Cat-Scratch Disease Can Cause Psychosis

A new study, published in Frontiers of Psychiatry by Columbia University Irving Medical Center, has shown that people with cat-scratch disease can develop adult psychosis and even schizophrenia. The root cause is a pathogen called Bartonella henselae.

Bartonella henselae is a vector-borne pathogen that can get into a person’s bloodstream via a scratch or bite. There are as many as 45 types of Bartonella, but Bartonella henselae is the one associated with cat-scratch disease.

It used to be thought that people with cat-scratch disease would recover quickly with no lasting side effects. But the study has shown that a person diagnosed with bartonelloses can develop psychosis and even schizophrenia.

Cat-scratch Disease Signs

People with cat-scratch disease often have a history of cat scratches and bites. The cats or kittens themselves are healthy. It’s only the bitten and scratched children and adults who are at risk.

The infection cause by Bartonella henselae is often so minor that it is ignored. After playing with their cat, the owner is not particularly worried if they have a few cat marks here and there.

The first signs of cat-scratch are a small lump or pimple at the site of a bite or scratch. It might take 3 to 10 days to develop, so any infection might not be immediately apparent. The site of the scratch or bite may be itchy to begin with.

From weeks 1 to 7, the infection will cause swelling of lymph nodes nearest to the bite or scratch. If the scratch is on the arm, the lymph nodes in the armpit will be enlarged as they are activated to fight the infection. This stage is often painful and may be accompanied by a fever.

Cat-scratch Disease Diagnosis

If symptoms are present, in particular fever and enlarged lymph nodes, then a blood test from a doctor will be required.

A blood test is required to see if a person has cat-scratch disease. If the blood contains Bartonella henselae DNA or Bartonella henselae specific antibodies, then this is will show the presence of cat-scratch disease.

The Study

The Columbia University study, called “Bartonella species bacteremia in association with adult psychosis“, collected blood samples from 116 people who had chronic illnesses. They found that some people in the study who had psychosis had inflammatory markers in their blood caused by Bartonella DNA or Bartonella antibodies.

One of the authors of the study, professor Edward Breitschwerdt, said:

“As an infectious disease researcher, I believe that infection should be critically examined as a potential cause of diseases for which the cause is unclear or unknown.”

“We wanted to explore potential drivers of inflammation in patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses. Based on the associations I’ve seen between Bartonella and symptoms of mental illness in my prior work, Bartonella infection could be one possible candidate.”

The study has showed that cat-scratch disease is not mild disease that gets better by itself over several months. On the contrary, the study showed that much more care is needed with cat scratches and bites as the presence of the Bartonella pathogen could lead to psychiatric issues.

Prevention Of Cat-scratch Disease

Avoiding cat bites and scratches is a good idea! But for active cat owners, this is not so easy. So try not to “play rough” with cats or kittens so you don’t get retaliatory bites and mean scratches on your body.

If you do get bitten or scratched, wash the area immediately with running hot water and anti-bacterial soap. Then cover the area with an adhesive bandage.

It’s not recommended that you let your cat lick any open wounds, or even minor abrasions. The cat’s saliva can transmit the Bartonella pathogen.

Keep fleas and ticks under control in your house. While flea bites themselves don’t seem to be a cause of cat-scratch disease in humans, your cat might still get Bartonella henselae from them. So use products and practices that keep those pesky fleas and ticks in check.