[Ansteorra] Cats could make you crazy
Leslie Snipes
lesdsnipes at yahoo.com
Sat Jul 30 02:36:03 PDT 2011
Ismet is on point. I have more experience with Toxo than I'd like since my mother developed serious problems from it while she had AIDS a couple of decades back. We'd had cats in our home since my early childhood and all 5 in the house at the time she became ill tested negative (which is a bit unusual).
Cats are the definitive host but all warm blooded mammals can carry Toxo. After exposure, most humans with healthy immune systems become immune. Like many diseases, it can lurk and come back to cause problems years and decades later if one's immune system is compromised. Basically, that is little different from having Chicken Pox as a kid and Shingles in later years. Currently, in the US, about 30% of women of child bearing age have been exposed to Toxo prior to pregnancy and will not have any problems related to the Toxo during pregnancy, nor will their children have problems. The risk from Toxo is exposure during pregnancy or while having a compromised immune system and some risk that it can pop back up if one later has a failed immune system.
Human infection may result from:
* Blood transfusions or solid organ transplants
* Carelessly handling cat litter, which can lead to accidental consumption of infectious particles
* Eating contaminated soil
* Eating raw or undercooked meat (lamb, pork, and beef)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001661/
Cats have long gotten the "blame" for Toxo but it hardly seems warranted.
Although there is no way to definitely know when/how my mother was exposed to Toxo, it is most likely she was exposed as a child since she grew up on a farm and handled many animals. She, in reaction and "modern" health thought of the day, raised me in a haze of Clorox and I now have a compromised immune system which may be due to not having been adequately exposed to a variety of "bugs" during childhood when my immune system was developing.
We live in a world filled with "bugs" and they come with the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's all about balancing the best we can. When it comes to cats and Toxo, normal hygiene practices are more than sufficient. (I will refrain from mentioning the lovely "bugs" most of us have living on or near us and even mentioning that may send some running for the tub and scrubbing themselves raw with scrunchies they've already infested with their "bugs".)
Pandora (who has lived with cats and cat poop eating dogs most of her life, worked with cat rescue, REGULARLY deals with Cat Scratch Fever, but oddly still tests negative to Toxo exposure :)
--- On Fri, 7/29/11, Hugh & Belinda Niewoehner <BurgBorrendohl at valornet.com> wrote:
> From: Hugh & Belinda Niewoehner <BurgBorrendohl at valornet.com>
> Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Cats could make you crazy
> To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
> Date: Friday, July 29, 2011, 1:46 PM
> Ok, I'm not a scientist, put it
> appears that if you wash those clothes, etc. you remove
> whatever small chance of getting infected in the case that
> your cat /might/ be carrying this. Since the majority
> of people get this from eating raw meat (and I'm guessing
> that's where cats get this, too) I think I'd be more
> concerned about cooking my meat and washing my veggies and
> especially practicing good personal hygiene, than petting a
> cat which most likely is not carrying this disease according
> to statistics.
>
> If you live in an environment where feces (urine is
> annoying but not a source for this) is everywhere you may
> die of something else before this gets you anyway. In
> part of this study which I didn't quote they listed
> the areas where humans have been infected with Britain
> having 20 to 30 percent of their people having been infected
> at some time in their lives and yet France and Germany was
> 80 percent. Since all of these countries have cats,
> my/theory/--not scientific fact--is that this supports the
> findings that people are more likely to become infected from
> eating undercooked meat. You can not get a well done
> piece of beef in France for all the euros in the
> world. Germany has gotten better about that we
> noticed--perhaps because of this?
>
> So...
>
> Clean up all feces (cat or otherwise) and then wash hands
> thoroughly.
> Don't eat raw meat.
> Wash your veggies.
> Cover sand boxes when not in use in case a stray cat (or
> mole or rat) that/might/ be carrying this comes by.
>
> love your pets whatever they may be.
>
> Ismet
>
> On 7/29/2011 1:13 PM, Ld.blackmoon wrote:
> > greetings
> >
> > if I'm reading this correctly , then someone who is in
> constant contact with feline feces, and isn't good about
> removing all traces of said feces, ( lack of thorough
> washing , of effected clothes and eating / cooking materials
> and surfaces is at a higher risk of infection , especially
> if they are already on drugs for other things , including
> other mental issues ?
> > what are the means of transference from human to human
> if any ?
> > the article also states that hygiene ( in all things )
> ( washing surfaces,utensils, clothes, hands etc. thoroughly
> ) is the best way to reduce chances of infection .
