Pathogens can both cause poisoning in the body and release their toxins (endotoxins) as their bodies break down. Incubation period is the period from the time of infection to the appearance of the first symptoms of the disease. It may last several hours or even several years.

List of symptoms of scratch disease:

• swelling of the damaged area of ​​skin,
• prolonged wound healing, inflammatory process, suppuration,
• enlargement of the lymph nodes located closest to the site of infection.

In children, the disease may be accompanied by weakness, lethargy, increased drowsiness and lack of appetite. If left untreated, the disease may worsen: elevated temperature for 1-2 months.

When treating this disease, proven folk remedies are most often used. The complex requires bed rest and a calm environment, and compresses are also applied to the area of ​​inflammation of the lymph nodes. It must be remembered that the permissible temperature during illness is 37 degrees, but if the temperature is higher, medications should be used (only after consulting a specialist) to lower it.

For treatment, they mainly use the juices of various herbs, tree resins, or special powders. It must be remembered that a healthy immune system of the body - important factor in the fight against the disease.

Treatment with alternative medicine.

Celandine.

Celandine juice should be taken in the form of drops. For children - up to 5 drops of juice, for adults - up to 20 drops. For greater effect, it is recommended to dilute with warm milk.

Calendula.

Calendula juice should be taken every day after meals. It has a good disinfectant effect and accelerates the wound healing process.

Nettle.

Wounds are treated with nettle juice. Enough effective means treatment are compresses made from nettle juice: the compress must be changed as often as possible - every couple of hours, the number of wound treatments using compresses from nettle juice should reach ten to fifteen times during the day.

Yarrow.

Yarrow juice is used to treat damaged skin. Accelerates the healing process, can stop bleeding and significantly reduce inflammatory processes in wounds, helps prevent the formation of pus in wounds.

Plantain.

Plantain juice has long been known as a good anti-inflammatory agent. It can significantly reduce the suppuration of wounds and relieve pain. The gauze bandage must be thoroughly soaked in juice and then applied to the damaged area of ​​the skin. The bandage must be changed three to four times a day.

Lungwort.

Lungwort juice also has a strong anti-inflammatory effect. Used as compresses. Change the compress two to three times a day.

Raincoat mushroom.

Crushed puffball mushroom is used as a powder for wounds. When ripe, the spores are able to reduce the suppuration of wounds and stop bleeding; the healing process of the wound when using powder from the puffball mushroom is significantly accelerated.

Resins of fir, pine, cedar and spruce.

Treatment of the disease with resin is carried out daily. It is applied to the damaged area of ​​skin. The course lasts several days until the condition improves and the healing process of the wound is noticeable. This treatment method was considered very effective in ancient times.

Bee Honey.

When xeroform is added to bee honey, we obtain a healing ointment. It is necessary to lubricate the wounds several times a day until the swelling and redness go away. This treatment method is also effective for other possible wounds or cuts to the skin.

Lard, beeswax and tree resins.

The recipe for treating a disease from these components was very popular among our ancestors in conditions where there were no drugs. All ingredients must be mixed, add a small amount of water and cook over low heat. When the mixture boils, a film will appear on the surface, which must be carefully removed. It is necessary to boil for several minutes, after which the broth should cool. It can be used not only for the disease described above, but also for any other skin damage.

Fish fat.

Fish oil, like bee honey, when mixed with xeroform, is a potent healing ointment. It is also used to lubricate damaged areas of the skin. These ointments are quite effective even if the disease has been treated for a long time without success.

At first glance, the disease seems quite simple and not dangerous, but you should not let everything take its course. Very dangerous complications can occur: inflammation of the lymph nodes, disorder or damage to the body's central nervous system, and an increase in the size of the liver. All these complications can lead to undesirable consequences for human health.

Prevention.

Cats are one of the most beloved pets for both children and adults. Due to the fact that cats are animals in close contact with humans, their disappearance from Everyday life human is impossible. To prevent the disease, you can resort to correct and accessible explanation of the causes of the disease to children, warnings about dangerous games with animals, which can lead to scratches, and subsequently to the disease. It must be remembered that if you receive a scratch, you must immediately treat the damaged area of ​​skin with an antiseptic, then wash it thoroughly with plenty of warm soapy water and repeat the treatment of the wound.

