If you get bitten by a cat...?

Question

If you get bitten by a cat w/cat leukemia, can you get leukemia?
*serious question, please answer! thanks!*
♥

Answer 1

Feline Leukemia cannot be transmitted to humans, however it is very easy to transmit between cats.
Overview
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infection is responsible for more deaths among cats than any other infectious disease. The virus affects domestic cats and occurs in some wild felines as well.

Types of FeLV
There are three main types of feline leukemia virus: FeLV-A, FeLV-B, and FeLV-C. FeLV-positive cats can be infected with one, two, or all three types:

FeLV-A occurs in all FeLV-infected cats and causes severe immunosuppression (weakened immune system).

FeLV-B occurs in about 50%of all FeLV-infected cats and causes more neoplastic disease (i.e., tumors and other abnormal tissue growths) than cats infected only with FeLV-A.

FeLV-C occurs in about 1% of FeLV-infected cats and causes severe anemia.
After the initial infection, the virus replicates in the tonsils and pharyngeal lymph nodes (the pharynx is the muscular tube in the neck). Then it spreads via the bloodstream to other parts of the body, especially the lymph nodes, bone marrow, and intestinal tissue, where it continues to replicate. Viremia, the presence of virus in the blood, usually shows up 2 to 4 weeks after the initial infection.
Incidence
FeLV is one of the most devastating feline diseases worldwide. In the United States, FeLV infects about 2% to 3% of all cats.

Risk Factors
Sick cats are four times more likely than healthy cats to be infected with FeLV. Researchers estimate that about 50% of cats with severe bacterial infections, and 75% of cats with toxoplasmosis—a protozoan disease—also have FeLV infections.

Males are 1.7 times more likely to be infected than females, and younger cats are more susceptible to infection than older cats. FeLV is found mostly in cats from 1 to 6 years old; the average age is 3 years.

Outdoor cats are more likely to be infected with FeLV. Less than 1% of healthy indoor cats in the United States are infected with FeLV, compared to 1% to 2% of healthy outdoor cats, and more than 13% of sick stray cats. FeLV is more common in multicat households than in single-cat households, especially when cats go outdoors.

Transmission
FeLV usually spreads through infected saliva. It can also spread through infected urine, tears, and feces, and through an infected mother to her kittens during gestation and nursing. Twenty percent of FeLV-positive mothers pass the virus to their kittens. Methods of transmission include the following:

Bite wounds from infected cats (more common among outdoor and indoor-outdoor cats)
Blood transfusions
Mouth and nose contact with infected saliva or urine
Mutual grooming
Nose-to-nose contact
Shared food dishes and water bowls
Shared litter trays
Sneezing
Immune cats that are temporarily viremic may or may not shed the virus (i.e., spread it through their saliva, tears, urine, feces) during the few weeks that it's in their blood. All persistently viremic cats spread the virus through their saliva, tears, urine, and feces for the rest of their lives.

Veterinarian researchers generally agree that FeLV cannot be transmitted to humans. Some studies have shown a correlation between certain human leukemia and exposure to FeLV-infected cats, but this has not been proven.

Answer 2

Feline leukemia is not contagious to humans. It isn't a true leukemia (like cancer), but a disease that affects the blood cells and immune system in cats. Leukemia is actually a term used to describe a specific abnormality in the blood cells, that, in humans, only occurs with several different forms of cancer.

If the bite was deep, you need medical attention. A cat's fangs are long a narrow and pierce deeply into human flesh. This will have the same effect as injecting bacteria deep into your flesh. A really serious bite (if the teeth sunk deep into your flesh), from a cat, can cause a severe infection in humans. If the cat's teeth just scraped the surface of your skin a good hand washing and some antibacterial ointment should do quite well.

Answer 3

No. Cat leukemia is strictly cat to cat. It is a highly contagious disease, but is breed specific.It is not the same as human leukaemia. It is a viral infection that affects the immune system in cats. It is a blood cancer in humans. However, if the cat bite caused you to "break skin" (punctured you), I must advise you see a doctor immediately. I was bitten really bad once. It got infected right away and I ended up with blood poisoning. I don't mean to worry you, but I'd hate for someone else to go through that. Good luck.

Answer 4

No, the viruses that cause leukemia in a cat are specific to the feline species and you cannot get leukemia from a bite.

Answer 5

No i don't think so a Domestic cat can spread leukemia they are just pets but they can have Rabbies or are you talking about big cat they can't eat you they can Eat you alive.Don't worry if you've been bitten i think rabbies on your country living on will not be there depended on the environment.TAKE CARE !

Answer 6

Hi there...no, you cannot contract the leukemia as it is species specific --spread only between cats, hence the name "feline leukemia". However, if you haven't had a tetanus vaccine in the past 10 years you may want to consider having this done as a precautionary measure.

http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/health/FeLV.html

Answer 7

no, you can not get feline leukemia from a cat bite.

you can however get a very nasty infection if you don't clean out the wound and keep in clean. Cats are notorious for creating infections by untreated bites. If you have any doubt call your local doctor.

Answer 8

NO, it is a species specific disease...can only be passed on to other cats. But, you should clean the wound throughly as cats carry a lot of bacteria in their mouth, so if it broke skin, keep an eye on it for infection.

Answer 9

Absolutely not. But cat bites get infected by bacteria that can be very serious. If this was anything but a very superficiall scratch from a tooth go to a doctor.

Answer 10

No no no, whoever told you that doesnt know anything about Leukemia or cats...

Answer 11

Leukaemia is not a transmittable disease. Although you can pick up a few viruses from a cat bite. If the bite site is swelling go to the emergency room immediately.