Cat-Scratch Fever

An infectious illness, cat-scratch fever can affect people of all ages but is most common in children between the ages of five and 14. This disease, which usually develops as a result of a cat scratch, can cause lymph-node swellings, low-grade fever and other troublesome symptoms but is not overly serious. The disease is usually self-limiting, and resolves in two to three months.

WHAT CAUSES CAT-SCRATCH FEVER?
Cats themselves are not affected by the illness, but they serve as carriers capable of passing the illness to humans through scratches or bites. The actual organism that causes the fever is difficult to grow in the laboratory, but it is a bacterium. The bacterium has not been conclusively identified, but it may be one with the unusual name Rochalimea. The illness is sometimes associated with a new pet, often a kitten less than six months old. Several members of a household may be affected at the same time.

SYMPTOMS OF CAT-SCRATCH FEVER

• Swollen lymph nodes in the armpit, neck, groin or elsewhere

• Loss of appetite

• Low-grade fever

• General tiredness

• Possible headache

• Evidence of a cat scratch, which may be a reddened welt

WHEN SHOULD I SUSPECT THAT MY CHILD HAS CAT-SCRATCH FEVER?
The most common symptom is a swollen lymph node, usually in the armpit or neck in an otherwise healthy child. Fever and other mild symptoms are present in 30 percent of cases. The child has usually had contact with a cat, although symptoms may begin after a scratch has healed.

IS MEDICAL ATTENTION NECESSARY?
A doctor should probably investigate any persistent fever and lymph-node swelling. Blood tests as well as a tuberculin skin test may be ordered to rule out the presence of other disorders.

WHAT TREATMENTS ARE AVAILABLE?
Sometimes an antibiotic (gentamycin) is prescribed to shorten the course of the illness. Generally, a period of rest is all that is needed. Keep the child home from school and in bed. It's possible that the lymph nodes will abscess and ooze pus. If that happens, the doctor may determine that drainage or removal of the nodes is necessary. Lymph node removal also may be necessary for diagnostic purposes.

PREVENTING CAT-SCRATCH FEVER
Tell children to:

• Inform you if they are bitten or scratched.

• Wash scratches or bites promptly with soap and water.

GETTING HELP
Call your doctor if your child:

• Develops signs and symptoms of cat-scratch fever. Although it is usually relatively harmless, it may lead (rarely) to complications of the central nervous system. Also, an illness that resembles cat-scratch fever might be another, more serious, animal-borne illness that has similar symptoms in its early stages.

Excerpt from THE DISNEY ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BABY & CHILD CARE, © 1995 DSH Communications, Inc. This material is based on current medical research and, to the best of the editors' knowledge and understanding, is accurate and valid. However the reader should not use information contained in this material to alter a medically prescribed regimen or as a form of self-treatment, without seeking the advice of a licensed physician.