Scratches are a common occurrence for almost every cat owner. They usually heal quickly and are forgotten almost immediately. But what should you do if your cat scratches you and your hand swells, and this has never happened before? Is this dangerous and how can you help yourself in such a situation?

Possible consequences

At first glance, the scratches do not pose any danger. And indeed, in most cases, they do not cause trouble, with the exception of an external defect. It is quite difficult to avoid scratches during constant contact and active play with a pet.

But scratches from cat claws can be dangerous. There is a disease called cat scratch fever, or felinosis. It appears as a result of cat bites or scratches. And if your hand is swollen after being scratched by a cat, then there is a high probability that you are faced with this particular disease.

Main symptoms of cat scratch fever:

• tissue redness;
• swelling of the injured area;
• bubbles with liquid on the surface of the wound and near it;
• enlarged lymph nodes (nearby);
• increased weakness, drowsiness;
• headache;
• increase in body temperature.

Symptoms may not begin to appear immediately after infection. The first signs may appear 3 days after the scratch is applied. In some cases, more than a month may pass from the moment of injury to the onset of illness. Therefore, often a person may not see the relationship between the onset of poor health and the incident with the cat.

In most cases, the prognosis for cure is favorable. But, in about 2% of those infected, complications may occur. Therefore, it is important to monitor changes in well-being after a cat scratches and promptly consult a doctor.

Causes for concern

Cats can quite often scratch or bite their owners severely during play. This becomes almost a habitual part of communication with your pet. Most often the arms and fingers are affected, less often the legs and torso.

You should pay closer attention to the scratch if:

• scratched by a street cat;
• the scratch was caused by an unvaccinated cat;
• bleeding does not stop for more than 10 minutes;
• the wound site hurts, blood, pus, and ichor are released from it;
• bubbles appear in the area of ​​scratches;
• the skin around the scratch is swollen and red;
• temperature rises;
• weakness appears;
• lymph nodes enlarge.

What not to do

If you are scratched or bitten by a cat, it is quite possible to provide yourself with the necessary first aid yourself. But you should not overdo it, as some actions can only aggravate the condition. For healing to take place quickly and without consequences, remember that:

• There is no need to stop the bleeding quickly. With the first drops of blood, an infection can potentially come out and inflammation can be avoided.
• There is no need to apply a tight bandage, and also do not cover the wound site. dressing material. This increases the likelihood of inflammation and suppuration.
• There is no need to remove swelling on your own. Swelling of the tissue indicates a high likelihood of infection developing in the area where the cat scratched you. Postponing application for medical care may result in the need for serious medical intervention.

First aid and treatment

To prevent infection from occurring and the hand to subsequently become swollen, first aid measures must be taken.

As soon as the cat scratches you need:

• Wash the wound with plain water, preferably using regular or laundry soap.
• Treat the scratch with a disinfectant (alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine).
• Treat the wound with an antibacterial or healing agent (cream, ointment).
• Apply a light dressing using a bandage. It should serve as protection against possible re-injury, and should not be tight.

For several days after the cat has scratched you, you need to monitor how the healing progresses. In most cases, this happens quickly, and after one or two days the scratch is almost completely healed. But if your hand is swollen and red, you should immediately seek medical help. This may indicate infection and development pathological process. This condition must be treated promptly.

Cat scratch disease is an infectious disease that begins to develop after a cat bite or scratch. After damage to the skin by an animal, suppuration forms due to bacteria entering the wound. These harmful microorganisms are capable of causing poisoning in the body by releasing toxins as their bodies break down. The disease has an incubation period that can last several hours, and in some cases several years.

About cat scratch disease, treatment with folk remedies and pharmaceutical drugs, we will talk to you today on the website www.site.

Main symptoms of the disease

Cat scratch disease manifests itself as follows: First, a swelling of the skin appears at the site of the injury. The wound takes a long time to heal, inflammation of the damaged area and suppuration appear. The lymph nodes that are closest to the site of injury become enlarged.

