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Posted 2/3/2019 6:22 PM (GMT -5)
My 6-year-old got a bad scratch from our cat Friday night. The cat goes outside and we live in an endemic area. I'm worried about bart. No symptoms of anything yet. Would you do anything prophylactically?
Posted 2/3/2019 6:43 PM (GMT -5)
I got bartonella from a cat. I had no obvious symptoms for about a month, then got sick.

Does the cat have any symptoms? I noticed that the cat's fur felt rough, like it had a rash and scabs. Also is this unusual behavior for the cat? Bartonella henselae tends to cause neurologic symptoms, presumably to induce biting and scratching behavior in animals.
Posted 2/3/2019 6:48 PM (GMT -5)
The behavior was caused by my son's father playing stupidly with the cat and teaching her (albeit unintentionally) to attack. Nothing neurological.

She has no obvious symptoms, but it would be a miracle if she didn't have all tick borne illnesses.
Posted 2/3/2019 6:56 PM (GMT -5)
If the cat has no obvious rash or itching, and no neurologic symptoms, probably not bartonella. That doesn't totally rule out the possibility of some infection, but it seems unlikely.
Posted 2/3/2019 7:02 PM (GMT -5)
I'm not sure if bart is like Lyme, as in if you treat early with abx being the most effective. But, if so, I don't think it would be a bad idea to have her treated if you can. Apparently, bartonella in cats is more endemic in warmer climates. Not the same as Lyme. In those climates, it is said it can be found in as high as 50% of cats.

Somebody said...
Some reports state that Bartonella has infected 12 percent to 50 percent or more of cats, but the risk of exposure varies greatly depending on the region of the United States. Areas with warmer climates have a higher incidence of fleas and, therefore, a higher percentage of cats infected with the disease.

http://www.vetstreet.com/care/bartonellosis-cat-scratch-disease
Posted 2/3/2019 7:04 PM (GMT -5)

Quin said...
If the cat has no obvious rash or itching, and no neurologic symptoms, probably not bartonella. That doesn't totally rule out the possibility of some infection, but it seems unlikely.

A lot of cats are asymptomatic to bartonella.
Posted 2/3/2019 7:26 PM (GMT -5)

Hoagie said...
A lot of cats are asymptomatic to bartonella.


It's possible, but the cat that I got bartonella from was showing symptoms at the time. Is bartonella contagious when it is in remission?

The wound did not get obviously red or inflamed so it didn't occur to me at the time that I had gotten infected. When I later got sick, I initially had no idea what I had gotten sick with.
Posted 2/3/2019 7:44 PM (GMT -5)
As Hoagie mentioned - you can't always tell (if ever) that a cat has bartonella.
They can still pass it on even if they're not showing symptoms.


I've grew up with many cats....and also in my adult life.
We only had 1 'crazy' cat out of maybe 15-20 cats.

One of my cats had some weird sinus infection...that went away for awhile with antibiotics...then it kept coming back...re-treating with antibiotics only worked a few times...then it became chronic.
Probably bart. He was not aggressive...one of the most gentle, loving cat.


I think I had a 'smoldering' bartonella infection from early childhood. Although I had quite a healthy life, there were a few anomalies that I look back on - that could indicate bartonella - but for the most part I was holding it at bay possibly.
Posted 2/3/2019 7:46 PM (GMT -5)
His scratch did get red and inflamed. I'm reading that prophylactic treatment with macrolides is effective. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC415619/#!po=38.4298)
Posted 2/3/2019 8:13 PM (GMT -5)

Dahlias said...
His scratch did get red and inflamed. I'm reading that prophylactic treatment with macrolides is effective. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC415619/#!po=38.4298)

Very difficult decision - maybe a round of abx while it’s in early stages would be appropriate.
Posted 2/3/2019 8:13 PM (GMT -5)
Can children take macrolides?
Posted 2/3/2019 9:37 PM (GMT -5)

Girlie said...
Can you children take macrolides?

Macrolides can be given to children, but be aware that bartonella henselae can be resistant to macrolides, and the infection that I got definitely was.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmc1563522/
Posted 2/3/2019 9:51 PM (GMT -5)
I quickly looked at that - and it was based on Erythromycin right?

I wonder if Azithromycin would be okay - as in Lyme and co’s erythromycin isn’t ususlly prescribed but Azithromycin and clarythromycin are considered good abx
Posted 2/3/2019 10:03 PM (GMT -5)
I got bartonella, and it was completely resistant to clarithromycin.
Posted 2/3/2019 10:42 PM (GMT -5)
How accurate are the tests for cats? Maybe take the cat to the vet and have it tested? Maybe have son tested as well.
Posted 2/3/2019 11:37 PM (GMT -5)

Quin said...
I got bartonella, and it was completely resistant to clarithromycin.

What did you pair it with?

clarithromycin paired with Rifampin/Rifabutin is the bart guru - Dr Mozayeni’s protocol.
Posted 2/3/2019 11:50 PM (GMT -5)

Girlie said...
What did you pair it with?

Rifampin, and the bartonella was resistant to that too. The only thing that worked was minocycline.


WV Mike said...
How accurate are the tests for cats? Maybe take the cat to the vet and have it tested? Maybe have son tested as well.

Not any more accurate than tests for humans, and I got a false negative for bartonella.
Posted 2/5/2019 10:05 AM (GMT -5)
Started him on the kid version of a z-pack today. I'm afraid of creating resistent bart, but I think it's the best choice at this time and in this situation. I hope it's the right decision.

Our doctor increasingly thinks I'm crazy.
Posted 2/5/2019 11:09 AM (GMT -5)

Dahlias said...
Started him on the kid version of a z-pack today. I'm afraid of creating resistent bart, but I think it's the best choice at this time and in this situation. I hope it's the right decision.

Our doctor increasingly thinks I'm crazy.


I think that's a wise decision, Dahlias.

I censor what I tell my 'regular' dr. now....no point in giving details....lol. Hey - I would have thought I was crazy 5 years ago...with the way I talk now....haha
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