Do cats carry the aids virus?

About a month ago this stray cat came into my garden and my ma loves cats so she started feeding it. We noticed sticky pus- like stuff over it's eyes. My pregnant girlfriend comes to my regulary and cats are appartently dangerous to pregnant girls. So my mum rung the vet who told her stary cats who were from around farms or something like it carry the equivlent to the aids virus. Is is true cause it sounds like crap to me?

As long as you dont have sex with it you are ok. If you do, wear protection!

yes but its cat aids, you can't get it.

yes, its called feline leukemia.

No they do not transmit any of these type of diseases to humans. Just stay away from them though because they may have an upper respitory infection.

I'm sure they can carry disease, but I don't know about HIV. I have never heard that and I live with 5 cats that are all regularly taken to the vet. Sounds like crap to me too.

they carry a form of the same virus but you can't catch it from them. pregnant women and people with AIDs are at risk because they may complicate the pregnancy or cause problems for someone with an already comprimised immune system.

Good Question. I am not sure of the answer but I have heard that monkeys can carry the virus. Also, it would be interesting if doctors did some research into this.

Yes, Feline aids, not transmittable to other species of animal, or humans.

They don't carry the AIDS virus. However, they can carry a virus that causes feline leukemia and can be transmitted to humans.

There is such a thing known as FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) which is the cat version of AIDS. But it cannot be transmitted to humans. Also, pregnant women can be around cats, they just shouldn't clean the litterboxes because they can contract toxoplasmosis (inhaled from feces).
FYI: Feline leukemia and FIV are not the same thing...and neither can be transmitted to humans.

There is a cat version of the aids virus but I don't think it can be tranferred to humans,but its highly contagious to other cats.Your girlfriend is right to stay away from any strange animals though,they could be carrying any diseases that may be harmful to the baby

Cat Scratch Disease and Bacillary Angiomatosis

What is cat scratch disease?

Cat Scratch Disease (CSD) is a bacterial infection which usually causes fever, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. CSD is not the same as a cat scratch. Most cat scratches do not develop into CSD or Bacillary Angiomatosis.

What is bacillary angiomatosis?

Bacillary angiomatosis (BA) is a rare condition which usually occurs in people with HIV/AIDS. Patients with BA may have skin lesions which sometimes resemble Kaposi's Sarcoma. BA can also affect internal organs such as the liver or spleen.

What is Bartonella?

Both CSD and BA appear to be caused by the same bacterium, Bartonella henselae.

How is my cat affected by this organism?

Cats that carry the agent are generally not ill and show no signs of infection. Recent research shows that cats acquire the Bartonella organism from fleas.

How is this organism transmitted to people?

Cats may transmit Bartonella to people by scratches or possibly bites. Fleas may also be involved with transmission to people. Cats less than one year of age are more likely to be associated with transmission of CSD or BA than are adult cats.

Should I have my cat tested?

Although tests are available to determine if your cat has been exposed to Bartonella, testing and interpretation of test results can be controversial. In general, seronegative cats are less of a potential risk than seropositve cats. However, 2% of seroneagtive cats carry the bacterium in the blood.

Is it treatable in people?

It is extremely important for any individual who thinks he or she may have BA to see a physician. The condition is very treatable (and curable). CSD in people with healthy immune systems is usually benign. If you are concerned about CSD, consult your physician.

How do I prevent myself from getting this disease?

1. Adopt or purchase a cat over one year of age from a flea-controlled environment.

2. Wash your hands after handling a cat.

3. Discourage your cat from scratching or biting you.

4. Rough play should be avoided.

5. Keep your cat's nails trimmed short. If your cat tends to scratch frequently, talk to your veterinarian about behavior modification or nail caps for cats to help minimize scratches.

6. Wash all bites or scratches immediately with soap and water.

7. Cats should not be allowed to lick open wounds on your body.

8. Minimize contact with kittens.

9. Use good flea control on your pet and in your home. Contact your veterinarian or groomer for more details.

If you are scratched or bitten by a cat and develop a wound that will not heal, a fever, unusual skin lesions or are otherwise ill from unknown causes, you should let your physician know that you were scratched or bitten.

Cats can carry a disease called Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV instead of HIV). It's not contagious to humans although it is to cats. It is not the same as Feline Leukemia.

Yes, cats can get Feline AIDS but humans can't catch it as it does not affect us, so your girlfriend is okay. Other cats can catch it, so keep this animal away from healthy cats if you can.

There is a kind of Aids that cats can get. My beloved Abyssinnian sadly died from it.

i don't know if it can carry the same aids as people get... but i do know for sure that their is a kind of "cat aids" that will not transfer to humans... its just like aids like it is for humans... except it only it is only transferred through cats...

Cats can be infected with cat or feline aids. It is the same as human aids, but we can't catch it from them and they can't catch ours.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasite that cats can have and pass on to humans. This is only a problem if the human is pregnant as it can harm the foetus. A pregnant woman should avoid all contact with cat faeces (gardening, cleaning liter trays etc) although most people who have been around cats all their lies will already have built up an immunity.

yes its called cat aids
many cats have it.
But it wont harm you..it just means the cat can become very ill

cats can occasionally carry FIV not HIV so it's Feline not human. Cat's are not dangerous to pregnant women, it's their poo. Also sheep's poo. That is because it can (not always but can) contain a bacteria which can cause toxoplasmosis to an unborn child. Basically anyone around a cat or sheep who is pregnant should get someone else to do the litter tray / mucking out. If the cat "goes" outdoors then there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

Cat's can carry Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). This is the feline equivelant of HIV. Humans cannot get FIV. The reason pregnant women should beware of cats is because they can carry a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii which can cause complications up to and including abortion. The CDC has tips on how to avoid this at http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pregnant....

Many cats carry toxoplasmosis. Previously it was thought that it was only dangerous to pregnant women, but now we know it can be harmful to healthy adults as well.

such virus spreads to humans? never heard ! beware of monkeys and other animals too.Ask your doc more about it !

they carry aids-feline leukemia. which is not contagious to humans, only other felines. They also carry toxoplasmosis, which CAN be contagious to humans, and dangerous to pregnant women, and children. Girlfriend should not touch cats while pregnant.

There is a type of feline "aids" but it isn't contagious to humans. It is like so many diseases animals get that cannot be passed to humans.

Just for future reference, "aids" isn't a virus. In humans the virus HIV causes the immune system to become weakened and the term "aids" which actually stands for: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is the resulting illness from being infected with the virus. That is a very simple explanation but for this purpose, an adequate one.

Pregnant women are advised not to be around cats because of the threat of toxoplasmosis.

Here's a link that explains it better:

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/...
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Yes but only affecting their species.

Your Girlfriend would be much better advised to stay away from dog faeces which can carry toxoplasmosis. This is nasty and causes blindness in babies and children. Cats are generally very clean animals and love or hate them do not really carry anything worse than fleas that irritate humans. Watch out for cat scratch fever though - a real medical condition but I have yet to contract it from my scratchy cats!