In children, the disease is often accompanied by general weakness. The child becomes lethargic, constantly wants to sleep, and loses his appetite. If timely treatment measures are not taken, body temperature may rise and remain elevated for a long time.

Treatment of the disease

The disease, of course, can go away on its own; it does not need to be treated. Only in this case, it will bring you a lot of discomfort for 1-2 months. This disease is also dangerous due to its possible complications. It is best to take immediate action for treatment. Moreover, it is possible to use modern effective pharmaceutical drugs, as well as proven folk remedies that can help you.

Immediately after you are scratched, it is best to wash the wound with alcohol, cologne and, after drying, lubricate it with iodine, or better yet, brilliant green. When symptoms of the disease appear, compresses should be applied to the inflamed lymph nodes. It is better for your child to spend the day in bed; provide him with a calm environment. You should know that usually with this disease the temperature can rise to 37 degrees. If the thermometer shows values ​​much higher than acceptable, take antipyretic medications.

In case of complications of the disease, severe inflammatory process, high temperature and other signs of infection, you should consult a doctor. In this case, antibiotics are used for treatment. Usually this is Erythromycin - 500 mg daily. The use of Doxycycline and Gentamicin also gives good results. Lubricate the wound with Prednisolone ointment, you can also buy it at the pharmacy.

You need to know that people who have severely weakened immunity are most often susceptible to the disease. Therefore, along with the use of pharmaceutical medicines, use products to improve immunity and overall body tone. Drugs for treatment should be prescribed by an infectious disease specialist.

Folk remedies

Cat scratch disease can also be successfully treated using proven folk remedies. They can be used in the normal, uncomplicated course of the disease, to quickly heal the wound, relieve inflammation, and general malaise.

Freshly squeezed juice from fresh flowers is considered an effective folk remedy. It has disinfecting properties and quickly heals skin damage. Lubricate the wound with fresh juice. Celandine juice has the same properties. Pick the plant and apply the yellow juice to the wound.

An effective folk remedy is. It has healing properties. Lubricate the bite or scratch with its juice. The juice of the plant will eliminate inflammation, accelerate skin regeneration, and stop bleeding. The juice of the plant will prevent the formation of pus.

If the disease needs to be treated in winter or when it is impossible to prepare fresh plant juice, dried flowers can be used, they can also be bought at any nearby pharmacy. Prepare the infusion: Pour 1 tbsp. l. dried flowers 1 tbsp. boiling water, wait until the infusion cools down. Strain and use it to apply lotions to the wound.

Excellent folk remedy treatment of cat scratch disease - . Lubricate the wound with fresh plant juice as often as possible. You can apply a thoroughly washed and well mashed leaf of the plant to the damaged skin. Can be moistened with nettle juice small piece bandage, apply it to the wound. The compress should be changed up to 10 times a day.

A very old folk remedy is resin from fir, pine, spruce, and cedar trees. Apply the resin of these trees generously to the area of ​​the bite or scratch. Healing begins within a few days, and the patient’s condition improves significantly.

Try using a puffball mushroom. Just use not a young mushroom, but one with already ripe spores. They are located inside the mushroom and look like powder. Sprinkle this “powder” onto the wound several times a day. This folk remedy will help you get rid of inflammation very quickly.

Wash inflamed wounds with natural and fish oil. You need to mix them in equal quantities, add a little xeroform, and mix everything thoroughly. The result is a healing ointment that is used to lubricate wounds. This folk remedy has a high effect, especially when the illness has lasted for a long time, and other remedies have not brought the desired effect.

The disease is considered mild and not dangerous. However, its development cannot be left to chance. The disease must be treated for adults, and especially children. The fact is that complications may develop. This is damage to the central nervous system, enlargement of the liver, inflammation of the lymph nodes. These diseases require longer and more expensive treatment. So treat cat scratches under the supervision of a doctor. Be healthy!

