by Cami Mountain
PET PAUSE (WAOW) -- Anyone who's played with or has been around cats may well have gotten scratched at some time. But some scratches can lead to Cat Scratch Disease.
Q. What exactly is (CSD) Cat Scratch Disease?
A. CSD is Bartonella bacteria. Most Cat Scratch Disease is caused by a scratch from the claw or tooth of a young kitten, and most of the time those that contact CSD are children. This is NOT a serious disease and only about 40% of cats carry CSD.
Q. What are the signs of CSD?
A. Signs usually appear within the first 3 to 12 days. Symptoms start with redness and tiny bumps, swelling of lymph-nodes, fever, headache. Most cases will just go away without any specific treatment, however as with any infection, it will be more serious with people who have poor immune systems. Also, as with any scratch wash with soap and running water for several minutes. Treatment is usually unnecessary, since people recover well on their own, but several antibiotics have been shown to shorten the course of the illness.
Do keep away from stray cats at all times.
Online Reporter