> > but I couldn't find anyplace that suggested a course
> of action ( if any ) for anyone who finds themselves in such
> a high risk condition , ( lots of cats that roam in and out
> freely, clothing and personal belongings that smell
> strongly of cat urine and feces,all the time, and may or may
> not thoroughly clean cooking utensils and surfaces ) ,
> does anyone know what should be done in such cases ? or if
> anything should be done in such cases ?
> > weird minds want to know : )
> > Be Safe , Be Happy, Have Fun .
> > Arthur
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hugh & Belinda
> Niewoehner" <BurgBorrendohl at valornet.com>
> > To: "Angus MacKnochard" <glnn_jhn at yahoo.com>;
> "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
> > Sent: Friday, July 29, 2011 11:23 AM
> > Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Cats could make you crazy
> >
> >
> > You site your studies, I'll site mine :-) . Life
> is dangerous. There
> > is much more information on the site (including tons
> of references):
> >
> > http://www.fabcats.org/cat_group/policy_statements/toxo.html
> >
> > Other animals, including humans, are intermediate
> hosts of /T gondii/.
> > These hosts can become infected but do not produce
> oocysts. Oocysts
> > passed in a cat's faeces are not immediately
> infectious to other animals
> > and must first go through a process called sporulation
> which takes
> > between one and five days, depending on the
> environmental conditions.
> > Once sporulated, oocysts are infectious to cats,
> people and other
> > intermediate hosts and can survive in the soil or
> water for prolonged
> > periods (up to 18 months) even in extreme weather
> conditions.
> > Intermediate hosts become infected through ingestion
> of sporulated
> > oocysts, and this infection results in formation of
> tissue cysts
> > (bradyzoites) in various tissues of the body. Tissue
> cysts remain in the
> > host for life and are infectious to cats, people and
> other intermediate
> > hosts if eaten. Dogs (and perhaps other animals) can
> also transport
> > sporulated (infective) oocysts and spread these to
> other places if they
> > eat the oocysts and then pass them in their faeces
> where they remain
> > infective.
> >
> >
> > What are the sources of infection for people?
> > In most cases, people become infected via one of two
> routes:
> >
> > * Ingestion of oocysts from the
> environment eg, through contact with
> > soil containing sporulated
> oocysts. This can also occur indirectly
> > through eating contaminated fruit
> or vegetables.
> > * Ingestion of meat containing tissue
> cysts. Fresh meat is most
> > risky since freezing meat for
> several days will kill most tissue
> > cysts.
> >
> > Other routes of infection are less commonly implicated
> but include:
> >
> > * Ingestion of sporulated oocysts through
> contact with contaminated
> > water
> > * Ingestion of raw (unpasteurised) goats
> milk can transmit the organism
> > * Inhalation of sporulated oocysts on
> dust particles (extremely rare)
> >
> > Does contact with a cat increase the risk of
> infection?
> > Recent research indicates that contact with cats does
> not increase the
> > risk of /T gondii/ infection of people. These studies
> have shown that:
> >
> > * It is rare to identify cats shedding
> oocysts in their faeces.
> > Thus, a recent survey found that
> while 24 percent of 206 cats had
> > antibodies to /T gondii/
> indicating prior infection with this
> > agent, oocysts were not found in
> the faeces of any of these cats
> > (Hill et al 2000).
> > * Veterinary surgeons working with cats
> are no more likely to be
> > infected with /T gondii/ than the
> general population including
> > people not in contact with cats
> (Behymer et al 1973, Sengbusch &
> > Sengbusch 1976, DiGiacomo et al
> 1990).
> > * Contact with cats has no influence on
> the probability of people
> > having antibodies to /T gondii/
> (antibodies develop following
> > infection) whereas consuming raw
> meat significantly increases the
> > risk of acquiring this infection
> (Flegr et al 1998).
> > * Stroking a cat will not spread
> infection from cats to people
> > * Even when cats are shedding oocysts in
> their faeces, oocysts
> > cannot be found on their coat
> (Dubey 1995).
> > * Studies performed in dogs have shown
> that oocysts do not sporulate
> > on their fur (Lindsay et al 1997)
> and it is likely that the same
> > is true in cats.
> > * Cat ownership does not increase the
> risk of toxoplasmosis in
> > people suffering from AIDS
> (Wallace et al 1993). Although people
> > with AIDS are generally at an
> increased risk of clinical disease
> > relating to /T gondii/ infection,
> this results from reactivation
> > of previous infection rather than
> acquiring new infection from
> > their cat or other sources.
> > * The risk of infection from cats is very
> low except in young
> > children playing in soil
> contaminated with sporulated oocysts.
> > Most people are infected through
> ingestion of undercooked meat --
> > especially goat, mutton and pork
> (Wallace et al 1993).