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Update: October 2018

A cat is not only a source of affection and relief from a bad mood in a natural way, without taking any herbs or pills. This relative of wild predators, especially at a young age, through his bite or scratch can transmit felinosis - cat scratch disease. This disease has a long course, accompanied by inflammation and sometimes suppuration of the lymph nodes near the scratched area. If at the time of infection the person’s immunity was not suppressed by the disease or medications, the disease passes without complications. Otherwise, complications from the liver, brain and spleen may occur.

About the causative agent of the disease

Felinosis is caused by a very unusual bacterium - Bartonella henselae. This is an intermediate form between a bacterium and a virus: in shape it does not differ from a bacterium and even has a flagellum; destroyed by antibiotics. But, like a virus, it lives inside a cell and is grown not on nutrient media, but on living cells. Her " cousins", Rickettsia, are the causative agents of many diseases, including typhus - a pathology that appears in some people who have lice on their heads.

The name of the disease, felinosis, comes from the word “Felis,” which is the Latin name for cats. The “name” of the bacterium – Bartonella hensele – was given to it in honor of the microbiologist who discovered the microbe and described its properties, Diana Hensel.

How and from whom do they get infected?

The bulk of Bartonella “lives” in the body of domestic and wild cats. The bacterium is transmitted to each other by cat fleas, in whose intestines the microbe lives for up to 9 days. These insects are not dangerous to humans.

According to statistics, almost half of cats have this pathogen in their blood, and the animals do not experience any symptoms of the disease, although they have been sick for several years. There is even an opinion that this bacterium normally inhabits the mouth of cats. They excrete the bacterium in their urine and saliva, from where it ends up on the cats' paws.

Therefore, you can become infected:

• when bitten by an animal;
• through damage from a cat's claw;
• through contact with saliva in the eye (on the conjunctiva) or on damaged skin;
• if the water/food that the cat drank came into contact with mucous membranes or injured skin;
• if there is an injection with a fishing hook, a splinter or thorns of plants on which the cat’s saliva has come into contact.

The most dangerous in terms of contagiousness are kittens that are not yet 1 year old. Adult cats are slightly less dangerous. But dogs, monkeys, and rodents can also become a source of infection. You can even become infected by pricking yourself with a hedgehog needle or a bird feather.

Usually affected:

• hands;
• skin of legs;
• head;
• face;
• rarely - eyes.

A person cannot infect a person. And someone who has had felinosis once will not develop the disease again. 5% of people are immune to felinosis (of which 25% are owners of domestic cats).

Some statistics

In temperate climates, infections most often occur from September to March (almost 2/3 of all cases). This is explained by closer human contact with pets during the cold season. There is no seasonality in the tropics.

About 90% of cases are children and adolescents under 20 years of age. Boys get sick more often. Family outbreaks are rare: usually only 1 child gets sick, although everyone has played with the same kitten.

What increases the chance of a more severe course of felinosis

A person who has come into contact with Bartonella hensele develops a severe or even atypical form of felinosis in the following situations:

• there is a congenital pathology of the cellular immune system;
• after a serious illness or surgery;
• when you need to take glucocorticoids (for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, psoriasis, and so on);
• after treatment with cytostatic drugs (cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine, azathioprine);
• in persons who abuse alcohol;
• in patients diabetes mellitus;
• in HIV-infected people.

In the latter case, felinosis is very severe and long-lasting; sometimes its manifestations are so atypical that they don’t even think about this diagnosis.

How does the disease manifest itself?

A scratch or site of a cat bite heals slowly for the first 3-10 days, without causing any concern on the part of the person: it may hurt a little or irritate, like a regular skin injury. This is the incubation period; At this time, the pathogen overcomes the barriers of the integumentary tissue and multiplies. This period can extend up to 3 weeks, then at the time the first symptoms of felinosis appear, skin trauma no longer exists.

After the time it takes for the microbe to penetrate and accumulate (3 days to 3 weeks, on average 7-14 days), a rash appears in the place where there was a scratch or where a crust remains. It looks like several nodules the size of a millet grain to a pea, which do not itch or hurt.

