(单词翻译:单击)
Cleaning a cat's litter box can be annoying. And it might actually pose a health risk. The reason is a microscopic organism called Toxoplasma gondii. This protozoan has been linked in humans to congenital birth defects and nervous system damage. There’s evidence that it’s also tied to an increased risk for psychiatric illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis and other conditions.
打扫猫咪的便池很烦人
It reproduces in cats, which shed parasites in their feces. These oocysts can then be picked up by birds, mice or people.
它在猫体内繁殖,虫卵随猫的粪便排出体外
Cats produce 1.2 million metric tons of waste outdoors each year in the U.S. And about 1 percent of cats are likely shedding Toxo at any given time.
在美国,每年猫能在户外产生120万吨的粪便
Backyard surveys have found up to 400 Toxo oocysts per square foot. They can survive for more than a year and a half in the soil. And just one—which can be accidentally inhaled or ingested—could start an infection. These stats are in a report in the journal Trends in Parasitology.
对后院的调查发现,每平方英尺的土地上大约有400个弓形虫卵囊
Indoor-only cats are less likely to pick up the parasite. Nevertheless, best to be cautious when around the garden box, sandbox and litter box.
只在室内活动的猫不太可能感染寄生虫
–Katherine Harmon