Feline Friend Could Carry Diseases Lethal to Humans

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Having a cat as a house pet may be a good stress reliever. However, cats also play an important role in the spread of toxoplasmosis. 

Cats are the primary host of this pathogen that causes diseases in people and livestock. They can become infected when they ate infected rodents, birds, or other small animals. This parasite is then passed in the cat's feces and can be passed to humans, sometimes with severe health consequences.

A study published in the journal Wildlife Research focused on the spread of these cat-dependent diseases and its impact on the health and economy. According to this study, these diseases would not have occurred in Australia if cats had not been introduced in the first place. The ongoing persistence is due to the continuous contact with cats, as the toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that cycles between cats and any other warm-blooded animals.

Costs of Cat-Associated Diseases

Based on the findings from a large number of Australian and international studies, hospital data from Australia and information from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, an estimated 8500 Australians are hospitalized annually due to exposure to cat-dependent diseases, while around 550 people die yearly from causes associated with these diseases. 

The accumulated economic cost amounts to around A$6 billion per year, which can be attributed to cost of medical care, lost income due to needing to take leaves from work, and other related expenses.

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is considered to be a leading cause of death in the United States that is attributed to foodborne illness. It is also considered one of the neglected parasitic infections of the United States.

Although many people carry the Toxoplasma parasite, very few manifest symptoms because the immune system can keep the parasite from causing illness. However, for those people with a compromised immune system, toxoplasmosis can have severe consequences.

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most serious cat-dependent diseases. Cats shed millions of these T. gondii oocysts, tiny eggs, in their feces which can survive for months in the environment.

Humans can become infected when they ingest undercooked meat or farm animals that have come into contact with these oocysts, where cats have defecated.

Long Term Effects

Although the initial infection rarely causes any symptoms, once you get infected, the parasite stays with us for life encased in a cyst in the brain. In the long run, it may result to "latent" infections that can affect our mental health.

Studies on rodents have shown that T. gondii can influence brain chemistry and affect behavior, such as causing delayed reaction. While further studies are needed to explain whether this parasite really causes mental health disorder, it is possible that T. gondii infection is considered  a risk factor for these issues.

How to Prevent Spread of Infection

There is no human vaccine developed for these diseases and treatment for this parasitic infection in cats is also not useful as cats can shed the oocysts anytime. 

For a cat owner, it is recommended that cats are kept indoors or in a secure container outside to reduce its chances of contracting the disease-causing pathogen.

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