After 2-3 days, the period of the height of the disease begins: such nodules fester and open up on their own, after which they become covered with a crust and may begin to itch slightly (especially if a child with allergies has been scratched). Within 1-3 weeks, the crusts dry and fall off, after which the bite site ceases to be noticeable: there are no scars or darker areas of skin left. This means that Bartonella has multiplied in sufficient quantities, overcome the local immunity of the skin area and entered the lymphatic system.

After 10-14 days (less often - longer) from the moment the first nodules appear, the microbe is caught by regional lymph nodes - local filters that try to prevent it from passing further.

If the arm below the elbow was bitten, one or more groups of lymph nodes enlarge: elbow, axillary, cervical. The order in which lymphadenitis appears may be exactly this, but the axillary nodes may immediately enlarge, while the ulnar nodes remain unchanged. Also, starting from the axillary fossa, the lymph nodes will enlarge if the forearm or shoulder is damaged by claws or teeth.

If the bite/scratch is on the leg, the lymph nodes in the femoral and groin area become inflamed. When the face is scratched, the submandibular, anterior or posterior ear groups may be the first to react; after which one or more lymph nodes from the cervical group enlarge.

Signs that indicate that the lymph nodes are damaged due to felinosis:

• lymph nodes gradually increase, reaching from 5 to 10 cm in diameter;
• they are dense;
• it hurts to feel them;
• the skin over them is not red or hot to the touch;
• lymph nodes can be moved - they do not pull the skin along with them;
• when enlarging the entire group of nodes, probing them, you can “roll” them independently of each other: they are not soldered together.

Enlarged lymph nodes are accompanied by a deterioration in the person’s general condition. The following symptoms appear:

• fever, sometimes up to 39°C or higher;
• headache;
• malaise;
• weakness;
• poor sleep;
• sweating;
• loss of appetite;
• heartbeat.

Not everyone’s temperature rises to such high numbers: in some cases, it may be completely absent. The increase in temperature lasts from a week to a month, other symptoms gradually disappear within 2 weeks. Lymph nodes remain enlarged for up to three months. In half of the cases, they suppurate and can spontaneously open: then thick yellow-green pus is released to the surface, which, when taken for bacteriological examination, does not show signs of bacterial infection (as you remember, Bartonella does not grow on nutrient media).

During the same period, a reddish rash may appear on the skin of a person’s body or limbs, occupying larger or smaller areas of the skin. It does not itch or hurt and disappears after a few days.

During the period of lymph node enlargement, the following may also be observed:

• discomfort and pain in the right hypochondrium - this is an enlargement of the liver, which is also a filter on the way of Bartonella, which by this time has entered the blood;
• a feeling of “needles” or discomfort in the left hypochondrium: this may indicate an enlarged spleen, which can also be affected by felinosis. An enlarged liver and spleen can also be detected on ultrasound abdominal cavity without any symptoms;
• heart pain, arrhythmias. These are signs of heart damage;
• enlargement of lymph nodes located far from the site of infection.

The above symptoms of cat scratch disease occur in people whose immunity is not active enough and allows the infection to enter the blood. In those people who are called “immunocompromised” (who have received drugs that suppress the immune system, suffer from diabetes mellitus, congenital immunodeficiency, HIV, chronic alcoholism), felinosis proceeds completely atypically. In them, the infection can remain in the body forever, causing chronic disease.

Usually the disease ends a month or a little less after the first lymph node enlarges: the temperature drops, the headache goes away, sleep and appetite are restored, the lymph nodes gradually decrease in size and become dense little “balls” that are not fused to each other and the skin. Very rarely, with moderately weak immunity, felinosis can last 1-2 years, when its symptoms either subside or reappear.

Atypical forms of the disease

This term is called:

1. a disease that occurs in response to a microbe entering a place other than the skin (for example, the conjunctiva of the eye);
2. Bartonellosis organ damage, characteristic only of people with “compromised” immunity.

Atypical forms are not complications of felinosis; they are a severe, atypical current infection.

