Signs & Symptoms of the Disease

Up to three quarters of people with cat scratch disease have a cat scratch or bite somewhere on their bodies.  A blister or a small bump often develops several days after the scratch or bite and may be mistaken for an insect bite.  This blister or bump is called an inoculation lesion, and it is most commonly found on the arms and hands, head, or scalp.  Sometimes there are several of these lesions, and they are generally not painful.

Usually within a couple of weeks of a scratch or bite, one or more lymph nodes close to the area of the inoculation lesion will swell and become tender. These swollen lymph nodes appear most often in the underarm or neck areas, although if the inoculation lesion is on the leg, then the nodes in the groin will be affected. They range in size from about 1/2 inch to 2 inches (1 to 5 centimeters) in diameter and may be surrounded by a larger area of swelling under the skin. The skin over these swollen lymph nodes may become warm and red, and occasionally the lymph nodes drain pus.

In most children and adolescents, swollen lymph nodes are the main symptom of the disease, and the illness often is mild. About one third of people with cat scratch disease have other general symptoms. These include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, rash, sore throat, and an overall ill feeling.

*Atypical cases of cat scratch disease do occur, but they are much less common.  These cases include infections of the liver, spleen, bones, lungs, or a lingering high fever with no other sypmtoms.