Wanted: Cat-Scratch Disease
You Gotta Be Kitten Me.
Aliases
Bartonella henselae
Princess
Muffin
The Nefarious Culprit
A bartonella henselae cell.
Bottom left: the cell move with flagella.
A diagram of the symptoms of CSD.
Below: a swollen lymph node.
How to know when this outlaw is in town.
Fever
Headache
Fatigue
Lymph node swelling
Lay down the Law
A shootout will also do.
Hide Out
Can be found throughout the world.
Attacks
Attacks the lymph node closest to the infection site.
Cats can get infected when an infected flea bites the cat.
Transmitted when saliva from an infected cat gets in an open wound, or a human is scratched by an infected cat with flea dirt in their claws.
Victims
People of any age are susceptible to this disease. However, the young and the elderly are most likely to have severe symptoms because their immune systems are usually weaker than an average person.
Crime
You know you have it if you have a fever, fatigue, headache, or lymph node swelling.
Weapons
To defend against this disease is easy. Stay away from cats, or if that is not feasible, do not let cats lick open wounds or scratch you.
CSD is treated and cured with prescription antibiotics.