Eye damage

If a cat's saliva gets on the conjunctiva of the eye, it may develop:

1. Conjunctivitis Parilo. In this case, only one eye is affected. It is red, swollen, and difficult to open. It doesn’t hurt, and nothing comes out of it. Upon examination, the ophthalmologist will see nodules and ulcers on the conjunctiva.

Simultaneously with the damage to the eye, the parotid lymph nodes on the same side become inflamed. The anterior auricular node is always affected: it grows to 5 cm or more, can suppurate and open, after which a scar forms. The submandibular and cervical lymph nodes may also enlarge. At the same time, the general condition worsens: weakness, palpitations appear, body temperature rises, and sleep deteriorates.

1. Neuroretinitis. At the same time, vision in one eye deteriorates. The state of health has not changed. Changes characteristic of felinosis are seen by an ophthalmologist during examination.

Damage to the nervous system

When Bartonella gets into the blood, 2-3 weeks after inflammation of the regional lymph nodes, signs of damage to the nervous system may appear. This includes a decrease in sensitivity only in the area of ​​socks and gloves, or spreading higher, a violation of the motor function of one or more limbs, trembling, and a lack of coordination.

Felinosis can also cause convulsions, inappropriate behavior, impaired consciousness, and paralysis of the facial nerve.

Atypical forms of immune deficiency

In people whose immunity is greatly reduced, felinosis occurs as bacillary angiomatosis or peliosis hepatitis.

Bacillary angiomatosis

This is the name of the pathology (it often develops only in HIV-infected people), when in response to the presence of bacteria of the genus Bartonella, vascular proliferation occurs.

Here, after damage by a cat's claw or teeth, an incubation period of several weeks or even months passes, that is, the wound heals. Cutaneous manifestations of the disease appear not in the place where the cat scratched, but in a random location. The mucous membranes of the mouth, genitals, and larynx are also affected.

The disease begins with the appearance of not small red nodules on the skin, but red or purple spots that do not protrude above it. Nodules appear later, against the background of these spots. Moreover, the nodes are not small, but large, up to 3 cm in diameter, painful, covered with red, inflamed skin. There may be several of them, individual ones, but there may be hundreds. Around each of them there is a “collar” of thin, eroded (reddish and oozing) epidermis.

The disease is accompanied by malaise, fever, and weight loss. Other organs may be affected: liver, spleen, heart, central nervous system, muscles, bone marrow.

Bacillary angiomatosis occurs in different ways: it can go away on its own, but can, with severe damage to internal organs, lead to death.

Peliosis hepatitis

In this case, cavities filled with blood form in the liver, causing the liver tissue to take on the appearance of a sponge. Symptoms of liver damage due to cat scratch disease:

• prolonged fever;
• chills occur periodically;
• the stomach feels “bloated”, which is due to the accumulation of gases in it;
• the skin takes on a pale yellow appearance;
• bleeding gums increases;
• areas of hemorrhage associated with damage to the blood coagulation system may appear on the skin.

Complications

When Bartonella, which causes felinosis, spreads through the blood to various internal organs, may occur:

1. pleurisy;
2. myocarditis;
3. spleen abscess;
4. osteomyelitis;
5. arthritis;
6. atypical pneumonia.

The bacterium can also cause significant blood complications, consisting of a decrease in various blood cells:

• platelets (thrombitopenic purpura);
• red blood cells (hemolytic anemia);
• eosinophilic leukocytes (eosinophilia);
• leukocytes ().

Diagnostics

An infectious disease specialist is involved in the treatment and diagnosis of felinosis. This specialist is already appearance distinguishes cat scratch disease from wound suppuration. So, if a cat scratches and the hand swells, this is most likely (although an inspection needs to be done) infection of the wound with ordinary (nonspecific) flora: strepto- or staphylococci, Proteas, maybe fungal flora. Such suppuration begins already on the second day after a scratch or bite, the site of injury is red, painful, a light liquid may be released from it, and later pus. With felinosis, the scratch heals, and against the background of a crust or even without it, nodules appear in this place that do not fester, do not hurt or itch.

