Serology for Bartonella revealed a strongly positive titre of 1:2048. This remarkably positive result confirmed the suspicion of infection with Bartonella henselae (also known as cat-scratch disease).
What is Bartonella serology ?
B henselae is a Gram-negative bacillus that usually causes infection after a scratch or bite from a kitten under the age of one year. Cat exposure is reported in 90% of CSD cases, with no reports of human-to-human transmission. During the autumn and early winter months, cases are most common in children (80% in those under the age of 21). The only symptoms in typical CSD, which accounts for 90% of cases, are regional lymphadenopathy proximal to the inoculation site and mild constitutional symptoms, which may include low-grade fever, malaise, and fatigue.
When a child presents with a fever without focus, the etiological categories of infectious, rheumatological, neoplastic, and drug-induced fever must be considered. Similarly, the broad categories of lymphadenopathy etiologies include infectious, malignant, immunological, endocrine, vasculitic, and storage disorder etiologies.
To narrow the differential diagnosis, several clinical features must be considered: patient age, lymph node size, location of the nodes, lymph node quality, localized or generalized lymphadenopathy, time course of presentation, and other associated symptoms (1). A thorough history often reveals clues to the diagnosis when identifying infectious agents. In this case, the family cat was a kitten who was prone to biting and scratching.
To learn more about Bartonella serology refer to:https://brainly.com/question/14687177
#SPJ4
