A resident of the Australian city of Melbourne, Victoria, died after the family cat scratched her and licked the wound. This was reported on the website of the TV channel 7News.
80-year-old woman, whose family chose not to disclose her name, often slept with a cat named minty. In may, the woman once again fell asleep next to your pet. Presumably, the night minty scratched her, and then licked the wound.
As a result, the animal’s saliva entered her bloodstream, and the woman had contracted bacterial meningitis. The pensioner was admitted to hospital and nine days spent in a coma. After she was disconnected from life support, she died.
“I was in shock. I tried not to hate the cat and be nice to him. But one day he without any reason jumped on me,” said the daughter of the deceased.
Experts on infectious diseases say that on average one person a week is admitted to the hospital because contained in cat saliva bacteria. About 40 percent of cats in certain periods of their life become carriers of the bacteria bartonella henselae. Complications are rare, but the bacteria can cause damage to brain, eyes, heart or other internal organs in children and adults with a weakened immune system.
Earlier it was reported that pathogenic bacteria contained in the saliva of the domestic dog, led to the death of 63-year-old man. Apparently, pet men brought them when licked of the owner.
