Unknown fever and back pain caused by Bartonella henselae in a veterinarian after a needle puncture: a case report and literature review.

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.