“Bloating” of the hand after a bite or scratch is most likely a description of phlegmon (purulent melting of tissue) or, even worse, an anaerobic infection of the type. Here you need urgent help from a surgeon, most likely with hospitalization.

If a person begins to be bothered by enlarged lymph nodes, a consultation with an infectious disease specialist is required. Best of all, not a doctor from a clinical hospital, but a doctor from the emergency department of an infectious diseases hospital. There is less chance of infecting other patients, because such manifestations, in the absence of nodules on the skin, must be distinguished from HIV infection, lymphogranulomatosis, infectious mononucleosis, as well as such dangerous diseases as plague and tularemia.

Having suspected felinosis based on the medical history (contact with a cat, the appearance of nodules), an infectious disease doctor will help confirm the diagnosis with the help of studies, for which he needs tissue material either from nodules, or from an abscess, or from a lymph node, for which the doctor must puncture the pathological element and take its contents for the following types of research:

1. by polymerase chain reaction (PCR): this is how B.hanselae particles are detected and recognized. The analysis is performed by paid laboratories;
2. histological: under a microscope, characteristic tissue changes, as well as bacteria, are visible.

Serological tests - the determination of antibodies to Bartonella - also help in diagnosis. To do this, reactions called either ELISA or RSK are performed.

At 3-4 weeks of illness, you can conduct a skin allergy test by injecting a solution with Bartonella particles under the skin: in 90% of people with felinosis, the response will be redness and swelling in this place. This study has not been conducted in children.

A general blood test, in which the number of eosinophils is increased and the ESR is accelerated, does not confirm the diagnosis, but allows us to draw a conclusion about the severity of the disease. Determination of liver tests will help to find out whether the liver function is affected and to what extent, and an ultrasound of the abdominal cavity will reveal an enlargement of the liver and/or spleen, which will give reason to adjust the regime to semi-bed rest (the spleen is a delicate organ, its capsule can be damaged by severe human activity).

Treatment of the disease

Felinosis is treated as follows: medications are prescribed for systemic use, compresses, and surgical treatment can be used.

Typical uncomplicated lesions of the heart, liver, spleen, and nervous system can be treated at home. Other forms require hospitalization of the person.

Drug treatment

Appointed:

• Antibiotics: doxycycline, erythromycin, tetracycline, ofloxacin, gentamicin, clarithromycin. They are used in the form of tablets, and in case of eye damage, also in the form of eye drops.
• Anti-inflammatory and painkillers: ibuprofen, mefenamic acid.
• Antihistamines: cetrin, L-cet, zodak, erius and others.
• In severe cases, glucocorticoids may be prescribed: dexamethasone, prednisolone.

Compresses

It is recommended to apply compresses to the area of ​​inflamed lymph nodes. Take 1 part dimethyl sulfoxide to 4 parts water, wet gauze with this mixture, apply it to the lymph node, put polyethylene on top, and then secure it with a bandage and insulate it with a warm cloth.

Physiotherapeutic methods

The area of ​​inflamed lymph nodes is exposed to UHF and diathermy.

Surgery

If the affected lymph nodes are tense and painful, they are punctured for the purpose of drainage: this way the pressure in the node decreases, which helps in relieving the pain process.

Cat scratch disease in children

Felinosis in children usually occurs in a typical form: a scratch from a cat's claw goes away, and nodules appear in its place, which suppurate and open. After this, 1 or several nearby lymph nodes enlarge. The disease lasts about a month and can go away even without treatment.

An atypical form can develop in an HIV-infected child, a child who has undergone chemotherapy or organ transplantation. In this case, it is impossible to predict which organ or system will be affected. Symptoms of atypical forms in children correspond to those described above.

Diagnostics in children is the same; punctate PCR is its main method.

Treatment is carried out with the drug Sumamed at a dose of 10 mg/kg per day. From 8 years of age, doxycycline or tetracycline can be used. Drugs such as ciprofloxacin or ofloxacin are allowed from 16-18 years of age.

Disease prognosis

In most cases, the disease ends with the complete disappearance of all symptoms. With timely treatment, even severe forms of pathology can be cured. The prognosis for damage to the nervous system is questionable, since Bartonella can cause irreversible changes in the brain.

