A bacterial infection due to a cat scratch seen most
often today in people with HIV. The disease characteristically presents with swollen
lymph nodes (lymphadenitis), sore throat, fati gue, and fever, chills, sweats, vomiting,
loss of appetite, and weight loss. There is usually a little bump (a papule) which
may be pus-filled (a pustule) at the site of the scratch. Then more nodules appear
on and under the skin. As the number of nodules increases, patients get sicker.
In normal people the disease is self-limited and usually goes away by itself
in a few weeks. It can also be treated with antibiotics. In persons with HIV/AIDS
the disease (usually called bacillary angiomatosis) can cause severe inflammation
of the brain, bone marrow, lymph nodes, lungs, spleen and liver. The disease can
be fatal in persons with HIV. It can be easily treated with antibiotics such as
erythromycin and doxycycline. Treatment is given until the skin lesions resolve,
usually in 3 to 4 weeks. Bacillary angiomatosis is so characteristic today of AIDS
that it is an AIDS defining disease, according to the CDC (Centers For Disease Control).
A cat carrying the microbe does not show symptoms. It is not necessary to get
rid of the cat. If someone in the household is at high risk, a test to detect the
infection can be done and the cat can be treated. The disease is caused by a bacterium
called Rochalimaea henselae, which was reclassified as Bartonella henselae, named
for Diane Hensel, a microbiologist. The disease has also been called cat scratch
disease, regional lymphadenitis, and benign lymphoreticulosis.
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