Bartonella and Cat Scratch Fever Ted Nugent made cat scratch
fever (actually called cat scratch disease) nearly a household
name with his song in the late seventies, but most people still
know little about this infection other than it involves a fever
spread by cat scratches. In fact, it involves infection by a
bacterium called Bartonella henselae, which is spread by fleas.
Classically, cats transmit the organism when they are
parasitized by fleas, scratch themselves, and get infected flea
dirt (digested host’s blood excreted by fleas) in their claws,
and scratch a person or another cat with their dirty claws. The
Human Disease Infection with Bartonella henselae in the
immunocompetent person leads to cat scratch disease. The
inoculation site (a scratch from a claw containing bits of flea
dirt) develops a small red bump called a papule. About 2 to 3
weeks following contact with the infected cat, the lymph node in
the area of the contact will swell and become painful and a
fever develops. These signs generally