Cats are considered excellent companions and should therefore be well cared for, because if not treated properly, they can be reservoirs of certain parasites, fungi, bacteria and viruses, and can transmit diseases to humans when they come into contact with their faeces, saliva. , urine, hair or scratches, for example. Therefore, to avoid diseases and maintain the health of the cat, it is important to take it to the veterinarian at least once a year for evaluation, vaccination and deworming.
To avoid the most common health problems that these animals can cause, certain strategies should be adopted, such as committing to take good care of the animal, providing a quiet and peaceful place, clean water and food, as it is the most suitable. Food. which helps keep the cat disease-free, reducing the risk of you and your family becoming infected. In addition, it is important to be careful when cleaning the sandbox and collecting the faeces of animals, especially if the cat usually leaves home without surveillance or the vaccines are not up to date.
The main diseases that cats can transmit, especially when not well-cared, are:
Cat hair is one of the main causes of respiratory allergy, being noticed by allergic symptoms such as sneezing, swelling of the eyelids, breathing problems and even asthma in some people. Therefore, people allergic to cats are advised to avoid contact and not to have them at home.
Toxoplasmosis is an infectious disease caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii that has untreated cats as definitive hosts and humans as intermediaries. Transmission is caused by inhalation or ingestion of the infectious form of this parasite, which can be performed by contact with the faeces of infected cats without adequate protective measures or by ingestion of parasite oocysts present in soil or sand.
The first symptoms appear between 10 and 20 days, the main being: headache, appearance of water in the neck, red spots on the body, fever and muscle aches. When the pregnantness becomes infected during pregnancy, it is important that treatment begins as soon as possible, as this parasite can cross the placenta and infect the baby, which can cause malformations.
Therefore, it is important to be careful when handling cat litter, it is recommended to use a glove or a small plastic bag and then throw the stool and remains of urine into the trash or toilet, rinsing immediately afterwards. These measures should be taken regardless of whether the cat is sick or not, as the animal can become infected without signs.
Learn more about toxoplasmosis
Skin moth most often occurs through skin contact with cats that live on the street or in constant contact with other cats. As they are more exposed to the environment, they are more likely to acquire fungi, pass them on to humans, and cause moths.
Therefore, to avoid the development of fungi, which should be treated with the use of antifungals according to medical advice, such as ketoconazole for example, it is important to avoid any contact with cats that are not properly treated.
Bartonella henselae is a bacterium that can infect cats and be transmitted to humans by scratches caused by this animal, so infection with this bacterium is called cat’s nail disease. After scratching, the bacteria enters the body and can cause an infection in the skin of people whose immune system is weakened by the use of medications, diseases or transplants, for example. Learn to recognize the symptoms of cat’s nail disease.
This rarely occurs in healthy people, but to avoid this it is advisable to stay away from cats that are usually nervous and who bite or scratch people. Avoiding games that cat does not like is also essential to avoid being bitten or scratched by the cat.
In addition, to avoid the risk of transmission, it is important to keep the cat’s vaccines up to date and if it has been scratched it is recommended to go to the emergency department to take the necessary measures.
Sporotrichosis can be transmitted by biting or scratching the contaminated cat with the pathogenic fungus Sporothrix schenckii. Treatment can be done with the use of antifungals such as Tioconazole, under medical supervision. When the animal has this disease it is normal to have wounds that do not heal on its skin and the more advanced the disease, the more wounds can appear.
This fungus can be transmitted between cats during their fights, when scratched or bitn, and the only way to control this disease is by using drugs prescribed by the veterinarian. In order for the person to protect himself must keep away from the injured animals and if his cat is so he must treat him with very thick rubber gloves and follow all the treatment indicated by the veterinarian, to save the life of the animal.
If the person is scratched or bitten, he or she should see his or her doctor for appropriate treatment. Understand how sporotrichosis is treated.
Visceral larva syndrome, also known as visceral toxocarous, is an infectious disease caused by the parasite Toxocara cati, commonly found in domestic animals. Transmission to humans is by ingestion or contact with eggs from this parasite found in the faeces of the infected cat.
Because Toxocara cati does not adapt to the human body, the parasite travels to various parts of the body, reaching the intestine, liver, heart or lungs, causing a number of complications in the person. Learn to recognize the symptoms of the migranal visceral larva.
Therefore, it is important that the cat is dewormed periodically and that the collection of faeces is done properly: the faeces must be collected with a plastic bag, flushed to the toilet or pocketed and thrown away.
Anchylostomiasis is a disease caused by the duodenal ankylnosis parasite or Necator americanus that penetrates the person’s skin and can cause bleeding in the liver, cough, fever, anemia, loss of appetite and fatigue in the person.
To protect yourself, the person should avoid walking barefoot at home and in the yard where the cat has access and can do their needs. In addition, it is safest to give the animal a medicine for worms and have a basket with its own sand so that it can urinate and defecate in the same place and in a more hygienic way.
In addition to these precautions, it is also necessary for the animal to be vaccinated and visit the veterinarian at least once a year to assess its health and ensure the healthy life of the kitten and the whole family.
Tips to avoid contamination from cat-borne diseases include
Although veterinarians do not usually recommend cat swimming, it is important to keep these animals clean, especially if they are used to going out on the street, as they can come into contact with pathogenic microorganisms that can be transmitted to humans. .