IN HUMANS continued
- Encephalitis may occur, without associated signs of classical cat-scratch disease. - Neuroretinitis, presenting as painless vision loss. - Splenic or hepatic granulomas. - Osteomyelitis. - Bacillary angiomatosis – vasculoproliferative tissue reaction that results in multiple nodular skin lesions. Most common in HIV patients with a low CD4+ count. Lesions may also involve internal organs. - Peliosis hepatis is a rare condition characterised by vascular proliferation in the liver.
• Human-to-human transmission has not been documented. • Diagnosis relies primarily on serology and on molecular testing (PCR) of tissue specimens. Unlike in bacteraemic cats, routine bacterial culture in humans is rarely positive.
KEY CONSIDERATIONS 1. Classical cat-scratch disease due to Bartonella henselae in humans is often associated with being bitten, scratched, or licked by cats and is more commonly diagnosed in young children and teenagers. 2. Training and appropriate socialisation of pets is important to help avoid bites, scratches and licks. This is particularly important for pet owners at greater risk of disease. 3. Any cat bite or scratch wound should be immediately cleaned with soap and running water. Open wounds should be covered prior to, and hands washed thoroughly after, handling pets.
Given exposure to infectious flea faeces is the typical route of human B. henselae infection, cats and dogs should be administered effective flea control all year round.
References: 1. Breitschwerdt, E.B., (2017) Bartonellosis, One Health and all creatures great and small. Ad Vet Dermatol , 8, 111-121. 2. Cotté, V., et al (2008) Transmission of Bartonella henselae by Ixodes ricinus . Emerg Infect Dis, 14(7), 1074 3. Wardrop, K., et al (2016) Update on canine and feline blood donor screening for blood-borne pathogens. J Vet Intern Med , 30(1), 15-35. 4. Barrs, V., et al (2010) Prevalence of Bartonella species, Rickettsia felis , haemoplasmas and the Ehrlichia group in the blood of cats and fleas in eastern Australia. Aust Vet J , 88(5), 160-165. 5. Branley, J., et al (1996) Prevalence of Bartonella henselae bacteremia, the causative agent of cat scratch disease, in an Australian cat population. Pathology, 28(3), 262-5. 6. Pennisi, M.G., et al (2013) Bartonella species infection in cats: ABCD guidelines on prevention and management. J Feline Med Surg , 15(7), 563-569.
7. Lin, J.W., et al (2011) Unknown fever and back pain caused by Bartonella henselae in a veterinarian after a needle puncture: a case report and literature review. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis , 11(5), 589-591. 8. Greenblatt, D., et al (2013), Parainfectious meningo-encephalo-radiculo-myelitis (cat-scratch disease, Lyme borreliosis, brucellosis, botulism, legionellosis, pertussis, mycoplasma). In: Handbook of Clinical Neurology . Elsevier. 1195-1207. 9. Chomel, B.B., et al (2004) Cat-scratch disease and other zoonotic Bartonella infections. J Am Vet Med Assoc , 224(8), 1270-1279. 10. Álvarez-Fernández, A., et al (2018) Bartonella infections in cats and dogs including zoonotic aspects. Parasit Vectors , 11(1), 624.
CONTENTS
Companion Animal Zoonoses Guidelines 31
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online