A 23-year-old man was left unable to get an erection after he was scratched by a cat, a bizarre case study has revealed.
The unidentified patient, from Belgium, was injured by the claws of a feline in his own home – but it is unknown how.
As well as the inability to make love, he endured pain in his testicles, a fever and intense sweating at night before visiting hospital.
Doctors discovered he had ‘cat-scratch disease’ after various tests. It is caused by bacteria called Bartonella henselae found in the mouth and claws of cats.
It causes fever, fatigue, headaches, and swollen lymph nodes. In extreme cases it can even cause deadly brain swelling and heart infections.
A course of antibiotics cleared up the infection and the man’s erection returned.
