Sickening cat-scat?

Animal-disease experts are calling attention to a potentially harmful parasite present in a small portion of cat feces.

In a study published in the journal Trends in Parasitology, Maryland researchers warned of a dormant, feces-borne parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which can infect humans and other warm-blooded animals, according to the Los Angeles Times. Such feces-borne parasites, called oocysts, have long been linked to serious birth defects, including deafness and mental retardation, and have recently been controversially associated with increased risk of brain cancer, schizophrenia and suicidal behavior. The authors urged cat owners to keep pets indoors, properly dispose of cat litter, and be wary of areas “favored by cats for defecation.”

“It should be assumed that the play areas of children, especially sandboxes, are highly infectious unless they have been covered at all times when not in use, or … are not accessible to cats,” the study’s authors wrote, adding that “it should also be assumed that gardens to which cats have access are infectious.”