There are 600 million of them around the world, which makes them the most popular pets on our planet. Cat owners are less likely to be depressed, have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke. Unfortunately, purring quadrupeds can transmit serious diseases.
- On February 17 we celebrate the World Cat Day
- A cat is not only a pleasure to contact with soft fur or a calming purr, but also a risk of disease
- Among the diseases that we can get infected from cats are, among others cat scratch disease, echinococcosis and toxoplasmosis
- Check your health. Just answer these questions
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Cat scratch disease
It is a bacterial zoonotic disease caused by gram-negative bacteria: Bartonella henselae and Bartonella clarridgeiae. It is most common in children up to 15 years of age, who become infected when scratched by a carrier animal, mainly kittens. The first symptom of cat scratch disease is a lump or pustule at the scratch.
After about two weeks, the patient develops an enlarged lymph nodes, usually in the groin, neck or armpits. They are painful to touch and slide easily against the skin.
About 20-30 percent. In cases, the affected node may be abstained and even fistula may form. Other symptoms include fever, headache, backache, abdominal pain, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.
Source: PAP Infographics
In the vast majority of cases, cat scratch disease is self-limiting and resolves even without treatment within up to six months and faster with antibiotics. Prevention consists in avoiding scratches or bites by cats and kittens, as well as taking care of the pet’s hygiene and preventing its clogging.
Echinococcosis
It is an extremely dangerous parasitic disease caused by the larval form of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulossus (single-chamber echinococcosis) or, less commonly, E. multilocularis (multi-chamber echinococcosis). The reservoir of the parasite and the source of infection are domestic animals (dogs and cats) and wild animals, which shed eggs of the parasite in the faeces into the environment.
In humans, infection occurs through the ingestion by ingesting tapeworm eggs on the cat’s hair or from contaminated food. In the human digestive tract, the swallowed eggs hatch larvae, which settle in the internal organs, mainly in the liver and lungs, where they form fluid-filled blisters.
Most cases of echinococcosis are asymptomatic and the disease takes a long time to develop. Fortunately, echinococcosis is a rare disease in our country – about 40 cases are reported annually, mainly in adults.
- Also read: Seven diseases that we can catch from a dog
Toxocarosis
This is another parasitic disease caused by the larvae of the cat’s roundworm (Toxocara cati). Mature parasites live in the digestive tract of infected animals, mainly kittens, and the eggs excreted from their organisms with faeces after about three weeks spent in the external environment become invasive, i.e. contain a larva at a stage capable of being infected.
Importantly, eggs can survive in the environment and remain invasive for up to several years! The main sources of toxocarosis infection are: contaminated soil, consumed contaminated food, contacts with infected animals and their faeces.
Due to the location of the parasite larvae in the human body, there are visceral, cerebral and ocular toxocarosis. Young children who forget to wash their hands after returning home most often suffer from «wandering visceral syndrome».
Symptoms of toxocarosis are: fever, abdominal pain, headache, cough, muscle and joint pain. The diagnosis of toxocariasis is difficult, and the only evidence of infection is the presence of specific antibodies in the blood serum. Antiparasitic drugs are used in symptomatic patients with confirmed infection.
Toxoplasmosis
It is a common parasitic disease caused by the Toxoplasma gondii protozoan whose ultimate host is cats.
Parasites multiply in the intestinal epithelium of animals, and then are excreted in the faeces in the form of weather-resistant so-called oocyst. After a few days in the external environment, oocysts become invasive and retain the ability to become infected for over a year.
- Read also: “The mere fact of contact with soft fur causes the release of happiness hormones”. Why is it worth having a cat?
The most common human infection occurs through the ingestion through: consumption of contaminated water, raw or undercooked meat, as well as unwashed fruit and vegetables. There are two basic forms of the disease – acquired and congenital, related to infected children in the womb.
The first form of the disease in people with an efficient immune system is usually asymptomatic, while its severe course is observed in patients with reduced immunity.
In the case of congenital toxoplasmosis – the result of infection of the fetus may be neurological disorders, mental and ophthalmic impairment (strabismus, nystagmus, blindness) in the newborn. They can show up even after years, also in those children who did not show symptoms in the neonatal or infancy period.
Disease prevention includes, first of all, avoiding eating raw, unwashed fruit and vegetables, as well as washing hands after contact with cats or their litter boxes.
Rabies
Not only dogs can get rabies – so our own cat can be a threat to us, if it has not been vaccinated but has been in contact with the virus. Rabies is currently the most serious zoonotic disease caused by many different strains of Lyssavirus.
Human infection occurs as a result of being bitten by a rabid cat, less often through the animal’s saliva, which enters the mucous membranes or damaged skin.
The first symptoms of the disease are usually agitation, headaches, fever, malaise, and sensory disturbances at the site of virus entry. Subsequently, symptoms of encephalitis appear, i.e. disturbances of consciousness such as hallucinations, hyperactivity, disturbances in sleep rhythm. There may also be seizures, breathlessness and paralysis of the limbs.
It should be remembered that rabies remains a disease that is almost always fatal – individuals who have been vaccinated before the onset of symptoms or are infected by less virulent strains of the virus survive. However, rabies can be effectively prevented by immunization and specific immunoglobulin.
Shearing mycosis
Ringworm in cats is one of the most common skin diseases in our pets. Unfortunately, it is highly contagious to both other animals and humans, and its treatment can be extremely burdensome.
The disease is caused by dermatophytes – parasitic microscopic fungi that feed on substances contained in the skin cells of the animal. The most important fungus in this group is Microsporum canis, which is the cause of over 90 percent of the fungus. all dermatophytoses in cats.
Young, old and longhair cats are the most exposed to the disease. Man becomes infected through direct or indirect contact with an animal. This means that not only can stroking a sick cat be risky for us, but it is also dangerous to stay in an infected environment.
There are two types of clippings: superficial (most often affecting children without inflammation) and deep (more often affecting adults with inflammation). The main symptom of the disease is flaky lesions accompanied by slight hair loss. The lesions expand and then form large areas with no hair present.
In the case of the deep variety, erythematous changes appear, accompanied by peeling of the skin and very high hair loss. The most common type of treatment is local treatment – the patient is prescribed ointments containing ciclopirox.
Chlamydioza
It is a bacterial disease caused by the bacterium Chlamydophila felis. Most often, due to the immature immune system, it affects young cats – under one year of age. It manifests itself as a cat’s nose, sneezing, purulent inflammation of the conjunctiva and the respiratory tract.
The main route of infection for humans is contact with the secretion from the conjunctival sac of a sick pet. As for the symptoms of the disease, males may experience abnormal urethral discharge. Most often scanty, mucopurulent or mucous, causing a slight burning sensation in the urethra.
Are you worried you might be allergic to your cat? At Medonet Market you will find Imutest Allergy – a home cassette test – for cat allergy.
On the other hand, vaginal discharge, burning sensation during urination, lower abdominal pain, prolonged menstruation and intermenstrual bleeding are observed in women. Untreated chlamydiosis can be dangerous and lead to infertility, especially in women. Annual vaccination is used to prevent the disease in cats.
Also read:
- The seven worst foods for your heart
- Diseases that can infect your dog or cat
- How many pets get COVID-19? Can they transmit the virus to humans?