> > * It is generally believed that infection
> cannot be transmitted by a
> > bite or scratch from an infected
> cat.
> > * Studies suggest that previously
> infected cats needing treatment
> > with immunosuppressive drugs at
> standard doses, do not start
> > shedding oocysts in their faeces
> (Lappin et al 1992).
> > * Studies also indicate that cats
> previously infected with /T
> > gondii/ do not re-shed oocysts in
> their faeces if they become
> > immunosuppressed due to infection
> with feline immunodeficiency
> > virus (FIV) or feline leukaemia
> virus (FeLV) (Lappin 2001).
> > * Furthermore, cats with FIV or FeLV that
> are subsequently infected
> > with /T gondii/ do not appear to
> shed oocysts for any longer or in
> > any greater numbers than other
> cats (Lappin et al 1996, Dubey &
> > Lappin 1998).
> > * Newer strains of /T gondii/ have been
> identified that are highly
> > infectious with infection being
> efficiently passed between
> > intermediate hosts (species other
> than cats). Consequently, some
> > scientists think that cats are
> becoming less important in the
> > spread of this infection.
> >
> >
> > How can the risk of transmission of toxoplasma from a
> cat to its owner
> > be reduced?
> > Toxoplasmosis is particularly severe in certain 'high
> risk' groups of
> > individuals (see 'What is toxoplasmosis' section).
> Although the risk of
> > transmission of infection from a cat to its owner is
> very low, this can
> > be reduced further and/or its consequences minimised
> by adopting the
> > following recommendations:
> >
> > 1. People in 'high risk' groups
> should not have contact with the
> > cat's litter tray. Where possible,
> only non-pregnant and
> > immunocompetent people (ie, not
> those people with diseases or drug
> > therapy suppressing their immune
> system) should handle cat litter
> > trays (following all of the
> guidelines below).
> > 2. Empty litter trays daily so that
> oocysts do not have sufficient
> > time to sporulate (become
> infective) while in the litter tray.
> > 3. Wear gloves when handling cat
> litter and wash hands thoroughly
> > after cleaning the litter tray.
> > 4. Use litter tray liners if possible
> and periodically clean the
> > litter tray with detergent and
> scalding water (which kills
> > oocysts) eg, fill the litter tray
> with boiling water and leave for
> > five to 10 minutes before
> emptying.
> > 5. Dispose of cat litter safely. For
> example, seal it in a plastic
> > bag before putting it with other
> household waste.
> > 6. Cover children's sandpits when not
> in use to prevent cats using
> > them as litter trays.
> > 7. Feed only properly cooked food or
> commercial cat food to your cat
> > to avoid infection.
> > 8. Washing hands after contact with a
> cat (especially before eating)
> > is a sensible hygiene precaution.
> > 9. If very concerned, ask your vet to
> check your cat's toxoplasma
> > titre (antibody test for exposure
> to /T gondii/):
> > 1. Cats with a
> positive titre have been infected in the past
> > and will not
> be a source of infection in the future as they
> > have
> completed their period of oocyst shedding.
> > 2. Cats with a
> negative titre have not been infected with /T
> > gondii/ in
> the past and are likely to shed oocysts in their
> > faeces for a
> short time if they become infected in the future.
> > 10. The risk of acquiring infection can be
> minimised by:
> > 1. Avoiding
> feeding raw meat to the cat to reduce the risk of
> > /T gondii/
> infection (see point 7 above).
> > 2. Keeping the
> cat indoors to prevent hunting and access to
> > intermediate
> hosts such as moles and mice.
> >
> > How can the risk of transmission of toxoplasma from
> other sources be
> > reduced?
> > These measures are essential in all 'high risk' groups
> of people (see
> > above) and are also sensible routine hygiene
> precautions:
> >
> > 1. Gloves should be worn when
> gardening and hands thoroughly washed
> > after contact with soil which may
> contain sporulated (infectious)
> > oocysts.
> > 2. Gloves should be worn when
> handling food to prevent exposure to
> > oocysts and tissue cysts. Hands
> should always be washed thoroughly
> > afterwards.
> > 3. Fruit and vegetables should be
> thoroughly washed before eating to
> > remove any oocysts present on
> their surface.
> > 4. All food preparation surfaces and
> utensils should be cleaned with
> > detergent in warm water before and
> after use to inactivate any
> > tissue cysts.
> > 5. Meat should be cooked to a minimum
> of 58°C for 10 minutes or 61°C
> > for four minutes to kill the
> tissue cysts (Dubey et al 1990).
> > Microwaving is not a safe way to
> kill tissue cysts as the heating
> > is uneven. /T gondii /oocysts can
> remain infectious when stored in
> > a refrigerator (4°C) for up to 54
> months (Dubey 1998).
