches, weakness, the feeling of being "hungover," diarrhea, nausea, and memory loss, among others. Yet it's vital to note that another condition -- celiac disease -- has many of the same indications. Could your candida actually be celiac disease instead?

First, let's consider the causes. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder of the small bowel that is caused by an abnormal reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat, and similar proteins found in barley and rye. Candida can be caused by taking antibiotics or hormones, or by alcohol, stress, or a poor diet. Candida and celiac disease have entirely different causes, in other words, even though some of their symptoms are the same.

Celiac disease and candida often share these symptoms: chronic fatigue, weakness, headaches, general flu-like achiness, joint pains, chronic sinus problems, allergies, irritability, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, and gas.

On the other hand, these symptoms are common in candida but NOT in celiac disease: dizziness, cold sweats, sore throat, low-grade fever, chronic athlete's foot, heart pains. If your symptoms include any of those, celiac disease is probably not what's ailing you.

If you suspect you have celiac disease, it's imperative that you get diagnosed properly as soon as possible. The condition is often misdiagnosed. Many of its symptoms suggest not just candida but irritable bowel syndrome and several other ailments. To accurately diagnose celiac disease, a blood test is needed. Other tests, such as an endoscopy, may also be necessary.

It's important that if you think you have celiac disease, you don't stop eating gluten products on your own before getting tested. Doing so may decrease the symptoms, but it will also make it harder to detect the disease when you do get tested. Instead, continue on with your regular diet until your doctor confirms you have celiac disease.

Once the diagnosis has been made, you'll have to make some changes. There is no "cure" for celiac disease; the only way to deal with it is to stop eating foods with gluten in them, and to continue on that diet for the rest of your life. Fortunately, many food manufacturers are making gluten-free versions of their products, and some health insurance providers even reimburse patients for the cost of these special foods.

After undertaking a gluten-free diet, your intestines will be able to heal themselves. In the vast majority of cases, all the celiac-related symptoms go away. Occasionally, a celiac patient will find that even with a gluten-free diet, the symptoms remain, sometimes because the disease persisted for so long that the damage to the intestines was irreparable. In these rare cases, steroids may be used to combat the symptoms.

Cat Scratch Disease - My Cat Just Scratched Me, What Do I Do?

Cat scratch disease is also known as cat scratch fever. This disease strikes people who are infected by the Bartonella henselae bacteria. In almost all cases, cat scratch disease occurs when the person was scratched or bitten by his cat. The cat itself does not catch cat scratch disease. It is just a carrier. Now, before you panic and send your cat to the pound, the National Center for Infectious Diseases (CDC) estimates that 40% of all cats carry this disease at some time in their lives. Considering how many cat owners exist in the world, clearly, this disease is not very infectious or dangerous.

But how do you know whether you were infected by cat scratch disease? The first thing you want to look at is the place your cat bit or scratched you. Is the wound infected? (Note: If you cannot find the wound, then you do not have cat scratch disease.) Then you want to check your lymph nodes. Are the nodes around your head, neck and upper limbs swollen? Do you also have fever, headache, fatigue, and a poor appetite? These are the typical cat scratch fever symptoms.

What can you do? The first step is always preventative. If you own a cat, or play with cats, you will definitely get bitten or scratched. What you should do every time you get scratched is simply to clean the wound with soap and running water. Then clean it with an antiseptic like peroxide and apply an antibiotic cream (neosporin works pretty well). Just applying these basic hygiene practises will prevent most cases of infection from cat bites or scratches, not just cat scratch disease.

What if you have already been infected - your wound is swollen and reddish, your lymph nodes are swollen and you have a fever? Then just go to your doctor. He will probably give you an antibiotic, and maybe drain the wound if necessary. You should also send your cats to the vet. Let him make sure they are not still carrying the bacteria. Otherwise they may infect you again, or infect other people.

In the long run, you need to train your cats not to bite or scratch too hard. Your cats need to learn how to show affection without drawing blood from you. And you need to learn not to provoke or over-excite your cats.

Provided that you are not the one who provoked the cat scratch, you can spray kitty with water every time it bites or scratches you. This means you will need to carry around a spray bottle with you at home. Spray kitty consistently when it bites you, and it will learn to stop biting you. Remember to spray when it bites - not 30 seconds later, or 1 minute later, or 5 minutes later. It will only learn if your response is immediate. Too many people spray only after the cat scratched or bit, then they complain that the technique does not work.

If your cat tends to bite or scratch you during playtime, then you need a different approach. Play with your cat normally. When he bites or scratches you, stop playing and ignore him. Too many people just continue playing - unfortunately, this teaches kitty that biting or scratching is good.

As you can see, cat scratch disease is not a big deal. As long as you practice basic hygiene, and train your cat not to bite or scratch too much, everything should be alright.