or '''Cat-scratch disease''' is a usually benign
Infectious Disease , most commonly found in children 1-2 weeks following a cat scratch. It was first described in
1889 by
Henri Parinaud and has been called '''Parinaud oculoglandular disease''' and '''''la maladie des griffes du chat'''''. The cat was recognized as the vector of the disease in
1931 by Dr. Robert Debré.
The disease begins with a small pustule at the site of the scratch, and painful swelling of the local
Lymph Node s follows. In more severe cases there may be
Fever ,
Malaise and
Anorexia . The disease usually resolves spontaneously, with or without treatment, in one month. In
Immunocompromise d patients more severe complications sometimes occur.
The causative organism was first thought to be ''
Afipia felis'', but this was disproven by immunological studies demonstrating that cat scratch fever patients developed antibodies to two other organisms, ''
Bartonella Henselae '' and ''
Bartonella clarridgeiae'', which are rod-shaped
Gram Negative bacteria.
Kitten s are more likely to carry the
Bacteria in their
Blood , and are therefore more likely to transmit the disease than are adult
Cat s.