Disease prevention

What to do if a cat scratches you:

1. wash the wound laundry soap under running water;
2. treat with 3% hydrogen peroxide;
3. cauterize with alcohol or brilliant green.

Taking antibiotics is ineffective. Treatment of cats as potential sources of infection is useless.

“I’m an avid cat lady, so it’s no wonder that my hands are constantly covered in scratches. As a rule, they leave red and blue stripes for a long time. How can you get rid of them?”
Daria Ivanyushkina, Vladivostok

Tatyana Pavlovna Pyzhevich, an infectious disease specialist at City Clinic No. 81 in Moscow, is consulting.

Cat scratches do take a long and painful time to heal. And, of course, it is best to try not to let games with your favorite dog reach that critical moment when she releases her claws.
But if something like this does happen, the main thing is not to let things take their course. Scratches, as well as bites, should be immediately treated with a 2% hydrogen peroxide solution, and then with iodine or alcohol. However, these are traditional remedies, and they are needed in order to prevent infection. And to speed up the healing process and make unattractive red and blue stripes disappear faster, there are many modern means, which can be purchased at the pharmacy.
Miramistin, a drug based on myristic acid, has proven itself well. Many experts consider it one of the best antiseptics today, which can replace a good half of the home first aid kit. This is an excellent remedy for preventing suppuration of wounds. In addition, it allows you to avoid antibiotics that many people dislike and does not cause any allergic reactions, and therefore suitable for children, who especially often suffer from cat scratches and bites. Ask your pharmacist for a bottle with a green label - any pharmacy probably has it.
There is one more good drug– the so-called “Emu Fat”. It should be applied to wounds morning and evening. Also, morning and evening, lubricate the scratch areas with colloidal silver. And if you combine these two products, scratch marks will disappear even faster.
So, as you can see, you can get rid of the consequences of careless games with pets without special effort. The situation is much more serious if Murka gives you an infection. Here we are already talking about illness.
I am sure that many, even avid cat lovers, not only do not have the slightest idea about it, but have not even heard of the name. Meanwhile, the disease has several names. This is benign lymphoreticulosis, and non-bacterial lymphadenitis, and, finally, simply “cat scratch” disease - all this is one and the same.
The disease is quite serious and infectious. Its pathogen lives in the body of infected cats. Cats themselves do not get sick, but they infect humans through scratching, biting, and licking.
The “cat scratch” disease may go away on its own, but it will cause you a lot of trouble for a month or two, or even more. It's better to take action right away.
To those remedies that have already been named, you need to add antibiotics. The most commonly used is erythromycin - 500 mg daily. Good results give doxycycline and gentamicin. It has been noticed that people with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to the disease, so it’s a good idea to take medications that strengthen immune system. The disease is also well treated with prednisolone. However, it is best if this or that drug is prescribed to you by an infectious disease doctor.
Cat scratch disease can be avoided by taking the necessary steps in a timely manner. preventive measures. Cats should undergo regular veterinary examinations. If you are sick, treat them as seriously as you treat yourself. By the way, experts are now discussing the question: is it possible to immunize muskies and whether it is possible to interrupt the transmission of infection to humans. Preliminary data show that microbes in the blood of cats can “live” safely for several years, but successful treatment is quite possible - with the help of antimicrobial drugs. But vaccinated cats are more sensitive to re-infection.
One way or another, the danger of “cat scratch” disease remains in any case. Therefore, even if you have vaccinated your cat, you should not let down your guard.

One of the first mentions of the disease that a sweet pussy can give to a person is found in the legend of the Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten. When a new favorite appeared among his concubines, the pharaoh’s legal wife, the beautiful Nefertiti, gave the foreigner a kitten from her beloved cat. He turned out to be temperamental and loved to scratch. The beauty got sick. At first, the scratches on my wrist did not heal for a long time, then the abrasions turned red, swollen and festered. In the end, the pharaoh's favorite left the world of the living. The palace was immersed in sadness, and only the wise Nefertiti, stroking the kitten, smiled.