At long last, the insidiously dastard master plan of cats REVEALED!1

Last edited Wed Jul 10, 2013, 10:54 AM - Edit history (1)

Fortunately, the danger is from "UNWITTINGLY swallowing or inhaling" since hardly anybody would WITTINGLY do it.



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http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/cat-poop-vast-underappreciated-public-health-problem-scientists-article-1.1394070#ixzz2YeN48AhH

[font size=5]Cat poop a 'vast and underappreciated' public health problem due to T. gondii parasite: scientists [/font]

.... Pregnant women and people with immune deficiencies have long been warned to stay away from cat feces due to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, responsible for toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasma infections can cause flu-like symptoms, blurry vision, and in severe cases brain and organ damage.

But in recent years evidence suggests that T. gondii can wreak havoc in ways not previously imagined. People with mental disorders such as schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder are more likely to have T. gondii antibodies in their system, indicating contact with the parasite, than the general population, and some researchers believe it may be responsible for memory or cognitive problems in otherwise healthy people. It has even been linked to conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and brain cancer, and to kids doing poorly in school. ,,,,

"A single infected cat can deposit millions of oocysts (the infective form of T. gondii), each of which may survive in moist soil for 18 months or longer. It's thought that it only takes one oocyst to infect a human, which is concerning," the scientists said.

People become infected by unwittingly swallowing or inhaling the oocysts when they come into contact with them.

Even if your cat doesn't spend time outside, other cats may be visiting your yard, children's sandboxes and public park spaces, Torrey warns. Dirt found under gardeners' fingernails could hold up to 100 oocysts, according to some estimates.

Gardeners should wear gloves, and sandboxes should always be securely covered when not in use. ....

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