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Harmful Parasites In Cat Poop Are Widespread
by ANNA HAENSCH
July 09, 2013 5:07 PM
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/07/05/199041322/harmful-parasites-in-cat-poop-are-widespread

That cat poop can pose a health risk to humans no longer surprises us.

Some cats carry a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. Infected cats shed embryonic T. gondii, called oocysts, in their feces.

These oocysts are easily transmitted to humans, and researchers have explored their possible link to various mental health problems, including schizophrenia. More recently, studies of school-age children show a correlation between testing positive for T. gondii and having difficulty in school.

The parasites can cause more acute health problems in newborns and people with weak immune systems, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out.

Now a review published in Trends in Parasitology explores how substantial a public health threat the parasite poses in the United States. One thing's pretty clear: There are a lot of oocysts out there.

Research psychiatrist Dr. E. Fuller Torrey and pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Robert Yolken, who have spent years investigating the role that animals play in the spread of infectious diseases, co-authored the roundup.

Shots spoke with Torrey, who says there are four factors that he believes makes this a valid health concern:

The cat population is growing.
Every day about 1 million cats in the U.S. are actively pooping out as many as 50 million oocysts apiece.
The oocycts are hard to kill.
There is a well-documented correlation between mental illness and testing positive for T. gondii antibodies.
"This is a public health problem that bears more scrutiny," Torrey says. "We're walking a tight line between alarming people and failing to point out obvious health problems that need to be paid attention to."

Correlation isn't the same as causation, however, particularly when it comes to the area of mental health. "The association has been discussed, but it has not been completely accepted by everyone," Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University, told NBC News. "If people were convinced of that, we would have acted on it."

Katie Lisnik, who is the director of Cat Protection and Policy at the Humane Society, says there are 86 million cats that are household pets in the United States, and another 20 million to 80 million free-roaming cats.

The bulk of oocysts are getting dropped in the very places where humans are most active. "Feral cats tend to be where the people are, and it makes sense," Lisnik says. "They want to be around us, and we're their source of food."

The presence of large numbers of oocysts on playgrounds and in sandboxes, where kids stick their hands in their mouths every couple of minutes, bears particular attention, Torrey says. "If you have a sandbox that isn't covered, get rid of the sand and cover it when kids aren't playing," he says.

He also has advice for green thumbs. "Studies have shown that you can have almost 100 oocysts under your fingernails after gardening. So always wash your hands after gardening, and wash vegetables before eating them," he says.

In case you're afraid of what this means for your own pet, Torrey says, "strictly indoor cats really shouldn't be a problem. The chance of them becoming infected is very low."

Torrey also says that while there has been a drastic increase in the number of feral cats, there has been a decrease in the number of recorded cases of T. gondii infection. The public, he says, is more aware of the dangers of eating improperly stored meat, a source of infections.

But Torrey also points out that T. gondii can sit dormant in the body for 20 years, so it may actually take a few decades to see the epidemiological effects on humans.

 

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Cat Poop Parasite Is Dangerously Widespread
By Tanya Lewis, Staff WriterDate: 09 July 2013 Time: 12:04 PM ET
http://www.livescience.com/38044-cat-poop-carries-dangerous-parasite.html

Be careful next time you change the kitty litter — cat poop can carry a nefarious parasite that may be much more widespread than thought, researchers say.

Cats in the United States release about 2.6 billion pounds (1.2 million metric tons) of feces into the environment every year. Cat dung carries the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled organism that creates infectious agents called oocysts. These oocysts can infect pregnant women, causing congenital problems in the baby such as deafness, seizures, eye damage and mental retardation. The parasite also infects people with compromised immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS.

After reviewing past studies on the parasite, a team of researchers believes the Toxoplasma parasite may be a significant public health problem, infecting people who are otherwise healthy. Other studies have even linked the parasite to schizophrenia, depression, suicidal behavior and lower school achievement in children. [The 10 Most Diabolical and Disgusting Parasites]

In the last five years, researchers have studied how long the Toxoplasmaoocysts remain viable. "What happens to these oocysts in children's play areas?" said study researcher E. Fuller Torrey, a psychiatrist at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center in Chevy Chase, Md. "I put together the data we have and found it disturbing."

Troubling trend

Torrey and his colleagues reviewed studies of the parasite. The number of cats in the United States is growing — pet cats increased from 55 million to 80 million from 1989 to 2006, and the number of feral cats is estimated at between 25 million and 60 million. Studies show that approximately 1 percent of cats shed the infectious oocysts at any given time. These oocysts can survive for at least 18 months, and only a single one is needed to cause an infection, according to past research.

