Nursing student warns cat owners of deadly disease lurking in their pets' litter boxes READ MORE: Parasite spread by cats makes people more attractive, says study By Luke Andrews Senior Health Reporter For Dailymail.Com Published: 16:40 BST, 16 September 2024 | Updated: 16:44 BST, 16 September 2024 e-mail View comments People whose cats spend most of their time outdoors may want to think twice before cleaning out their litter box. Nursing student Christine warned in a TikTok that the box could be infested with the disease toxoplasmosis — which can cause flu-like symptoms and, in rare cases, trigger vision problems and even death.
While most infected people don't suffer any symptoms, the elderly and pregnant women are most at risk. And fetuses that are infected are at a higher risk of developing vision problems and developmental delays. Outdoor cats pick up the parasite after eating wild animals like birds and rodents, and then release it in their feces.
Indoor cats are unlikely to get infected. People may become infected while cleaning cat litter and getting the microscopic parasite on their hands. But experts say it is more common to catch toxoplasmosis from unwashed vegetables and dirty food surfaces.
@chris1ine1hecapricorn nursing school got me scared now 😭 #fypシ #tiktok #xybca #toxoplasmosis #cats ♬ ls lt a crime by Sade - PlaylistsbyMolly Christine, a nursing student, posted the clip online, saying she was now going to take these precautions while cleaning out h.