10 months ago
A 'healthy' female successful Texas suffered from convulsive diarrhea for months aft catching a bacterial infection from her pet cat.
The 31-year-old, from Houston, was diagnosed pinch C. diff, a highly contagious infection that throws nan digestive strategy disconnected balance and leads to achy inflammation successful nan colon.
It is usually caused by coming into interaction pinch contaminated surfaces aliases interaction pinch infected people. But erstwhile nan woman's symptoms did not subside aft 2 months contempt taking medication, doctors began investigating further.
They worked retired that she had adopted a stray feline astir a period earlier her symptoms started - and decided to trial nan animal.
It has ever been theorized that animals could walk nan infection to humans, but it's ne'er been proven.
NEW PIC ENROUTE WAS ORDERED AN HOUR AGO: When nan woman's infection returned, suspicion fell connected her pet feline which was an adopted stray (stock image)
The supra shows a timeline of nan woman's illness
Swabs revealed that some nan female and nan feline were infected pinch nan aforesaid strains of C. diff.
The feline had nary symptoms of nan illness. The female was different healthy, did not smoke, portion intoxicant socially and only had 1 antheral intersexual partner.
The lawsuit was revealed successful the American Journal of Case Reports, pinch doctors informing it was a reminder of nan risks posed by family pets.
The female first came to doctors complaining of terrible diarrhea 4 times a time and a fever which she had been suffering for a week.
Doctors kept her successful infirmary for 2 days and gave her antibiotics earlier she was discharged.
Statistics show astir 500,000 Americans are infected pinch C. difficile each year, pinch two-thirds of these cases linked to attraction homes.
It kills 15,000-30,000 group each twelvemonth successful nan US.
Anyone tin beryllium infected, but nan mostly of cases hap erstwhile patients are taking antibiotics, aliases soon aft they decorativeness their course.
This is because antibiotics disrupt nan germs successful nan gut.
Those 65 and older who person stayed astatine infirmary aliases nursing location precocious are astir astatine risk.
Immunosuppressed individuals are besides much astatine risk.
Symptoms see tummy aches, nonaccomplishment of appetite, emotion nauseous, diarrhea and a fever
It tin beryllium ingested arsenic spores and past nan acerb successful nan tummy to scope nan intestines, wherever it starts to turn retired of power and merchandise toxins causing harm to cells.
Symptoms statesman 5 to 10 days aft infection and initially look to beryllium akin to nutrient poisoning — though they persist.
In superior cases, it tin lead to life-threatening dehydration caused by terrible diarrhea from nan infection.
Studies propose up to 20 percent of patients dice from a C. difficile infection wrong 30 days of diagnosis, though nan illness is overmuch much communal successful older adults pinch weaker immune systems.
The illness tin besides origin harm to cells successful nan colon raising nan consequence that they will go cancerous and colon crab will emerge.
Cats tin go infected from C. difficile via interaction with soil contaminated pinch nan feces of different animals.
They tin besides beryllium infected via ingesting contaminated nutrient and from veterinary clinics and animal shelters wherever they are successful adjacent proximity to different animals.
Dogs tin prime up nan germs successful nan aforesaid ways.
Cats tin past get spores from nan germs onto their fur erstwhile they cleanable themselves aliases they tin beryllium coming successful their feces.
Humans tin prime these up via stroking nan animal aliases erstwhile cleaning their litter trays, causing an infection.
Antibiotics are utilized to dainty C. difficile infections.
