Cat Scratch Disease

[gilch]

I was diagnosed with Cat Scratch Disease this week, which is a bacterial infection that cats carry. A person is typically infected (although not always) from a cat scratch. Anyway, I have swollen and extremely painful lymph nodes. I was wondering, as this is a pre-vet forum, if anyone here had ever had this, because I would guess that vet techs would get it maybe more than the average in the population. If so, how in the world did you wait it out?!?! How long did it take?

Are there any other fun diseases people have gotten from working with animals?

I am completely miserable and need some distraction from the pain!

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[twelvetigers]

Nope, never had it. My sister did, apparently (before I was born). Mom had to beat dad over the head to get him to lay off the Ted Nugent song...

 

[JustCats]

I got cat scratch fever from one of my own cats. It was about 15 years ago so I don't remember much about it apart from 1) I was sick enough for long enough that I went to the doctor and 2) I thought he was joking when he told me what it was--the Ted Nugent song was the only cat scratch fever I had heard of.

I also get ringworm every year to celebrate kitten season. I don't think I've had any other zoonotic diseases.

Feel better!

I was diagnosed with Cat Scratch Disease this week, which is a bacterial infection that cats carry. A person is typically infected (although not always) from a cat scratch. Anyway, I have swollen and extremely painful lymph nodes. I was wondering, as this is a pre-vet forum, if anyone here had ever had this, because I would guess that vet techs would get it maybe more than the average in the population. If so, how in the world did you wait it out?!?! How long did it take?

Are there any other fun diseases people have gotten from working with animals?

I am completely miserable and need some distraction from the pain!

 

[cowgirla]

I was diagnosed with Cat Scratch Disease this week, which is a bacterial infection that cats carry. A person is typically infected (although not always) from a cat scratch. Anyway, I have swollen and extremely painful lymph nodes. I was wondering, as this is a pre-vet forum, if anyone here had ever had this, because I would guess that vet techs would get it maybe more than the average in the population. If so, how in the world did you wait it out?!?! How long did it take?

Are there any other fun diseases people have gotten from working with animals?

I am completely miserable and need some distraction from the pain!

I had a friend with it, years back.

There have been a few times when I may have had a mild case--bad scratch, then the next day, I was slightly feverish and achy, and I never saw a MD for it.

Now I'm completely anal any time a cat touches me...I wash with surgical scrub, spray AB topicals on, and if it's a bad one, I pop a few amoxi (yes, I'm contributing to the resitant bacteria problem in the world!). Don't know if any of that actually helps, but makes me feel better!

Feel better!

 

[PrimalMU]

Mom had to beat dad over the head to get him to lay off the Ted Nugent song...

*inhales, preparing to break out into song* ...oh, nevermind.

 

[sofficat]

From what I know cats can carry a bacteria called Bartonella in their bloodstream. When kitties get fleas the fleas will ingest blood and defecate their 'flea dirt' aka flea poo on the cat (which is digested blood). The latest theory so far (and prob the correct one) is that the cat will scratch themselves and get that flea dirt in their nails/nailbeds. Then, when they scratch you, they infect your open wound with that digested blood and the bacteria. Many people will not get sick because their immune system will fight it off, or some people will get kinda sick. We are warned that in immune suppressed people they can get very very sick and need to see a doctor. World's Aids Day is coming up and we are taught about this stuff every year because we need to know and educate our owners, esp if they have some reason to be immune suppressed. If you are truly sick, I would go see a doc. Get some antibiotics and be done with it. I wouldn't want to mess around with Bartonella.

 

[CatVet2Be]

Now I'm completely anal any time a cat touches me...I wash with surgical scrub, spray AB topicals on, and if it's a bad one, I pop a few amoxi (yes, I'm contributing to the resitant bacteria problem in the world!). Don't know if any of that actually helps, but makes me feel better!

This kind of antibiotic use not only contributes to the overall AB resistant bacteria in the world but may cause you problems you haven't thought about. What if you're creating bacteria in your own body that are resistant to Amoxi and when you do get an infection that requires AB use, it won't clear up. Amoxi is used for a lot of human UTI's, imagine how uncomfortable you'll be if you have one and have to wait to see if an AB works, find out it doesn't, switch to another, see if that works etc... Having a UTI for that long is going to be absolutely miserable.

Not to mention that a lot of Bartonellas are resistant to penicillin-based AB's like amoxi. So you may not even be treating that bacteria, just making others more resistant.

For the OP: I've never had cat scratch fever, not sure how I've managed that since I've been scratched by the most mangy looking, filthy, unhealthy cats on more than a few occassions but as for zoonotic diseases I seem to have an affinity for carrying ringworm home to my husband. I never get it but if I've seen a ringworm infected animal, despite my best efforts I seem to pass it on to him.

I've known a few people with severe cat bite infections and a vet who got scabies and shingles at the same time. At least you're not itchy!

 

[eventualeventer]

I haven't worked with cats professionally and almost never get scratched at home, so I haven't had cat scratch disease.

