Can a cat infect its owner with something?

Cats and worms...

All worms from cats...

Cats and children...

If you have a cat, you have worms! If a cat has worms, you need to treat the whole family!

Sound familiar?

But is it true?

What kind of helminths (worms) do cats have?

Roundworms (toxocara, toxascaris, hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms) and flatworms (dipylidia and other tapeworms, opisthorchids) parasitize the digestive system of cats. Protozoan parasites (giardia/giardia, cystoisospora, trichomonas, toxoplasma) can also live in the intestines of cats. There are also parasites in other organs (lungworms, heartworms, worms in the kidneys or bladder).

How does a cat get parasites?

Most often, cats become infected by swallowing eggs or cysts, larvae or adult worms by:

• Licking their feet (if the cat has walked on a contaminated surface) or other contaminated body parts;

• Eating rodents or invertebrates (fleas, snails, slugs);

• Drinking tap water;

• Eating raw meat and offal;

• Eating raw river fish;

• Eating the vomit of other cats;

Danger to humans

Which cat parasites are dangerous for humans?

Toxocara can cause larva migrans syndrome (although the role of the feline pathogen is not as important as that of the dog).

Primary infection with toxoplasmosis is dangerous for pregnant women and people with serious immune system disorders.

Giardia live in the small intestine and can cause digestive disorders (there are species specific to cats, and some common to cats and humans).

Other intestinal parasites of cats are much less dangerous for humans, but even the above species cannot enter the human body directly from the cat. The intermediate stage is poorly washed hands of the owner before eating.

How does a person become infected with parasites?

The vast majority of intestinal parasites are acquired by ingesting their eggs or cysts (unwashed hands disease).

What is the role of cats in this process?

The eggs of many helminths are excreted in the feces of cats in a non-invasive (non-infectious) form. For example, toxocara eggs become infectious only 2-3 weeks after they are excreted in the cat's feces. Toxoplasma oocysts (from the Greek oon egg and cystis bladder) must lie in favorable conditions for at least a day (and usually 2-5 days) before they become infectious to humans or other animals. Giardia cysts, on the other hand, can be infectious immediately after isolation.

A person, like a cat, becomes infected with opisthorchiasis when eating raw/dried river fish; a person cannot become infected directly from a cat.

It is clear that a cat that has returned from a walk can carry worm eggs on its fur, not only specific feline worms but also human worms. In this case, the risk of human infection from the cat is higher.

But the cat is only a mechanical carrier in this case, so don't forget to wash your hands!

How to protect yourself from parasites?

Follow personal hygiene measures (wash your hands before eating and after contact with an animal).

1. Wear gloves when working with soil.
2. Wash raw fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms before eating.
3. Control pet parasites through regular deworming or laboratory testing.
4. Prevent infection by reducing (wherever possible) the risk of infection in animals - regularly prevent parasitic infections in your pets
5. Change shoes to reduce floor contamination in the house.
6. Pick up animal feces regularly to reduce environmental contamination by invasive parasite stages.
7. Do not use feces for composting if it will be used for food crops.
8. Do not eat thermally unprocessed meat and river fish.

Playgrounds for children should be well fenced. Sandboxes should be covered when not in use. Sand in the sandbox should be changed at least 2 times a year.

Cats are an integral and very pleasant part of most people's lives. We love them, pamper them, but sometimes we forget about preventive treatments, which are as important to us as they are to cats.

You can read more about parasitic infections here:

How to protect pets from parasites.

Control of helminths in dogs and cats

If you have any questions, please contact our felinologists for help. Stay healthy, treat your cats for parasites and wash your hands!