被猫咬伤后鲜为人知的危险

Cats also pick up parasites from the environment and can pass those along to people. Around 10% to 20% of people in the U.S. are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite cats can get from eating infected animals, such as rodents and birds, and then shed in their feces. It typically has little impact on healthy people. But it poses a danger to the fetuses of pregnant women, which can get a syndrome whose symptoms include blindness and mental disability, and to people with weakened immune systems, who may suffer central nervous system damage.
猫还会从外界中带来一些寄生虫并将其传染给人类。在美国，大约有10%到20%的人都感染了刚地弓形虫。如果猫进食了遭受感染的动物──如啮齿动物与鸟，猫就会染上这种寄生虫，然后通过粪便排出。对健康的人群而言，这一般没什么影响。但它却会对孕妇肚子里的胎儿以及那些免疫系统功能低下的人群构成危险，前者会患上一种综合症，其症状包括失明与智障，而后者的中枢神经系统则可能会遭受损伤。

A number of studies in recent years have suggested a possible association between toxoplasma infections and an increased risk of serious psychological issues in humans, including schizophrenia and suicidal behavior. 'There's moderate evidence' of a link, said Robert H. Yolken, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who co-wrote a 2012 analysis examining research on toxoplasma and schizophrenia. One possible reason is that the parasite might boost the presence of the chemical dopamine in the brain, he said. Also, he said, any potential impact is likely more significant if the infection occurs at a young age.
近年来大量的研究已表明，在弓形虫感染与人类严重心理问题风险攀升──包括精神分裂症和自杀行为──两者之间可能存在着某种关联。约翰霍普金斯大学(Johns Hopkins University)教授罗伯特・H.约肯(Robert H. Yolken)说，“目前有一些证据”表明这种关联的存在。约肯于2012年与他人合着了一篇探讨弓形虫与精神分裂症研究的分析。他说，一个可能的原因是，寄生虫也许会增加大脑中化学物质多巴胺的分泌。他还称，如果感染发生在幼年期，任何潜在的影响都可能会更为显著。

Animal experts say proper precautions should minimize health risks from owning a cat. 'The presence of a cat in the house poses very little risk' for toxoplasma infection, said Jeffrey L. Jones, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People shouldn't get infected if they are careful with litter boxes and wash and thoroughly cook their own food.
动物专家们称，适当的防护措施应该能将养猫的健康风险降至最低。美国疾病控制与预防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)流行病学家杰弗里・L.琼斯(Jeffrey L. Jones)说：“让一只猫在家里出没几乎不会形成（弓形虫感染）的风险。”如果人们能够小心地处理猫砂盆，并彻底清洗、煮熟他们自己的食物，就应该不会染上弓形虫。

'If you practice good hygiene, you'll be fine,' said Aaron Glatt, an infectious-disease specialist who is chief administrative officer at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, N.Y.
纽约洛克维尔中心区(Rockville Centre)莫西医学中心(Mercy Medical Center)首席行政长、传染病学专家亚伦・格拉特(Aaron Glatt)说：“如果你能践行良好的个人卫生习惯，就没有问题。”

One possible health benefit of cat ownership: a 'pet protective effect' against allergies and asthma, which has surfaced in some studies. Kids who grow up living with a cat appear 'less likely to develop allergy' to the animals, which, like other allergies, can be a trigger for asthma, said Matthew S. Perzanowski, an associate professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
养猫可能带来的一个健康好处是：一种能够抵御过敏和哮喘的“宠物保护效应”，一些研究已经指出了这一效应。哥伦比亚大学梅尔曼公共卫生学院 (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health)副教授马修・S.帕札洛斯基(Matthew S. Perzanowski)说，那些和猫咪一起长大的孩子似乎“更不易对动物产生过敏”。动物跟其他过敏源一样，可能会引发哮喘。

Humans can avoid other cat-related health problems by treating the animals properly to reduce the danger of attacks. For instance, if a cat shows signs of stress, such as putting its ears back, lashing its tail or crouching, people shouldn't approach it and should make sure it doesn't feel trapped, said Katie Lisnik, an official with the Humane Society of the United States.
通过正确对待猫咪来减少它们袭击的危险，人类能够避免其它与猫相关的健康问题。比如，美国人道协会(Humane Society of the United States)官员凯蒂・利斯尼克(Katie Lisnik)说，如果一只猫表现出遭受压力的迹象，如竖起耳朵向后折拢、摆动尾巴或蜷缩蹲伏，人们就不该接近它了，而且应该确保不要让它觉得自己陷入了困境。

Indeed, Ida Lyke blames herself for the bite she got from her cat Sylvester. After she broke up his fight with another cat, Ms. Lyke, who lives in Claremont, Minn., and was also part of the Mayo study, tried to pick him up. He latched onto the bottom of her right hand. Ms. Lyke ended up in the hospital with a serious infection. Still, the 79-year-old kept Sylvester after the incident. 'He was just a lovable kitty,' she said.
的确如此，艾达・莱克(Ida Lyke)就因为被自己的猫咪西尔维斯特(Sylvester)咬伤而感到自责。现居明尼苏达州克莱尔蒙特(Claremont)的莱克也曾参与梅奥诊所的那项研究。在莱克将打架斗殴的西尔维斯特与另外一只猫拉开以后，她试图将他抱起来，他却紧紧揪住了莱克的右手根部。莱克因而严重感染，最终不得不入院治疗。即便如此，这位79岁高龄的老人在此次事故之后还是养着这只猫。她说：“他只是一只招人怜爱的小猫咪。”