5 Kinds of Bacteria Your Cat Can Drag Into Your Home

Pets are said to benefit their owners' health in many ways. Some of the mentioned health benefits of caring for pet animals include decreased levels of blood fats and cholesterol in the bloodstream, slowing of heart rate, lowering of blood pressure, and stress reduction. But the health of pet owners also faces certain risks that can emanate from their furry friends. Allergies caused by pet animals have been shown to affect almost half of all the patients who see allergy specialists.

Of all the animals fondly cared for by pet owners, cats, especially males that have not been neutered, probably provoke allergic reactions the most. Studies show that dander and saliva, not fur, are the culprits. Dander (loose bits of dead skin) in particular can carry allergy-inducing substances, circulate with household particles or dust, and cause skin itching, sneezing, and watery eyes.

They are generally cuddly and gentle, but cats are known to carry a variety of bacteria that can cause diseases to humans ranging from the less severe to life-threatening ones. Five of these bacteria are identified here, each briefly discussed.

The bacterium Toxoplasma gondii, which causes the infection toxoplasmosis, can infect humans through contact with cat discharges or excrement, often from cleaning a litter box. The infection may present no symptoms; in pregnant women, however, it can cause birth deformities or defects or even miscarriage.

Bartonella henselae is the bacterium that causes cat scratch fever. The first symptom of this infection is swelling of the lymph nodes near the area of a cat scratch; pain in the joint may follow. Antibiotics are usually prescribed to treat this infection.

The cat-borne bacteria Bacillary angiomatosis and Rochalimaea henselae are transmitted either by eating contaminated food or through blood (penetrating through untreated cuts or wounds). The former causes skin and bone lesions, while the latter can serve as the inciting cause of chills and fever.

Cats are also known to carry salmonella. These bacteria can cause nausea, gastrointestinal inflammation, cramps, typhoid fever, and septicemia (blood poisoning). Salmonella is risky, at times even fatal, for three specific groups of people: young children, the elderly, and those who are immunodeficient. Extra caution should be taken, especially since, aside from cats, salmonella can also be carried by other pet animals like dogs and birds.

The essential point is that owners of pet animals must wash their hands thoroughly after handling their cats (or other pet animals) or cleaning a litter box, and especially before touching food or holding a baby. [Read the Original Article]

Sources: http://www.petstation.com/cat-zoonoses.html and http:baystatehealth.com/