Other animals, like sheep and cattle, can also acquire the parasite by ingesting the infected cat feces. Humans can acquire it by eating raw or undercooked animals that are infected. In countries like France or Ethiopia, where raw food is common, the incidence of infections is much higher, Torrey told LiveScience. People also become infected through contaminated water supplies. It has long been known that the parasite can survive in cat litter, where the oocysts become aerosolized after 24 to 48 hours, Torrey said. Similarly, children could acquire the infection from playing in sandboxes, and gardeners could acquire it from vegetable patches, because cats often relieve themselves in these areas.

"It's a remarkably complex parasite. It's much more complicated than a virus, and has many more genes," Torrey said. The microbe is famously known to infect rats and change their behavior, causing them to be less afraid of the smell of cat urine. This makes it easier for the rats to be eaten by cats, returning the parasite to its host.

Parasite prevention

Treatments do exist, but none are very effective, Torrey said. Most people don't have long-term effects, but it's not clear why some do. Genetic predisposition or age at the time of infection could play a role, Torrey said.

More research is needed to understand the risks posed by the Toxoplasma parasite. In the meantime, Torrey advocated controlling cat populations, especially feral ones. Children's sandboxes should be covered. Gardeners should wear gloves and wash their vegetables. And cat owners should dispose of cat litter properly — in the trash, not down a toilet (and pregnant women shouldn't change it at all).

"None of us are saying cats shouldn't be pets," Torrey said, but "there are some downsides to all pets, and some downsides to cats we should be aware of."

 

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And before any infected, cat crazy user retorts, the AAFP agrees that free roaming and feral cats should be removed from the outdoors for the above and many other numerous concerns:

American Association of Feline Practitioners: Position Statement on Free-roaming, Abandoned, and Feral Cats

The numbers of free-roaming, abandoned and feral cats in the United States are
estimated to range from 70 to 100 million.1,2 Ignoring this population has implications for the welfare of the cats themselves, public health, wildlife and ecosystems.

Compared with owned cats, the welfare of these cats is significantly diminished. The mortality rate of kittens born in an outdoor environment can approach 75% by 6 months of age.3 Their life expectancy is often less than 5 years,3 during which time they may have a poor quality of life. Death from trauma, disease, starvation and climatic challenges is common.3

Unowned free-roaming cats pose important threats to human health. Zoonotic concerns include the rabies virus, Toxoplasma gondii, Bartonella species, Toxocara cati, Microsporum canis, Cryptosporidium species, Campylobacter species, Yersinia pestis, Cheyletiellaspecies and Francisella tularensis.1,2,4–6 A comprehensive review can be found in the AAFP 2003 Feline Zoonoses Guidelines. Human injury can result in serious trauma and infection.2,4,5 While not eliminated, the risks that unowned free-roaming cats pose to the public can be reduced with veterinary intervention such as vaccination programs.

Free-roaming cats are responsible for considerable wildlife destruction and ecosystem disruption.1,4–9 Free-roaming cats are efficient predators, resulting in significant mortality of small mammals, reptiles and birds in a wide variety of ecosystems.9

Thus it is clear that all of the above populations (ie, the public, wildlife and feline) stand to benefit from the reduction in population of free-roaming, feral and abandoned cats.

The AAFP strongly supports reducing the numbers of unowned, free-roaming,
abandoned, and feral cats through humane capture (with placement in homes where appropriate) by local health departments,humane societies and animal control agencies in accordance with local and state ordinances.

State and local agencies are encouraged to promote public policies that:
-Require rabies vaccination for all cats.
-Require sterilization of all cats adopted from humane organizations and animal control agencies, wholesale and retail pet suppliers.
-Require sterilization of privately owned cats prior to sale or adoption if they are not intended for breeding.
-Require microchip identification of all owned cats (2008 AAFP Position Statement on Identification of Cats).
-Require keeping owned cats indoors, in an outdoor enclosure, or on an attended leash (2007 AAFP Position Statement on Confinement of Owned Indoor Cats).
-Prevent the establishment of managed cat colonies in areas where cats pose a threat to protected wildlife.
-Prohibit the abandonment of cats.

http://www.catvets.com/guidelines/position-statements/free-roaming-abandoned-and-feral-cats