CAT SCRATCH FEVER OR CAT ALLERGY?

Cat scratch disease, which can cause a fever, is a real medical condition. Many cats carry a bacterium in their saliva, contracted from feces, fleas, or interactions with other cats. It can be transmitted to humans through a bite or scratch. The wound doesn’t heal and may form a pus-filled blister. An infected person may develop flu-like symptoms and swollen lymph nodes. A cat allergy is an immune reaction to a cat’s saliva, so anyone with a cat allergy who receives a cat scratch or bite is at risk for an allergic reaction in addition to a bacterial infection.  The two conditions are unrelated, however, since the cat-scratch disease is an infection, while a cat allergy is an immune response.

P.S. While cat scratch disease and an allergic reaction to cats may both cause flu-like symptoms, a fever is more often associated with cat scratch disease while a rash or trouble breathing is more likely caused by an allergy.

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