Mary Allen
Especially velvet paws from typical holiday countries in southern Europe are often infected with cat fungus. Is the disease also contagious for humans? The answer is yes. You should be aware of this if you or your children come into contact with stray cats.
The aggressive cat fungus can also be transmitted to humans. It is particularly common in Mediterranean countries – strays, in particular, are often infected with it. Children are so often infected with the disease when they play with or pet the velvet paws. But cat fungus is also a danger for adults – especially if they have a poorly developed immune system.
Fungal Infection is Highly Contagious
The difficult thing: The cat itself usually shows no symptoms of the fungus if it has not yet broken out. Of course, this makes it almost impossible to tell if she is carrying the pathogen. But even the slightest touch of cat fungus can be contagious. If the disease has already broken out in the cat, you can recognize it by the bald patches on the animal’s fur. A pill cure from the vet is sufficient for treatment.
In humans, you can usually only recognize the fungus in one place – the one that came into contact with the infected cat. It is usually recognizable as a small, red spore that is very itchy. Therefore, those affected often initially confuse the cat fungus with an insect bite. If left untreated, it will continue to spread. If the scalp is affected, the fungus can even cause hair loss at the site.