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Cats and Bartonella
"The cat scratch disease bacteria"
This information is for cat owners!
Introduction
Healthy cats can carry four members of the Bartonella
bacteria family in their blood, Bartonella henselae, Bartonella clarridgeiae,
Bartonella koehlerae, and Bartonella weissii, which are transmitted between cats
and fleas. The bacteria can be spread to people via cat scratches and bites,
contact with fur and probably rarely by infected fleas. Although most infected
people do not become ill, rarely, they may become very ill. Infected people may
develop cat scratch disease (more than 40,000 cases per year are reported, many
more than Lyme disease, of which more than 2,000 require hospitalization), skin
disease, eye inflammation, or other diseases. Bartonella are difficult to
isolate from the blood of infected cats. However, now there is a simple and
accurate blood test, the FeBart(R) test developed by the National Veterinary
Laboratory, to determine if your cat is infected with these bacteria. Although
most cats are not infected, if your cat is found to be carrying these bacteria,
your veterinarian can prescribe antibiotics to eliminate the infection.
The Bacteria
Bartonella are members of a family of recently discovered
bacteria which infect various species of animals including cats, dogs, cattle,
mice, rabbits and wild animals. They live inside red blood cells in infected
animals where they can be ingested by blood sucking insects, such as fleas,
ticks, flies and lice, and are transmitted to uninfected animals.
Cats
Incidence of Infection:
The incidence of Bartonella - infected cats varies in
different geographic areas and depends on the average temperature and rainfall
(humidity). The highest infection rates occur in hot humid climates, conditions
favorable for fleas: southeast (54%), Hawaii (47%), costal California (40%),
south central plains (37%), Pacific northwest (34%), northeast and New England
(27%), southwest (15%), midwest (7%), Alaska (5%), and Rocky mountains-Great
plains (4%).
Bartonella Diseases:
Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae can cause
chronic insidious diseases such as inflammation of the eyes, gums and oral
cavity, enlarged lymph nodes, fevers, kidney disease, anemia, and vague
neurological signs in some cats. However most infected cats are in apparent
healthy carriers and go unnoticed by their owners.
Humans
Bartonella Diseases:
Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae, transmitted
from cats to people, can cause several diseases.
Cat Scratch Disease:
Cat scratch disease develops in people a few weeks after
transmission of Bartonella henselae or Bartonella clarridgeiae from cats. Lymph
nodes that drain in the injury site become inflamed, enlarged, tender and
painful and may develop an abscess, which may burst and drain. Severe cases may
infrequently progress to neurological complications and coma. Antibiotics can
shorten the clinical course, which usually lasts 6 to 8 weeks.
Bacillary Angiomatosis (BA):
BA is a skin condition where Bartonella infection causes red
raised nodules, which may be mistaken for a certain skin tumor, Kaposi's
sarcoma. BA can also involve major internal organs such as the liver and spleen.
This disease most often occurs in immunosuppressed people such as those
receiving chemotherapy or infected with HIV.
Fever of Unknown Origin:
Bartonella - infections may cause persistent high fevers (104
-105F) of unknown origin where the physician is unable to diagnose the cause.
The fevers and flu-like symptoms may last as long as 7 to 10 days.
Eye Disease:
Some Bartonella - infected people develop generalized
inflammations in the eye including the outer membranes, iris, retina and optic
nerve.
Neurological Disorders:
Encephalopathy, convulsions, and coma are some of the rare
neurological disorders associated with Bartonella infections, especially in
children.
Infectious Mononucleosis-like Syndrome:
A syndrome in 6 children, clinically identical to infectious
mononucleosis, was recently found to be caused by Bartonella henselae obtained
from contact with kittens.
What to Do?
Test:
Now cat owners can easily have their cats tested for
Bartonella infection. Most infected cats show no sign of illness yet some cats
can carry as many as 1,000 bacteria in each milliliter (one-fifth of a
teaspoonful) of blood. The Bartonella blood test requires only a small amount of
blood, which can be drawn at the cat's yearly health checkup. The blood sample
is then sent to a specialized reference laboratory, to perform the test. The
test checks for antibody against the bacteria and high amounts of antibody
signify infection.
Treatment:
If your cat is found to be infected your veterinarian will
prescribe antibiotic therapy and intensive flea control for both your pet and
your house. Flea control is very important since fleas can reinfect your cat
after therapy.
Should Healthy Cats Be Tested?
We recommend that all healthy pet cats, especially those
obtained as strays, from shelters or animal rescue organizations, be tested for
Bartonella infection. Strays and cats obtained from shelters are more likely to
have had flea infestations that transmit Bartonella. It is especially important
that cats owned by people with young children, people whose cats have had recent
flea infestations, and people who are immunosuppressed by chemotherapy or by HIV
have their cats tested and treated if they are infected. At present, the cat
scratch disease bacterium, Bartonella henselae, is the most common disease
organism transmitted from animals to people in the United States.
If you would like more information please contact:
The National Veterinary Laboratory, Inc.
P.O. Box 239, 1 Tice Road
Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
201 - 891 - 2992 or visit their web site
www.natvetlab.com
Page Updated: Thursday October 30, 2008