ETA: Many people are coming to this entry via searches after recent news reports, so I’m editing this entry, originally from December of 2000, to add new information.
The research mentioned in the news appears to be an article in the Journal of Veterinary Parasitology, A decade of discoveries in veterinary protozoology changes our concept of “subclinical” toxoplasmosis, by Milton M. McAllister of the University of Illinois. You can read the abstract on the Journal’s website; however, the full article is restricted to subscribers.
Before you do anything drastic to your pets, please read an advisory from the Humane Society of the United States.
- Don’t handle or eat uncooked or undercooked meat
- Clean all surfaces and utensils that come in contact with raw or undercooked meat
- Keep your cat safely indoors and away from wildlife
- Have someone else clean the litter box daily
- Wear rubber gloves and follow with a thorough hand washing if you must clean the litter box. Scoop feces as soon as you can, and at least daily, since it takes one to five days for feces to become infectious.
- Feed cats only commercially prepared cat food.
The original weblog entry follows. However the link to LinguaFranca no longer works. That magazine was purchased by the Chronicle of Higher Education, and their site was removed.
More fun from species-jumping pathogens. LinguaFranca reports on research into causes of schizophrenia that point at a virus transmitted through cat poop which may be responsible for causing the brain leisions associated with the disease. However, instead of putting tin foil on your cat, you are better off keeping your it indoors, because the suspect virus cycles through cats’ prey such as rodents.
