The disease can then be spread to humans via a scratch or bite from an infected cat, or when an infected cat licks an open sore or wound on a person.
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Cats that are less than a year old are more likely to have the bacteria Bartonella henselae which causes the disease, according to CDC.
If you do get bitten or scratched by a cat, monitor the site closely and contact your physician if you notice swelling or redness, Nelson said.
Most at risk are young children aged five to nine, leading the experts to call for a greater awareness of the risks among families with cats.
The large-scale survey of the disease was conducted by the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention in the USA, and revealed kittens and strays were especially susceptible to carrying the bacteria.
The illness can enter your system when an infected cat scratches or bites you, or when you’ve been playing with one and touch your mouth without washing your hands.
The scope and impact of the disease is a little bit larger than we thought. Cat scratch fever isn’t horrifically life-threatenting, unless it’s like this, in which case, Jesus Christ, I’m sorry, be careful!
But, fortunately, cat owners aren’t about to face a health epidemic – as the annual incidence was 4.5 outpatient diagnoses to 100,000 of the population.
But side effects of the potentially deadly disease are getting worse.
Also called cat-scratch fever, the illness can cause symptoms ranging from headache to fever to swollen lymph nodes.
Women and girls accounted for 62 per cent and 55.6 percent of outpatient and inpatient diagnoses, respectively.
Each year about 12,000 people are diagnosed with cat-scratch disease and 500 require hospitalization, according to the report.
“Because CSD is a zoonotic infection that is maintained and spread among cats by fleas, comprehensive flea control for cats can help reduce the risk for human infection”.
Cat lovers can avoid contracting cat-scratch disease by washing their hands after playing with their cat, keeping cats indoors and treating for fleas.
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“Additional research is warranted to elucidate the reasons for epidemiologic differences noted in this study and risk factors for severe disease”.
