Young Individual Contracts Rare Bone Ailment Through Kitten Interaction
Young Individual Contracts Rare Bone Ailment Through Kitten Interaction
The recent fiasco with the girl's pet kitten was outlined in BMJ Case Reports this month by medical professionals in Portugal. According to their account, the girl presented to doctors with intense abdominal pain on the right side and a fever. Initially, she reported no recent travel or contact with animals. A physical examination didn't reveal any clear cause, but a scan revealed an abscess, or pockets of pus, along the tissues surrounding the spinal cord and bone erosion.
The doctors eliminated several potential causes and conducted a second CT scan, which allowed them to collect a sample from the abscess. This sample tested positive for Bartonella bacteria. It was then that the family recollected they had owned a young cat a while back. With this final piece of the puzzle, the doctors diagnosed the girl with an unusual case of cat scratch disease.
Cat scratch disease is caused by Bartonella henselae, bacteria that live and reproduce within other cells, much like viruses. Cats are common carriers of these infections, with the bacteria hiding in their saliva. However, the germ can also be transmitted through other animals like dogs, or parasites such as ticks, fleas, and lice.
Bartonella infections usually don't lead to severe illness in people with healthy immune systems. However, they can pose a risk to those with weakened immune systems, and there's some evidence suggesting they may occasionally trigger psychiatric illnesses. The typical symptoms of cat scratch fever are swollen lymph nodes, skin rashes, and fever. The girl's bone infection, or osteomyelitis, is an exceptionally rare complication, with estimated incidences ranging from 0.17% to 0.27% in diagnosed cases.
Diagnosing and treating Bartonella infections can be challenging due to the bacteria's ability to live within our cells. However, the girl made a full recovery after undergoing treatment with doxycycline and rifampicin.
"Diagnosing cat scratch disease can be challenging in the absence of typical symptoms," the doctors concluded. "However, Bartonella henselae should be considered if common pathogens are ruled out and the response to treatment is poor."
In the future, advancements in health technology might help diagnose Bartonella infections more accurately, reducing the need for extensive testing. With the aid of science, we could develop new antibiotics specifically targeting Bartonella bacteria within cells, potentially reducing the side effects of current treatments.