However, I did get Salmonellosis from a foal with explosive diarrhea -- that was a horrible experience. We were using contact isolation protocols, but I would not be surprised if the problem were droplets of poop landing everywhere including on my face/hair. I remember one low moment working with that foal in which I was cleaning the stall with her in there and she turned and sent a jet of liquid poo splattering against the rim of the muck tub - when she let loose, the pile of liquid made an arc and ended up 3 feet behind her. It's also possible that I made a mistake in isolation protocol (touched my hair or something) without realizing it, since I was pulling 14+ hour shifts of taking care of her constantly. Isn't projectile diarrhea fun?

 

[DVMDream]

I've known a few people with severe cat bite infections and a vet who got scabies and shingles at the same time. At least you're not itchy!

I feel so bad for that vet. I had shingles and it is so incredibly painful.

To OP: No I have not gotten cat scratch disease. I have been scratched many times, but somehow I seem to avoid it. I was bitten and scratched back in August. The urgent care doctor I went to was afraid that I would lose part of my finger because the bite was right on the knuckle and in his experience bits by small joints always get infected even when the person is put on oral antibiotics. I got lucky (or maybe it was my insane cleaning and keeping it wrapped) and did not end up with a severe infection. This doctor was also sure that I would get cat scratch fever too, but that never happened either. I have heard it feels similar to mono. Feel better soon!

 

[gilch]

Thanks for the good wishes, everyone. Yes, I have seen a doctor and am on an antibiotic--but the doctor I went to said that they don't always do that because there is almost no long term threat to people that are immunocompotent. Basically, it will get better on its own and antibiotics should speed that up. Until then, I will be miserable and enjoy my prescription pain killers. Lymph nodes do have the tendency to stay swollen for a long time though; I'm not sure if the swelling is causing the pain. If it is, I'm doomed once school gets back from thanksgiving if this is not at least a bit better.

What is especially humiliating is that I got this from one of my own cats and I almost never immediately clean scratch wounds properly. Almost 21 years of getting scratched in various places to various degrees and I had to get scratched at a rare time when my cat had fleas and about 1 cm from a lymph node to boot! I feel so betrayed . That'll teach me to take care of my wounds properly, I suppose.

As for those other diseases, wow. I feel infinitely better knowing I do not have salmonellosis. How I escaped ringworm is beyond me too--I worked with clinics and shelters with it; even my goats got it.

 

[cowgirla]

This kind of antibiotic use not only contributes to the overall AB resistant bacteria in the world but may cause you problems you haven't thought about. What if you're creating bacteria in your own body that are resistant to Amoxi and when you do get an infection that requires AB use, it won't clear up. Amoxi is used for a lot of human UTI's, imagine how uncomfortable you'll be if you have one and have to wait to see if an AB works, find out it doesn't, switch to another, see if that works etc... Having a UTI for that long is going to be absolutely miserable.

Not to mention that a lot of Bartonellas are resistant to penicillin-based AB's like amoxi. So you may not even be treating that bacteria, just making others more resistant.

It's only the scrubbing and topical stuff that I do on my own to make myself feel better...
Me taking the amoxi is on an MD's recommendation... Maybe it will cause problems, but it's better than me getting an infection that will spread to any of my old surgical sites. It's not like I just grab a handful of pills out of the pharmacy cabinet and pop them at will. I've had a lot of medical problems over the years, and have taken a lot of immune suppressing drugs in the past.

I've been getting better at keeping the claws away from me though. I avoid working with cats at all costs. Give me a goat or a horse any day.

 

[CatVet2Be]

Ah, sorry. From the first post it sounded like you were just taking some amoxi off the shelf, that's why I was getting on my soap box, you'd be surprised at how many people do that. If you have any immune problems then I definitely understand the need to make sure infections get under control quickly.

I'm so the opposite in terms of animals, I'd take a cat over just about anything else, especially large animals because I just don't know enough about them. I'm afraid of getting kicked or knocked to the ground and stepped on.

 

[VeganSoprano]

Nope. Maybe I'm just lucky, though, because my hands and forearms are so scarred they look like Tic-Tac-Toe boards! I've been scratched and bitten more times than I can remember and have never had anything more than a localized infection.

 

[eventualeventer]

If it makes you feel better, I used to be bad about wound care, too. I had to take oral steroids briefly this summer and a few weeks later I got cellulitis from a mosquito bite. I wasn't as sick as you, though -- I had some streaks along the lymph vessels but no node involvement. I pay more attention to my own health now. Heal quickly!

 

[nyanko]

My body temperature hasn't had a sustained elevation over 99F due to illness since I was maybe 7 years old. I can't really figure out what this means.

But about cat scratches, when I worked every day in a research colony of cats, my arms were so scratched up that it looked like I belonged in an after-school special about self-mutilation or suicidal thoughts. I'm surprised that none of these cuts ever got infected....

 

[eventualeventer]

<-- Nyanko's ninja immune system

 

[nhsvs]

Wow, I guess I must be lucky -- my cat plays rough (but I love him anyway) and I've been scratched and bitten more times than I can count, but no infections, etc. I just swab my wounds with a little hydrogen peroxide and get geared up for the next attack. Maybe I'll invest in a suit of armor. Damn cat . . .