A study about feral cats' link toxoplasmosis, parasitc disease spread in the feces of infected animals, has spread like wildfire, but how accurate are the news reports is debatable?
The infection of toxoplasmosis by feces-borne parasites can lead to serious birth defects, including deafness and mental retardation, according to reports.
The study, "Toxoplasma oocytes as a public health problem," was published in Tuesday in the journal Trends in Parasitology.
"Nobody wants to talk about it, but our cats are outside pooping all over the place," Patricia Conrad, a professor of parasitology at UC Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine, told LA Times. "There's a lot more out there in the environment than any of us would like to think about."
However, in response to stories published yesterday, including the Headlines & Global News article, Alley Cat Allies released the following statement:
"This is fear-mongering, plain and simple. The study produces no hard evidence of cat-to-human transmission of toxoplasmosis," Becky Robinson, president and co-founder of Alley Cat Allies said in an email press release. "The researchers base their conclusions solely on estimates of the amount of cat feces deposited in sandboxes outdoors. In fact, you are more likely to contract toxoplasmosis from eating undercooked meat than from touching a cat."
Alley Cat Allies also cited statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a press release last year, which according to the organization shows toxoplasmosis is unlikely to be transmitted by touching a cat.
"Cats brought to shelters as a result of these rumors are more than likely to be killed there," Robinson said. "We hope that pet owners and public officials listen to the voice of reason and that no cats become innocent victims of the media's irresponsible reporting."
Researchers from the published study did acknowledge that there has been a decrease in the incidence of human toxoplasmosis in the United States. They also gave the same suggestions Alley Cat Allies did in their press release: wash your hands.
"It should [be] assumed that gardens to which cats have access are infectious, and gardeners should wear gloves and wash their hands after completing gardening....Fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed," the authors wrote in the study.
To read more about the cat poop parasite, click here.
