Cat Owners More Likely to Have MRSA?

MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), a bacterium infection that is difficult to treat in humans, is said to be eight times more prevalent in households with cats as pets.

The first cases of MRSA in pets was discovered just five years ago, though it seemed to be limited to therapy dogs who were exposed to health care workers and patients on a consistent basis, and fell into the belief that illnesses jump from humans to pets, and not vice versa. However, in more recent studies it’s been found that animals store the infection in their bodies, though a healthy dog or cat can usually rid themselves of it in a matter of weeks. The infection can be passed on to people through open wounds, and is more likely to happen if the person is bitten by an infected pet.

During some recent research, Elizabeth A. Scott at the Center for Hygiene and Health in Home and Community at Simmons College in Boston swabbed surfaces in 35 homes and found that the overwhelming common denominator in the houses that tested positive were the households with cats, and were eight times more likely to have the germ present.

I can’t seem to find further info on these cat households — are the chances this high because the households they studied have indoor-outdoor cats? Or did they look at just indoor-only cat households? Did the owners themselves work in the health care industry? Were there small kids or immunocomprised people present as well? I think the 38.4 million cat households in the U.S. might be worth doing a little more research for!

[image: flickr]