June 23, 2023 – Reducing the population of feral cats, especially in cities, could reduce the chance of contracting toxoplasmosis, a disease brought on by a dangerous parasite transmitted by cats.
Researchers on the University of California in Davis found that cats excrete more parasites, Toxoplasma gondii, in the event that they live in areas with higher population density, comparable to cities.
Much of the research to this point has focused on the risks of toxoplasmosis in cats kept as pets. Pregnant women are sometimes advised not to wash cat litter boxes since the parasite, which lives in cat feces, will be transmitted from mother to unborn child.
This latest study focused on wild cats and appeared this week within the journal PLOS One. Researchers analyzed data from 47 previously published studies and located that 2.7% of stool samples were positive for the parasite.
The authors of the study suspect that the link between parasite levels and population density – that's, more people living together in a small space – may very well be on account of “the release of unwanted pets, more outdoor cats, stray cats and the provision of food for feral cat colonies”.
According to the USDAThere are 164 million cats within the United States, of which 30 to 80 million are feral.
The Cleveland Clinic According to toxoplasmosis, most individuals don't experience any symptoms. However, the disease is very dangerous for individuals with weakened immune systems as it may well result in organ damage and possibly death.