Cats are one of the pets most often treated by humans. Many types of cats are often used as human pets. But, like humans, cats can also be affected by disease.
Diseases suffered by cats also vary. There are diseases that do appear often and aren’t too dangerous for cats. There are also diseases that are dangerous and can even be transmitted to their owners directly.
Even, there are psychological problem that can attacked our cats, like depressed. So, we have to know about signs of depressed cats.
For diseases that can be transmitted to their owners, we need to be aware of. So, what diseases can be transmitted from cats to their owners? Here are some reviews for you.
1. Toxoplasma
Toxoplasma is the most common type of disease transmitted by cats to their owners, for the details you can read article about symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of toxoplasma in cat. The cause of this toxoplasma disease is the parasitic infection of Toxoplasma gondii. This parasite will later be present in cat feces and saliva.
The owner may be infected when making direct contact with cat feces infected with the parasite. In addition, cats infected with the parasitic toxoplasma and licking their fur can leave the parasite on their fur or skin. The owner can be infected when stroking the cat.
If humans are infected to toxoplasma, the symptoms are visible, such as fever, muscle aches, fatigue, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. In fact, toxoplasma is very dangerous for pregnant women because it can cause miscarriages and stillbirths.
So, you have to be careful with pets’ urine or feces, including dog and cat. Dog’s urine and feces also can spread diseases.
2. Cat Scratch Disease
Cat scratch disease in cats is caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. This disease can be transmitted to humans through cat bites and scratches. In addition, cat fur infected with these bacteria can be a means of transmission of cat scratch disease.
Symptoms of people infected with cat scratch disease are swollen lymph nodes, fever, headaches, weakness, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Prevention that can be done is to wash the bite or cat scratches as soon as possible.
3. Ringworm
Ringworm is a skin disease in cats caused by fungus, this fungal not only can attack your cat, but also your dog. There are 2 fungal that can attack your dog. This skin disease can be transmitted to humans who interact directly with infected cats.
Symptoms of people who contract this disease will appear itching and red rashes on the skin. In addition, the rash can be very sore and blister-like.
How to prevent this disease is to maintain the cleanliness of our cats to avoid skin diseases caused by fungus.
4. Campylobacteriosis
This disease is caused by a bacterium called Campylobacter. This disease is able to cause diarrhea in cats and humans who are infected. Usually, cats will be infected from the poultry they eat.
Humans who interact with cat feces infected with this disease can also be infected with Campylobacteriosis.
5. Worm Infection
Different types of worms can infect your pet cat. There are hookworms, roundworms and tapeworms. Various types of worms can also infect humans when interacting with cats that are affected by worms.
Transmission can occur when humans make direct contact with cat feces or saliva infected with worms. You can avoid the transmission of various types of worms by immediately washing the parts of the body that have interacted with impurities.
6. Scabies
Scabies is a skin disease caused by Sarcoptidae mites with species of Sarcoptes scabiei or Notoedres cati. This mite can infect your pet cat and also your rabbit. You have to know about treating rabbit who attacked scabies.
Typically, cats affected by scabies will experience itching, skin becomes hard, baldness, reddish and bloody skin, and purulent skin. Humans can also be infected. However, it will only cause strong itching on the surface of the skin.
To avoid contracting scabies, you should use gloves when caring for your cat that is infected with scabies. In addition, you should wash your hands immediately after interacting with an infected cat.
7. Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidiosis is caused by the Cryptosporidium parasite in cats. This parasite will usually come out of the cat’s body through its feces. If humans make direct contact with cat feces, humans can become infected.
In infected humans, this parasite can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever, convulsions and vomiting. In fact, this disease can be fatal if the human immune system is weak.
8. Leptospirosis
This disease is the most dangerous disease that can be transmitted by cats. Germs that cause leptospirosis can infect humans through urine and cat feces. Germs can enter through open sores on human body parts.
Humans infected with leptospirosis can experience kidney damage, liver failure, meningitis, respiratory problems, and even death. So, you have to be careful and keep your contacts clean.
That was an explanation of some diseases in cats that can be transmitted to humans. Hopefully it can be knowledge that can make us alert in interacting and caring for our cats. See you in the next article.