Symptoms of Diseases Caused by Cat Litter Pee

Diseases passed from animal to human are called zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses. Transmission of such disease can occur through several different means. Zoonoses transmit through bites and scratches, contact with hair and skin, and urine and feces. Only one disease is transmitted through infected urine. If you experience symptoms of this disease, seek medical attention.

  1. Leptospirosis

    • Leptospirosis is an infection with the gram-negative bacteria Leptospira interrogans. It is passed to humans by infected feline urine. This can occur during contact with fresh water, soil or food that has come in contact with infected urine. It can be transmitted through broken skin, mucosa, such as eyes and nose, or oral ingestion. Cats do not show symptoms of this disease, so it is difficult to tell if you have acquired it. Leptospirosis is diagnosed through blood or urine tests in a laboratory.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms usually begin to appear anywhere from two days to four weeks after infection. Early symptoms include headache, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting, eye inflammation, and muscle aches. More severe symptoms that can appear are jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes), kidney failure, and internal bleeding. Untreated leptospirosis can result in organ system damage and even death.

    Treatment

    • If caught early, leptospirosis is easily treated with antibiotics, such as tetracycline, doxycycline or penicillin. More severe cases of the disease may require hospitalization and the use of intravenous antibiotics.