Is a cat scratch dangerous during pregnancy?

What does the evidence say about cat scratches during pregnancy?

1. People get toxoplasmosis by eating infected meat that has not been cooked properly, drinking contaminated water, or handling soil or cat feces that contain the parasite, not through casual contact like a scratch. 1
2. Once a cat is infected with the toxoplasmosis parasite, it can shed the parasite in its feces for up to two weeks, which is why litter box hygiene, not scratches, is the specific precaution recommended for cat owners. 2
3. Cat scratch disease starts when a tiny wound from an infected cat's bite or scratch allows the bacteria Bartonella henselae to enter the body, and its most common sign is chronic swelling of nearby lymph nodes, sometimes with fever, headache, and malaise. 3
4. Transmission of cat scratch disease occurs from cats to humans through scratches, bites, or contact with flea-contaminated claws or saliva; cats themselves pick up the bacteria from cat flea bites. 4
5. For typical, mild cat scratch disease in an otherwise healthy person, antibiotics are not routinely recommended because the infection follows a straightforward course on its own; azithromycin is an option clinicians reach for in more severe cases with significant lymph node swelling. 3

Is cat scratches safe in each trimester?

• First trimester. The advice doesn't change by trimester: wash any scratch or bite promptly with soap and water, and skip the worry about toxoplasmosis specifically, since that parasite spreads through cat feces and undercooked meat, not through a scratch.
• Second trimester. If a scratch does become infected and you notice a red bump followed by swollen, tender lymph nodes near the wound over the following one to three weeks, that pattern points to cat scratch disease rather than toxoplasmosis, and it's worth a call to your provider.
• Third trimester. Most healthy adults recover from cat scratch disease without antibiotics, since it typically resolves on its own, but mention any fever, prolonged swelling, or feeling generally unwell to your provider so they can decide what next steps make sense this late in pregnancy.