• Cat scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis are human diseases.
• A.felis and B. henselae appear to cause no known disease in cats, although longer term studies suggested that cats can remain bacteraemic for at least 1 months.

Cat scratch disease

• Generally a benign, self-limiting disease, usually seen in children.
• Almost all patients with CSD have had contact with a cat or dog but around 30% have no apparent history of a cat scratch.
• Primary skin lesion, usually at the site of a recent scratch or wound

• first appears as a non-pruritic, erythematous papule;
• develops into a vesicle, then pustule;
• which ruptures, scabs over and heals.

• Regional lymphadenitis develops about a week after the skin lesion and may last several months.
• By the time the patient seeks medical help, lymphadenitis is often the only clinical sign.
• Atypical CSD (5-10% cases) includes:

• Perinaud's oculoglandular syndrome (after conjunctival inoculation):
• encephalitis (especially in adults);
• recurrent or suppurative lymphadenitis;
• retinitis;
• arthralgia/arthritis;
• systemic lesions (e.g. in the spleen).

• Bacillary angiomatosis is a disease mainly associated with HIV infection and characterised by multiple subcutaneous nodules.

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