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A recently published medical report revealed that a man had contracted a potentially fatal illness from his cat, which left him on his face.
The unnamed Missouri man, age 68, had consulted a doctor after suffering a fever for a week, followed by two months of painful swelling on the right side of the neck.
After undergoing blood tests, he was diagnosed with a rare condition called glandular tularemia. It is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis and can cause fatal pneumonia in more than half of the cases. Doctors believe that he contracted the illness of his feline friend who died just two days before the onset of his symptoms.
According to the report, the dog died after a veterinarian mistakenly diagnosed him with feline leukemia without having been tested in the laboratory. It is believed, however, that the cat must have suffered from glandular tularemia.
The bumps on the man's neck were actually the enlarged lymph nodes of the man, which swelled as the bacteria entered his body. The bumps completely healed after a four week antibiotic dose.
"Domestic cats can be infected by the consumption of infected prey and can transmit the bacteria to humans." Now, as anyone can imagine, a process probably involving close contact and maybe even some bites and scratches – a perfect opportunity for F. tularensis to jump from cat to human, "the report said.
The disease, also known as rabbit fever, affects about 100 to 200 people a year in the United States, the Illinois Public Health Department reported. The disease causes fever, skin ulcer and enlarged lymph nodes. It is spread by many routes, including insect bites and direct exposure to an infected animal.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease can be difficult to diagnose and the symptoms can be confused with other more common diseases. The symptoms may vary depending on how bacteria enter the body and can range from mild to life threatening. The CDC noted that "the treatment usually lasts 10 to 21 days depending on the stage of the disease and the drug used. Although the symptoms may last for several weeks, most patients recover completely. "
As the disease is contracted by animals, people who work outdoors or who are camping or hiking should use insect repellents, wear covered clothing and avoid drinking non-surface water. treated as a precautionary measure. People who hunt or trap animals should use gloves to handle animals, especially rabbits, muskrats, prairie dogs and other rodents, and to cook game meat before eating.
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