Diseases in Humans From Cat Scratches

There are very few diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans, and only a small fraction come from cat scratches. Most cat-borne diseases are passed on by outdoor cats and kittens. The most common is Bartonella henselae, or Cat Scratch Disease, but there are a handful of other less common infections as well. The simplest way to avoid infection is to avoid any rough play with kittens or cats that would end up breaking skin. But if you do get scratched, it is best to thoroughly wash the area with soap and water immediately.

  1. Bartonella henselae

    • Bartonella henselae, commonly known as "Cat Scratch Disease," is a common infection spread through scratches or bites from cats. It most commonly causes a mild infection where the skin is broken and swelling in the lymph nodes of a person's head and neck. Less common symptoms include a fever, headache, lack of appetite, or fatigue. Cats who carry this disease have no symptoms, so there is no way to know if a cat is a carrier.

    Encephalitis

    • In extremely rare cases, children can contract encephalitis from cat scratches, as demonstrated by the Broward County Public Health Unit in Florida and published by the CDC. This contraction is nearly always associated with stray cats or kittens rather than house pets. Encephalitis is a virus that causes swelling of the brain and may also cause brain bleeding or brain damage. Other symptoms can include drowsiness, fever, headache, clumsiness, confusion, irritability, vomiting, and stiffness in the neck or back.

    Other Bacterial Diseases

    • It is also possible to occasionally catch other bacterial diseases from cat scratches, including Campylobacter Infection, Coxiella burnetti Infection, Leptospira Infection, and Q Fever. Although the primary method of passing these diseases is not from cat scratches, they can be spread that way on occasion. The bacteria exist within feces, so cats can contaminate a human indirectly, by scratching a human when bacteria-laden feces are on their paws. This typically would occur after a cat has "buried" his feces in a litter box or outdoors and then comes into contact with a human a short while later. All of these infections can cause fever, headaches, and aches.