cat scratch disease
noun
: an illness that is characterized by swelling of the lymph glands, fever, and chills and is caused chiefly by a bacterium (Bartonella henselae synonym Rochalimaea henselae) transmitted especially by a cat scratch
called also cat scratch fever
Examples of cat scratch disease in a Sentence
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Being outside also exposes them to parasites, including toxoplasma gondii, which causes toxoplasmosis, and bartonella henselae, which causes cat scratch disease.
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Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Bacterial infections can include cat scratch disease, campylobacter, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and salmonella.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2022
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Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2025
Bacterial infections can include cat scratch disease, campylobacter, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and salmonella.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 17 Mar. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Cat scratch disease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cat%20scratch%20disease. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
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