Cat-scratch disease bacteria.

Cat-scratch disease is a benign inoculative lymphoreticulosis, related to the presence of a polymorph bacillus, Warthin-Stary silver stained, Gram negative as assessed by Brown-Hopp staining. It is found in the capillary walls and in macrophages bordering the lymph node sinusoids at the site of inoculation, in regional subacute adenopathy before softening, in internal organs and blood cultures of systemic infections, occurring more often in immuno-compromised patients. These bacteria have been demonstrated in subcutaneous vascular nodules, near to histiocytoid hemangioma in AIDS patients; these lesions are very similar to early stage Kaposi's sarcomas. This bacteria is provisionally listed as G 1492 by the Center for Disease Control.