Let’s get it out in the open early: Beaver Fever sounds like the title of a 1970s porn flick, but that’s not what it is. Beaver Fever is the extremely porny nickname for Giardiasis, an intestinal illness caused by a parasite called Giardia. According to a study published in PLoS One, 1 in 15 cats are infected and can transmit it to humans.
Researchers analyzed over 150,000 cat poop samples across North America. They discovered that roughly 6.5 percent of our kitties are walking biohazards harboring a microscopic intestinal parasite. Roughly one in five infected cats carries a specific strain that can jump into your digestive tract.
The Parasite Behind ‘Beaver Fever’ Turned Up in 6.5% of Tested Cats
If you catch it, a prolonged bout of greasy diarrhea is in your future, along with severe bloating and cramping. The parasite thrives in cold, moist environments, meaning winter is its peak season and, oh, look at that, winter is just around the corner. Midwest cats showed “1.36 (95% CI: 1.28, 1.46) times greater odds of being Gd detected than cats in the South,” according to the study’s text.
Half of infected humans never show symptoms, but severe cases can drag on for years, triggering chronic irritable bowel syndrome or joint inflammation. Children and immunocompromised folks are at the highest risk for complications.
If you suspect your cat might be a carrier, it’s probably best to not let it walk across your kitchen counters. The infection is treatable with antiparasitic meds, but if you don’t want to get it, scrub down its litter box and wash your hands after cleaning it.
Also, keep your toddlers away from playground sandboxes, as those are, after all, nature’s litter boxes.
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