Cats kill 1000 people a day
Last reviewed: 17.10.2021
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Beware of cats! According to experts, about 1,000 Britons are infected daily with parasites, which are transmitted from pets.
Conditionally the world can be divided into lovers of cats and those who remain indifferent to their charms. The United Kingdom belongs to a number of countries where the cat is the most popular pet.
Nevertheless, for owners of graceful animals alarm sounds. A very large number of cats is a carrier of dangerous parasites that cause severe diseases, congenital defects in infants and even can cause suicides.
Annually about 350,000 people become infected with toxoplasma, a parasite that causes toxoplasmosis. Of these, about 80% do not even suspect the vital activity of parasites in their bodies. The disease can not give any obvious signs of the presence in the body of the carrier of the infection and remain at rest for life, leaking in latent form. But the remaining 20% seek medical help because of the complications caused by the disease. It can be the defeat of many organs, including the brain.
In addition to the most frequent cases of infection from domestic felines, there are other ways of infection. For example, with insufficient heat treatment of eggs and meat.
Especially dangerous toxoplasmosis for pregnant women. Toksoplazma is able to penetrate the placenta and cause severe deformities in unborn children, so this diagnosis is usually an indication for the artificial termination of pregnancy.
Also at risk people with reduced immunity, for example, people with AIDS or those who are being treated for cancer.
And in a recent study of American scientists it was found that infection with parasites increases the risk of suicide by 1.5 times.
The extent of the spread of the infection was unpleasantly struck by microbiologists, who say that insufficient efforts are applied to reduce risks.
Some insist that young families should not start cats, some on the fact that people should avoid eating rosy lamb meat, because it is in this meat that parasites of toxoplasm are most often found. And all because traditionally lamb is accepted to serve, not roasting, with a pink tinge.
To the preventive measures against toxoplasmosis can be attributed to the observance of sanitary rules, mandatory washing of hands after contact with the animal, strengthening of immunity and examination of pregnant women for infection.
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