One of the most important reasons to
keep your cat healthy is to keep your family healthy as well. Kittens are cute, but can be carrying a variety of zoonotic diseases. Following
your veterinarian’s recommendations on routine health care, vaccines,
screenings, and wellness exams, may prevent health problems from spreading to
you or your family
What is Zoonotic
Disease: a disease
that can be transmitted from animals to people or, more specifically, a disease
that normally exists in animals but can
infect humans.
How
would you catch a disease from your cat?
Transmission of a zoonotic disease can happen
when a person comes into direct contact with bodily fluids or waste such as
saliva (via a bite) or feces (while handling or cleaning a litter box) from an
infected cat. Additionally, a disease may be contracted through contact with
water or food that has been contaminated by an infected cat.
What diseases can you catch from your cat?
Bacterial
Infection
Cat-scratch disease/fever is by far
the most common zoonotic disease associated with cats
Parasitic
Infections
Intestinal
parasites, including roundworms and hookworms, can also cause disease in people
Fungal
Infections
Ringworm
Protazoal
(single cell organisms) Infections
Common
protozoal diseases in cats and humans are cryptosporidium, giardia,
and toxoplasmosis.
Viral
Infection
Rabies!
Prevention is of KEY importance.
By identifying any health issues with
your cat early, through a veterinary visit and diagnostics as recommended by
your veterinarian, you can stay safe. General hygiene practices are also
extremely important for any pet owner.
Who is at the highest risk of catching a disease from
your cat?
Some people are more at risk than
average. Those with immature or weakened immune systems, such as infants,
pregnant women, individuals with immunodeficiency problems, the elderly, and
people undergoing medical therapies or taking certain medication, are more
susceptible to zoonotic infections than others.
How can you protect yourself?
Common sense and good hygiene will go a
long way toward keeping you, your family, and your cat free of zoonotic
diseases. Here are a few simple precautions recommended by www.vet.cornell.edu:
- Wash hands before eating and after
handling cats.
- Schedule annual checkups and fecal
exams for your cat.
- Seek veterinary care for sick
cats.
- Keep rabies vaccinations current.
- Avoid letting your cat lick your
face, food utensils, or plate.
- Consider keeping cats indoors.
- Seek medical attention for cat
bites.
- Feed cats cooked or commercially
processed food.
- Scoop litter boxes to remove fecal
material daily.
- Periodically clean litter boxes
with scalding water and detergent.
- Cover children's sandboxes when not in use.
Stay safe out there!
Kim, CVT
Fox Valley Cat Clinic
