Cat scratch disease, also known to some as CSD or cat scratch fever, is an illness that is passed from felines to humans through bites or scratches. Approximately half of all cats carry this disease in their saliva at some point in their lives. If you are bitten or scratched by an infected cat, then you may develop cat scratch disease.
Symptoms of Cat Scratch Disease
Because cats lick themselves to bathe, infected felines may transfer CSD-causing bacteria from their mouths to other areas of their bodies. Therefore, even rubbing your eyes after petting an infected cat can cause cat scratch disease. If you start to develop the following symptoms after playing with or contacting a cat, then you may have CSD:
- Unusual bump or blister where you have been scratched
- Headache
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Malaise
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Sore throat
Typically, people with cat scratch fever do not need outside medical treatment for them to make a full recovery. However, in some patients – in particular, those with an immunodeficiency of some sort, such as AIDS – cat scratch disease can be very dangerous. For these cases, antibiotics will be prescribed in order to aid the body in fighting off the bacteria.
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If you would like to learn more about cat scratch disease, then the New York City personal injury lawyers of Orlow, Orlow & Orlow, P.C. can help you.