Cat bite causes delusions in teen due to rare infection

- An American teenager contracted the rare Bartonella henselae infection after a bite from his cat. After being caught by the pet, he thought he was 'the bad son of the devil'...

After the bite incident, the 14-year-old suffered from hallucinations, violent outbursts and murder thoughts against those he cared about. Because of what was haunting his head, the teenager no longer saw life. He was initially diagnosed with schizophrenia. For two years the boy was unable to leave the house due to his delusions and therefore not to school. In 18 months, the teenager was admitted four times with severe psychological symptoms. He also suffered from severe headache, chest pain, shortness of breath and a constant urge to urinate.