Rapidly Progressive Infection of Hand After a Cat Bite

Cat bites represent the second most common mammalian bites after dog bites and are responsible for three-quarters of bites that result in infection. We report a case of a 60-year-old retired woman who was admitted to the surgery daily clinic due to fever and pain with three necrotic bite wounds on her hand and lymphangitis, which developed one day after she had been bitten by her cat. Prompt debridement, irrigation and drainage combined with empiric oral amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, resulted in clinical improvement and reduction of elevated inflammatory parameters specifically C-reactive protein. While wound cultures remained sterile, serology results were positive for Bartonella henselae.