When a drum of nuclear waste exploded in New Mexico last year, a chemical reaction between organic kitty litter (used to help absorb spills of uranium, plutonium and americium) and the drum's contents was to blame. Seems kitty litter can cause serious health risks!
For some people, the immediate hazard is a parasite - Toxoplasma gondii - that lives in the cat's gut. It can infect humans if they touch feces or contaminated material such as kitty litter and accidently ingest it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 60 million people in the United States are infected, although most don't have obvious symptoms. (People also can get the parasite from contaminated meats, water and unwashed fruits and vegetables.)
People with a weakened immune system and pregnant women have long been warned to keep their distance from cat feces. (Congenital toxoplasmosis can cause stillbirth and miscarriage.) Now two new studies indicate that T. gondii might be an even more serious public-health problem.
Researchers have found that people infected with T. gondii are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia (and perhaps other mental disorders) as those who aren't infected; chances go from 1 in 100 to 2 in 100.
Individuals who may have a genetic predisposition to develop such disorders are probably better off without a cat. But for most cat lovers, there's good news: The parasite doesn't become infectious until one to five days after it has been shed in the animal's feces. So cleaning out the litter box (using gloves) daily should reduce the risks.
CLARIFICATION: Speaking of animal risks, we wanted to clarify a couple of things we said about pet rabbits a few weeks ago. First, we want to make it clear that we did not say vaccinations are required in North America. Although rare, occasionally there outbreaks of rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease For example, 25 (unvaccinated) domestic rabbits died from it in Minnesota in 2010, according to the House Rabbit Society. Also, rabbits' spines are delicate and young children can be too rough, causing fractures. Rabbits are good pets for older, not younger, children.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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