Three-year-old gets toxic shock syndrome from cat scratch

A toddler in the UK is recovering after a scratch from the family cat ended in a case of toxic shock syndrome.

Three-year-old Lilanna Batstone became infected while playing with her pet cat at home when she had the chicken pox. The cat is thought to have scratched one of the little girl's spots. Later that night, Lilanna woke her mother up in pain. "She was holding her neck and saying ‘ow, ow, ow’," Kelly told the Sun. "I switched the light on and saw there was a huge lump on her neck, about the size of a £2 coin. It had come up in just a few hours." They went to hospital. While waiting at A&E, the toddler suddenly began to vomit and then collapsed. She was immediately seen to and doctors were able to revive after an hour, though her veins had collapsed and she had developed a rash all over her body. She was diagnosed with toxic shock syndrome (TSS). "I only knew what toxic shock syndrome was from reading about it on tampon boxes, as tampons can cause it," Kelly said. "I didn’t realise it was something kids could get. "It was frightening because, although I didn’t know much about it, I did know it was really serious." Toxic shock syndrome is caused by the release of poisonous substances from a bacteria in the body called Staphylococcus aureus. While the condition is mostly associated with periods, it can affect people with open wounds or burns or those who are recovering from surgery. Lilanna spent five days in hospital and is still at risk of developing TSS again later in life. Her mum wants other parents to be aware of the symptoms. They include:

• a sudden fever
• low blood pressure
• vomiting or diarrhea
• a rash resembling a sunburn, particularly on your palms and soles
• confusion
• muscle aches
• redness of your eyes, mouth and throat
• seizures
• headaches

"It might just be a cold or flu, but it’s not worth taking the risk," said Kelly. "If you get treatment quickly, you can make a full recovery."