Diseases Caused From Handling Cat Litter

Cat litter fresh out of the container poses no harm to humans as most of the time it is only harmless clay or corn. However, the cat can pass diseases to humans through the litter after it leaves its urine and droppings in the litter box, putting humans at risk of catching a number of illnesses, viruses, and bacterial infections. To avoid this, always wash your hands with antibacterial soap after handling used cat litter.

  1. Salmonella

    • Humans can contract salmonella bacteria from used cat litter if they handle an infected cat's litter without washing their hands after and then go on to touch their mouths. The salmonella must be ingested orally to cause infection.

      Cats naturally may have salmonella bacteria in their digestive tract, which is more likely if they eat wild animals or raw meat. The bacteria, however, does not make them sick or affect them negatively in any way.

    Streptococcal Infection

    • Streptococcal bacteria can be passed to humans from cats through used litter when a person touches the litter and then puts her fingers in her mouth. This bacteria can cause a wide range of infections, from simple tonsillitis to strep throat.

    Ringworm

    • Ringworm is one of the most common and serious health problems that is caused by coming into contact with used and infected cat litter. Ringworm is not a worm but a fungus, and it must be treated in both the cat and human in different ways. Like other diseases passed from cats to humans, ringworm is contracted by ingesting the fungus through contact with infected droppings.

    Toxoplasmosis

    • Many pregnant women are told to not handle cat litter for the duration of their pregnancy. Toxoplasmosis is the reason behind this--it's a parasite found in cat droppings that can infect humans. Women who live in the same shared space as a cat may have already been exposed to the parasite and show no symptoms or actually contract the parasite at all. However, if the woman is exposed while she is pregnant, the child could have birth defects or even serious health ramifications that don't appear until later in life.