title: Unknown fever and back pain caused by Bartonella henselae in a veterinarian after a needle puncture: a case report and literature review.
abstract: Bartonella henselae, the etiologic agent of cat-scratch disease, rarely causes back pain and is considered to be transmitted through animal scratches and bites. Here we report a cat-scratch disease case possibly with an unusual route of transmission. The patient was a 32-year-old man, and he was working as a veterinarian in a private veterinary clinic. He sought for clinical help because of unknown fever and persistent back pain for at least a month after an accidental needle puncture. Through serological testing and molecular identifications, this clinical case was confirmed to be caused by B. henselae.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jen-Wei
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chih-Ming
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chao-Chin
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain; D018416:Bartonella henselae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002372:Cat-Scratch Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005334:Fever; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000382:microbiology*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013624:Taiwan; D018634:Veterinarians