Plenty of cats that have been exposed to Bartonella don’t get sick and, therefore, don’t show clinical signs of the disease. The disease causes fever and swollen lymph nodes along with a number of other possible symptoms. About 20,000 humans in the US are reportedly sickened every year by this infection. Areas with warmer climates have a higher incidence of fleas and, therefore, a higher percentage of cats infected with the disease.īartonellosis in humans generally occurs after a cat scratch or bite. Some reports state that Bartonella has infected 12 percent to 50 percent or more of cats, but the risk of exposure varies greatly depending on the region of the United States.
This doesn’t mean, however, that indoor cats are immune. For this reason, outdoor kitties –– especially those that roam freely and don’t receive regular flea preventives –– are at greater risk for the disease. This version of bartonellosis in humans is commonly called “cat scratch disease” or “cat scratch fever.”Ĭats usually become infected with Bartonella after exposure to infected fleas.
The specific organism transmitted from cats to humans via bites or scratches is called Bartonella henselae. Bartonella organisms can infect many species, including humans and cats. Overviewīartonellosis is caused by several bacteria of the Bartonella family. And it can be transmitted to humans through a scratch or bite. The infection, officially called bartonellosis and caused by a bacteria carried by fleas, can bring on a host of symptoms in cats –– fever, sneezing, eye inflammation –– or none at all. But few know how the disease affects cats and, potentially, their people. Most people have heard of “cat scratch fever” –– or at least they’ve heard the Ted Nugent song.
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