Top Five Cat Human Diseases (Zoonoses)

Cat Human Diseases
There are five important feline zoonoses that includes-

Rabies
Rabies is the most dangerous cat human disease. This highly contagious disease can even transmit through the infected animal saliva. This disease includes three stages.

Stage-I
There is marked change in the behavior of the cat. Your friendly cat may become nervous and try to hide itself away.

Stage-II
In this stage your cat becomes extremely aggressive and very aggressive. Even your kitten may try to bite and scratch anyone who approaches it including yourself.

Stage-III
In this stage there is drooling of saliva, followed by paralysis and coma and finally the cat succumbs to death.

Treatment
There is no treatment for rabies. A cat suspected to having rabies must be isolated and immediate veterinary treatment should be sought. Routine preventive vaccination should be carried out as a prophylaxis treatment.

Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is also one of the cat human diseases. This is mainly due to microscopic intestinal parasite, which can infect many species of animal including CATS. The main source of infection is through the ingestion of contaminated raw meat or contaminated prey.

The affected cat shows no clinical signs. As the infection gaining its course, the affected felid may show breathing difficulties, weight loss, anorexia, and fever. Handling these contaminated cat feces, or, more likely handling of infected raw meat may infect humans.

Treatment
By preventing your cat from exposure of raw meat (feeding with cooked meat) and also preventing your pet from scavenging. PREGNANT WOMEN ARE AT RISK, since the disease may cause abnormalities in the unborn child. Sensible hygiene may be followed when handling soiled litter. Confirmative diagnosis is by blood tests.

Tuberculosis
Nowadays it is uncommon in most countries. This respiratory disease affects all the animals including domestic and wild. Human beings are also prone for this disease. The main mode of transmission to cats is by drinking infected milk. Transmission from owners to their pets also cannot be ruled out. Signs include loss of body weight (Skin and bony), emaciation, and fever. The main body system affected with this disease is lungs and abdomen.

Treatment of tuberculosis
Infected cat can readily be treated with available drugs at least for continuous six months. But the public health risks should be taken into account.

Bacterial enteritis
Enteritis is the inflammation of intestines. The cat may end up with this disease is mainly due to eating contaminated or badly cooked meat containing bacteria and suffer from diarrhea or loose motion. Although Salmonella bacteria are a rare cause for bacterial enteritis, there is possible transmission of human beings also.

The clinical signs of bacterial enteritis are diarrhea, vomiting, fever and excessive drinking of water to replace lost fluids.

Treatment
Do seek an opinion from your vet, if the vomiting and diarrhea continued for couple of days. Treating the affected felid with suitable antibiotics may also alleviate the condition. Good hygiene is very important, as an affected act may be a potential human health hazard.

Skin Problems
The common contagious skin disease affect the cat is Ringworm. This forms small, round, hairless patches on your cat’s ears, and head. In humans it causes circular red patches on a human legs and arms. Fleas, lice and fur mites that may lead to skin reactions such as redness and red blotches in the human skin.

Treatment
In case if your cat is suffering from ringworm, prompt veterinary care and disinfections of grooming equipment and bedding is highly advisable. By treating the animal especially from fleas and other parasites, may help your pet to recover from these conditions.

By adopting suitable remedial measure, the cat human disease can easily be handled. Although cats are very careful about burying their droppings, the cat owners should be very careful in handling the infected stools.Otherwise you may be one of the suspect of cat human disease.