Moon's Graden

What are the diseases that can be passed on to humans from cats?

Joe Quinn

Ringworm, toxoplasmosis, rabies, some types of worms...I'm sure there
might be more, but those are the ones that popped my mind at the moment.

BTW: Ringworm is not dangerous to humans, neither is toxoplasmosis unless
to a fetus (first trimester AFAIK?).
At least here, the chance of getting toxoplasmosis from a cat is close to
zero unless you either eat cat feces or don't wash your hands after
dealing with either feces or dirt.
The same goes for worms. I am not sure if this is the case in the UK, but
I am sure someone else can tell you.
Rabies is not a problem  in the UK, so I guess you don't have to worry
about that  ;o)

Ina

--
Ina Kristine Berg
Stray Cats Rescue Shelter (FOD), Norway
http://home.sol.no/~knberge.fodindx.htm

 From the Cornell Book of Cats:
     * Viral diseases transmitted by cats are rabies and cowpox, usually
       through biting or direct contact.
     * Ringworm is a fungus infection affecting the hair, skin, and
       nails. Humans contract it either by direct contact with the
cat         or by the spores shed from an infected animal.
     * Cat bites can cause a variety of diseases and infections,
       including pasteurella and tetanus.
     * Campylobacter enteritis, a disease of the small intestine, can be
       caused by contact with contaminated cat feces.
     * Cat scratch fever is an infection caused by a bacterial agent
       transmitted to the human via a cat scratch.
     * Conjunctivitis in humans can be caused by contact with the nasal
       and ocular discharges of cats infected with feline chlamydiosis.
     * Humans can become infected by Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain
       Spotted Fever when a cat brings home ticks. If the cat becomes
       infected with plague, it can also infect humans directly.
     * Salmonella organisms, which are shed in discharges from
the             mouth,eyes, and in the feces, can cause intestinal
disease in        humans.
     * Toxoplasmosis is transmitted by contact with the feces of an
       infected cat. Although it is well-known that cats can transmit
       toxoplasmosis, many do not know that humans are more commonly
       infected by eating incompletely cooked meat.
     * Other parasites which can be acquired by humans are hookworms,
       roundworms, and tapeworms: usually by direct or indirect contact
       with contaminated feces, or ingestion of contaminated fleas.

I always heard that a human mouth was "dirtier" than an animals.  I can believe
it.  ;-)

Cass