Evaluation of an in-house cat scratch disease IgM ELISA to detect Bartonella henselae in a routine laboratory setting

摘要

Although the clinical profile of cat scratch disease (CSD) was described by 1950, the causal pathogen Bartonella henselae was only identified 43 years later in 1993. The domestic cat is the major reservoir of B.henselae, with a confirmed link to disease in humans. There is evidence to suggest that the cat flea is a vector for transmission from cat to cat. Fleas may be involved in transmission to humans because approximately 300 patients do not recall traumatic cat contact, but evidence to support this conclusion is lacking. The majority (60%) of patients with CSD are children under the age of 20, and a seasonal peak in the fall and winter months has been described.