It is said that petting a cat feels good for a while, but it feels good to pet a cat all the time. Nowadays, with the improvement of people's living standards, more and more people keep cats at home. However, although "playing cats" is...
It is said that petting a cat feels good for a while, but it feels good to pet a cat all the time. Nowadays, with the improvement of people's living standards, more and more people keep cats at home. However, although "playing cats" is fun, there are also some parasites and bacteria on cats. If they are accidentally scratched, they can easily cause infection or some diseases, so everyone should pay attention.
Recently, a 9-year-old girl in Shenzhen was diagnosed with a strange disease because of "playing with cats"...
9-year-old Xiaoxing has been particularly fond of pet cats since she was a child. This year, she went to her grandma's house for the summer vacation, and her cat gave birth to several kittens. The first thing Xiaoxing does when she wakes up every morning is to see the kitten, feed the cat, and play with the kitten happily.
But one time when Xiaoxing was playing with a cat, the fingers and arms of her left hand were accidentally scratched by a cat with a few bloody marks. The parents saw that there was no bleeding and it was not serious, so they did not take it seriously. But unexpectedly, more than a month after the incident, Xiaoxing's mother discovered that Xiaoxing's left arm and armpit suddenly developed lumps, which hurt when touched. My mother quickly took her to the hospital for treatment. The doctor diagnosed her with "cat-scratch disease" and said that if she did not seek medical treatment in time, it could lead to severe blindness.
1. What is cat-scratch disease?
Cat-scratch disease is caused by a bacterium called Bartonella, which can be transmitted to both humans and animals. Among them, our domestic cats, dogs and some wild mammals can be hosts, so it is widespread around the world. The main route of infection is infection caused by scratches or bites on human skin by domestic animals such as cats and dogs. It is a self-limiting infectious disease.
Clinical manifestations are diverse, but mostly mild cases generally have the following symptoms:
1. Primary skin lesions
After being scratched or bitten by a cat, erythematous papules may appear on the local skin, but there will be no obvious pain; a few papules will turn into blisters or pustules, and some will break through to form small ulcers, which will leave temporary pigmentation or scabs and heal after 1 to 3 weeks. This primary skin lesion is common on the hands, forearms, feet, calves, face, eyes and other areas, and is easily overlooked because the symptoms are too mild.
2. Local lymph node enlargement
One to two weeks after being scratched and infected by a cat, swollen lymph nodes in the drainage area will occur, mostly in the head and neck, armpits, groin, etc. In the early stage, the texture is relatively hard, and it will feel painful when touched lightly. The size is about 1 to 8 cm. The lymph nodes may suppurate and occasionally break to form sinus tracts or fistulas.
However, generally swollen lymph nodes will subside on their own within 2 to 4 months, and only a few will last for several months; nearby and even systemic lymph nodes may also be swollen.
3. Systemic symptoms
Most patients with cat-scratch disease will have mild fever and fatigue; gastrointestinal symptoms such as anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and weight loss; they may also suffer from headache, splenomegaly, sore throat, conjunctivitis, etc. In addition, conjunctivitis accompanied by enlarged preauricular lymph nodes is also one of the important characteristics of cat-scratch disease.
4. Rare manifestations and complications
Rare clinical manifestations and complications include encephalopathy, chronic severe organ damage, arthropathy, etc. Others include transient maculopapular rash, erythema multiforme, thrombocytopenic purpura, parotid gland enlargement, multiple hemangioma and visceral purpura, which are all rare.
Encephalopathy often manifests clinically as encephalitis or meningoencephalitis, which usually occurs about 1 to 6 weeks after lymph node enlargement. However, the condition is usually mild and recovers quickly. Lymphocytes and proteins in cerebrospinal fluid are normal or slightly increased. Symptoms of severe patients often last for several weeks and may be accompanied by coma and convulsions, but most will fully recover within 1 to 6 months, and occasionally disability or death may occur.
2. How to prevent “cat scratch disease”?
1. Domestic pets should be vaccinated regularly and kept hygienic. Cats and dogs are prone to fleas, lice and other parasites, which are the main vectors of Bartonella. Regular deworming and vaccination of pets can effectively prevent cat claw disease. And be careful to keep an appropriate distance from stray cats and dogs, and don’t get too close when playing with your own pet cats and dogs.
2. If it is an adopted stray cat, it must undergo a comprehensive physical examination, screening, and vaccination before taking it home.
3. Enhance the awareness of prevention. Animals have an estrus period every year. During this period, their emotions are relatively unstable and exciting. Try to avoid irritating animals and avoid being scratched or bitten by animals.
4. Wash hands frequently. Wash your hands with soap and water after petting the cat. If there are wounds on your hands, try not to come into contact with the cat to avoid being licked by the cat. Especially children and elderly people at home with low immunity should pay attention to avoid being scratched by the cat.
5. If you are accidentally scratched or bitten, do not take it lightly. Disinfect and treat the wound with iodine or alcohol as soon as possible. If the situation is serious and bleeding occurs, seek medical attention immediately.
3. What should I do if I am infected with "cat-scratch disease"?
1. General treatment: Those with fever should rest in bed and supplement nutrition and water. Those with acute encephalopathy should be treated according to the relevant routine procedures of the Department of Neurology.
2. Antibacterial treatment: intravenous or intramuscular injection of drugs, the course of treatment is 5 to 7 days. Note that this method needs to be treated under the guidance of a doctor.
3. Local wounds: Disinfect them.
4. Nursing: According to general internal medicine nursing routines, patients do not need to be isolated. Those with high fever or severe lymph node swelling and pain should rest in bed, reduce activities, supplement high-calorie foods, eat liquid or semi-liquid foods that are easy to digest, and drink more water. Also, keep the scratched area clean and dry.
Since cat-scratch disease is relatively rare, it is often easily ignored. Therefore, if parents find that their children have been scratched by cats, they should take their children to the doctor in time. They should go to the infectious disease department and get vaccinated to avoid further deterioration of the condition and unnecessary harm to the children.
