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German Woman Contracts Superbug from Cat
March 14, 2008 12:44 PM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
After struggling with a number of MRSA infections, the German woman recovered when doctors found and treated the bacteria in one of her cats.
30-Second Summary
The New England Journal of Medicine reports that the woman and her cat repeatedly re-infected each other with the bacteria.
Although this is one of only a few documented cases of transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus between a human and an animal, let alone a cat, it is the latest in a number of reports about MRSA infections.
The antibiotic-resistant bacteria has caused deaths, shut down schools and raised alarms among health officials.
MRSA is not commonly transmitted between humans and animals, but the Bavarian Health Authority warns doctors to look at pets when dealing with recurrent infections.
However, most diseases can be prevented if owners frequently wash their wands and keep their pets clean and healthy.
The drug-resistant bacteria MRSA killed more than 18,000 people in 2005, but it can also be fatal to animals.
Bella, a dog owned by Jill Moss, a British actress, contracted MRSA after surgery and died at the age of eight. Her owner started the Bella Moss Foundation to raise awareness of the disease.
Health experts say infections are more often transmitted between humans and animals when a person has a weakened immune system. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people with HIV or AIDS who have a pet keep the animal, but take special precautions to prevent infections.
Although this is one of only a few documented cases of transmission of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus between a human and an animal, let alone a cat, it is the latest in a number of reports about MRSA infections.
The antibiotic-resistant bacteria has caused deaths, shut down schools and raised alarms among health officials.
MRSA is not commonly transmitted between humans and animals, but the Bavarian Health Authority warns doctors to look at pets when dealing with recurrent infections.
However, most diseases can be prevented if owners frequently wash their wands and keep their pets clean and healthy.
The drug-resistant bacteria MRSA killed more than 18,000 people in 2005, but it can also be fatal to animals.
Bella, a dog owned by Jill Moss, a British actress, contracted MRSA after surgery and died at the age of eight. Her owner started the Bella Moss Foundation to raise awareness of the disease.
Health experts say infections are more often transmitted between humans and animals when a person has a weakened immune system. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people with HIV or AIDS who have a pet keep the animal, but take special precautions to prevent infections.
Headline Links: Study says woman was infected by cat
Dr. Andreas Sing, a microbiologist at the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority in Oberschleissheim near Munich, told The Associated Press that the otherwise healthy German woman “had deep abscesses, or boils, all over her back.” However, four weeks after her cat was treated for the bacteria, “the woman was free of MRSA and her abscesses had all healed,” the AP reports.
Source: The Boston Globe
Despite her illness, the woman’s family seemed healthy. However, it turned out that they were also carrying MRSA. The whole family was treated, but the woman did not improve. Doctors then examined her three cats, which seemed healthy, and found one of them was carrying MRSA. When the cat and woman were both treated, the infection went away.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine
House pets do sometimes transmit diseases, according to Debbye Turner, a veterinarian. Humans can catch rabies, ringworm and cat scratch disease through direct contact with a pet. But vaccinations, thorough hand washing and flea and tick treatments can help prevent the spread of such diseases.
Source: CBS News
Background: ‘Killer Hospital-Bred Infection Enters Broader Community’
An antibiotic-resistant variant of staph bacterium responsible for the deaths of children in three U.S. states appears in schools in Connecticut, Maryland and New York.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reaction: One more thing to consider in MRSA prevention
An unnamed blogger at One Clear Dot says this story shows we need to consider our pets when people are trying to prevent infections. “We already know that MRSA is out in the community now and we need to be more careful than ever to wash our hands, sneeze into our shirtsleeves instead of our hands, and to treat all cuts and scrapes in a timely manner,” she wrote.
Source: One Clear Dot
Related Topic: MRSA a two-way threat
It is not just humans who can get sick from MRSA. Jill Moss formed the Bella Moss Foundation after her eight-year-old dog contracted MRSA after undergoing surgery and died.
Source: The Bella Moss Foundation
Reference: MRSA, staying healthy with pets and keeping them safe
Nearly 95,000 people had a serious MRSA infection in 2005, says the CDC. MRSA was a factor in the deaths of almost 19,000 people who developed an infection while admitted to the hospital. Most cases of MRSA occur within a health care setting, whether it is inpatient or outpatient.
Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Hand washing can go a long way in avoiding any bacteria or parasites pets might have. Keeping an eye on children and making sure they wash their hands after petting or playing with pets is also important, says British Columbia’s Ministry of Health. Don’t feed pets raw meat or unpasteurized milk, and call the veterinarian when they show signs of illness.
Source: British Columbia Ministry of Health
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has special recommendations for people with HIV or AIDS who have pets. The CDC doesn’t suggest getting rid of the pet since the risk for infection is low, and “pets can help you feel psychologically and even physically better.”
Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Read more about pets and pet care in findingDulcinea’s Pet Care Web Guide.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
