Cat scratch disease is a zoonosis caused by the entry of the bacterium Bartonella henselae into the skin.
Infection is common among cats through flea bites ( Ctenocephalides felis ), which act as a vector and infect the animal through a blood meal. The cat, therefore, transmits this microorganism to man through scratches or bites. The pathology may also be related to exposure to dogs, squirrels, goats, rabbits or horses or to infected objects. Primary traumatic lesions mainly affect the limbs, the neck or the head. Cat scratch disease has a worldwide spread; it mainly affects children, more inclined to play with domestic cats.
