Cat Scratch Disease (Bartonella Henselae Infection) prevention

The best way to prevent the spread of bartenellosis is to prevent household pets from becoming infested with fleas and ticks. It appears that an arthropod vector is necessary for spread between individuals and Bartonella infections have not been noted in households that are flea-free, although there is concern about tick infestations as well.

Bartonella is an organism that has serious zoonotic potential for people, meaning that spread from pets to people is a major concern. Though cat scratch disease or cat scratch fever is the most commonly seen zoonotic disease associated with Bartonella and is most often caused by a specific species (Bartonella henselae), other species of Bartonella have been recognized in many other species of animals, leading to concern about zoonotic potential with these species as well.