Boy has mental illness because of being scratched by cat

Previously, the patient was an active, cheerful teenager in the US, according toJournal of Central Nervous System DiseaseMarch 18. In addition to symptoms of hallucinations, paranoia, suicidal and homicidal thoughts, the boy called himself "the son of the devil".

Scientists from North Carolina State University, who treated the patient, said the boy was prescribed aripiprazole for a week to reduce suicidal and homicidal thoughts, but the psychotic episode did not improve. In the following weeks, the patient became more confused, showing irrational anger and fear, even fearing being murdered by the family cat. The medical team was at a dead end because they tried many treatments without success.

Ten months later, the patient’s parents accidentally discovered a clue about their son’s strange illness. They discovered red stripes on his body. They looked like growth spurts but were actually lesions caused by infection.

In early 2017, blood tests showed that the patient tested positive for the bacteria Bartonella henselae, which is commonly found in cat blood. The medical team determined that the boy had been scratched by a cat and infected with the bacteria Bartonella henselae. In fact, the patient's family had two cats.

Bartonella henselae infection, also known as cat scratch disease, typically causes swelling and localized lesions. Sometimes, it causes serious problems in the heart and nervous system, leading to periods of confusion and behavioral disorders. In addition to Bartonella henselae, the parasite Toxoplasma gondii in cats has also been linked to schizophrenia.

Bartonella henselae has never been documented in the medical literature as a cause of psychiatric disorders. The case presented an opportunity for scientists to further investigate the link between infection and psychiatric illness.

After a course of anti-viral chemotherapy, the 14-year-old boy is now back to his previous state and physical condition.