> > 6. Freezing meat at --12°C to -20°C
> for three days kills tissue cysts
> > as does curing or smoking (Dubey
> 1988, Lunden and Uggla 1992).
> > 7. Gamma irradiated food is free from
> any risk of infection.
> > 8. If drinking a non-mains water
> supply, boil or filter before
> > drinking to remove oocysts.
> >
> > Why is toxoplasmosis in the news so much at the
> moment?
> > Over the past 10 years, much research has centred on
> the possible
> > behavioural effects of /T gondii/ on infected people
> and animals. Some
> > of these studies have involved psychomotor tests on
> people, whereas
> > others have looked at experimental infection of
> rodents in the
> > laboratory. The human studies have yielded some
> interesting results but
> > these should be interpreted with caution because of
> the often small
> > numbers of people studied and their different
> backgrounds. All of the
> > studies have compared people who have been exposed to
> Toxoplasma with
> > those that have not and have used this as a basis for
> explaining any
> > differences between the two groups of people. However,
> other factors may
> > well have been responsible for some of the changes.
> For example, one
> > study involving 857 Czech military conscripts (Flegr
> et al 2003)
> > reported decreased IQ and verbal intelligence in /T
> gondii/-exposed
> > individuals whereas a second study found that /T
> gondii/-exposed
> > pregnant women were more intelligent (Flegr &
> Havlicek 1999). These
> > conflicting results raise the question as to whether
> Toxoplasma exposure
> > was responsible for any of the documented behavioural
> changes.
> >
> > /T gondii /infection has also been implicated as a
> cause of slower
> > reaction times (Havlicek et al 2001) making
> individuals more at risk of
> > road traffic accidents (Flegr et al 2002). Both of
> these studies
> > involved relatively small numbers of people and
> results should be
> > interpreted cautiously. The authors reported that:
> >
> > * /T gondii/-infected people had slower,
> more prolonged reaction
> > times and were more likely to have
> an accident than uninfected people.
> > * The risk of having a car accident was
> highest in those people with
> > the highest /T gondii/ antibody
> titre.
> >
> > Behavioural changes have been documented in mice
> infected with /T
> > gondii/ (Hrda et al 2000, Webster 2001) although
> changes reported in
> > animals cannot necessarily be extrapolated to humans.
> >
> > * Infected mice are less active and this
> is most noticeable when
> > infection is at its peak (peak of
> development of tissue cysts
> > inthe brains of the mice). These
> behavioural changes may make
> > affected mice more vulnerable to
> predation by cats thus passing
> > the infection on.
> > * The behavioural changes identified were
> transient -- disappearing
> > by week 12 post-infection.
> >
> > Infected mice have increased levels of dopamine in
> their brain and
> > toxoplasmosis has been suggested as a possible cause
> of schizophrenia in
> > man (Flegr et al 2003) although evidence that this is
> the case is
> > currently lacking.
> >
> > Conclusions
> > The risks of acquiring toxoplasmosis from a cat are
> extremely small and
> > most people are infected through other routes (such as
> eating
> > undercooked meat). Simple everyday hygiene measures
> can be taken to
> > reduce the risks of infection (from cats and other
> sources) making it
> > safe to own and enjoy owning a cat.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 7/29/2011 10:40 AM, Angus MacKnochard wrote:
> >
> >> All of this talk of Animal Hording reminded me of
> this article.
> >> Recent epidemiologic studies
> indicate that infectious agents may contribute to some cases
> of schizophrenia. In animals, infections with Toxoplasma
> gondii can alter behavior and neurotransmitter function. In
> humans, acute infection with the cat virus "T. gondii" can
> produce psychotic symptoms similar to those displayed by
> persons with schizophrenia. Two other studies found that
> exposure to cats in childhood was a risk factor for the
> development of schizophrenia.
> >> Since 1953, a total of 19 studies of T. gondii
> antibodies in persons with schizophrenia and other severe
> psychiatric disorders and in controls have been reported; 18
> reported a higher percentage of antibodies in the affected
> persons; in 11 studies the difference was statistically
> significant.
> >> http://schizophrenia.com/prevention/cats.html
> >>
> >>
> >> Angus MacKnochard Bagadur
> >> ANDA GDH
> >> KSCA
> >> CSS LXVIII,
> >>
> >>
> >> snerta er vald
> >> _______________________________________________
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> >
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> >
> > -----
> > No virus found in this message.
> > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> > Version: 10.0.1390 / Virus Database: 1516/3759 -
> Release Date: 07/11/11
> > Internal Virus Database is out of date.
> >
> >
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