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Cats
Can Cause Salmonella Poisoning
Excerpt
By Emma Hitt, PhD, Reuters Health
ATLANTA (Reuters
Health) - Cats and other animals can shed Salmonella in their
feces, which can spread the bacterial infection to humans, according
to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC).
Most of the
estimated 1.4 million cases of Salmonella infection in the US
are transmitted through food, but the disease can also be spread
by exposure to contaminated water, reptiles, farm animals and
pets, the CDC report notes.
In the August
24th issue of the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,
CDC researchers describe three outbreaks of infection with multidrug-resistant
Salmonella typhimurium linked to facilities housing animals. The
outbreaks resulted in several cases of week-long diarrhea, and
in some instances, hospitalization.
The first
outbreak, in a small veterinary clinic in Idaho, afflicted 10
of the 20 people working in the clinic. The victims suffered abdominal
cramps and diarrhea for about 7 days. Two reported bloody diarrhea,
and four were hospitalized.
According
to researchers, the outbreak originated with a person who reported
caring for several kittens that may have had Salmonella infection.
All 10 infected employees ate together at the facility but reported
no contact outside the clinic, the report indicates.
The second
outbreak was reported by the Minnesota Department of Health, which
found similar strains of Salmonella when it tested samples from
nine cats and seven humans. The cats had died from the infection
in an animal shelter.
Four of the
seven infected humans had purchased cats from the shelter, and
two attended the same day care center as an ill child whose family
had purchased a cat from the shelter.
During the
third outbreak, in Washington state, 14 cats that had contact
with an animal clinic became infected, and one employee and two
customers of the animal clinic became ill.
``It is unknown
how the human patients in these outbreaks became infected with
Salmonella,'' CDC researchers write. They speculate that people
may inadvertently have eaten food contaminated with animal feces
because of ``suboptimal sanitation and hygienic practices'' in
the facilities.
``The best
thing pet owners can do to minimize the risk of infection is to
wash their hands after handling their pets and before eating,
especially when handling pet feces,'' the CDC's Dr. Jennifer Gordon
Wright told Reuters Health. ``People should always wash their
hands after handling a reptile,'' she added.
But Wright
pointed out that the risk of infection to people visiting their
veterinarian is minimal. ``None of the pet owners were infected
while in the clinic with their pets,'' she said. Wright suggests
that they could have decreased their risk of infection by washing
their hands.
``The immunosuppressed
are the main population at risk,'' Wright said. While people with
weakened immune systems may still own pets, she added, they should
avoid animals less than 6 months of age, as well as animals with
diarrhea.
``Parents
of children who are under 5 years old should not own reptiles
and should supervise their children's hand washing before eating,''
Wright said.
``Pet owners
in general should be certain to keep their pets healthy, visit
their veterinarian if the pet develops diarrhea, and wash their
hands after touching fecal material and before eating,'' she concluded.
SOURCE:
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2001;50:701-704
Reference
Source 89
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