By Dr. Judson Eneas

Question:

Dear Dr. Eneas,

My neighbor's cat scratched me and it broke the skin. Should I be worried about cat scratch fever? Will I need a tetanus vaccine? I can't remember when I last had one. I am 24 years old.

Answer:

Catch scratch disease (CSD) usually occurs in children and most commonly occurs as a scratch from kittens or a bite from fleas off a cat. The infection is caused by several bacteria, the most common of which is an organism called Bartonella. Within a few days lymph glands in the area will swell up and sometimes develop pus in the swelling. The swollen lymph nodes usually occur in the upper extremities, in the armpits, or in the neck. The doctors that will see this condition most often will be the pediatricians or the infectious disease doctors.

Since you are 24 years old your chances of developing the disease is small and even if you develop swollen glands, they usually go away without treatment. However I would suggest you get a tetanus shot to avoid tetanus infections. If you have not had one in 10 years, you should receive a booster shot. If you saw a physician after the cat scratch, your physician most likely recommended a tetanus toxoid injection.