Many of us can’t get enough of our furry friends and spend every minute that we can playing with them and sometimes they scratch. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a new study showing that more people are suffering from serious complications from something called the “cat scratch fever.”
Cat-scratch disease or “cat scratch fever” has more serious complications than people originally thought. When a cat scratches a person, they can pass on a bacterial infection that they catch from fleas. Through a scratch, bite, or lick, they can get you sick.
“When cats scratch themselves they get the bacteria on their claws, so when they scratch a person the bacteria can enter the skin and infect the person,” said lead researcher Dr. Christina Nelson, a CDC medical officer.
According to the report, there are about 12,000 people diagnosed with cat scratch disease, and from those about 500 have required hospitalizations.
Symptoms can include, headache, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and in some cases the heart and brain were affected. The researchers found that those that were most likely to be admitted to the hospital were males between 50 and 64 years old. The report is scheduled to be published in the October issue of the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
What Can You Do?
Washing your hands often can help prevent a person from catching a disease, which might be a good idea to wash your hands after you’re done playing or cud. Also, if you own a cat, make sure you keep him inside, only letting him out for short periods of time. Using flea-control products to keep them clean and flea-free is a definite must. There’s no need to get rid of your cat, but practicing good hygiene and avoiding cat scratches should be a priority.