Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on July 27, 2011, 11:44:31 AM

Title: Cat parasite linked to brain cancer
Post by: Sam (Fussy_Furball) on July 27, 2011, 11:44:31 AM

Yet another reason for some people to not have a cat I guess! :(

http://news.uk.msn.com/health/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=158685053

Title: Re: Cat parasite linked to brain cancer
Post by: jezebel on July 27, 2011, 11:49:09 AM

Oh  :censored:, more people will be throwing their cats out now.

You never read news articles on how many diseases humans spread, do you?

Title: Re: Cat parasite linked to brain cancer
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on July 27, 2011, 19:03:26 PM

I am so fed up of people having a go at cats  >:(

Title: Re: Cat parasite linked to brain cancer
Post by: Jiskefet on July 28, 2011, 17:07:48 PM

A very poor study, they did not prove, or even made plausible, any causal relationship between the parasite and the cancer.
If they had found proof of (higher) exposure in individuals who developed cancer, I would say they had a case.

The higher incidence of the parasite might just as well be a sign of lower hygiene standards in general, or of a greater population of rabbits, or of a higher incidence of FIV-positive cats, or of a certain type of climate.......
In which case both the brain cancer and the higher incidence of toxoplasmosis may well be due to a common cause.