Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline Infectious Peritonitis, and Feline Leukaemia Virus can not cause illness in people. A cat can not catch a human common cold, although there is indication that canine coronavirus infection may potentiate FIP in cats and human influenza can infect cats. As well as rabies, there are a few feline viral infections which can cause illness in humans. Rabies Rabies is a viral infection spread through saliva e.g. via biting or by saliva entering an open wound. Documented cases of human recovery are extremely rare.
Carriers do exist but are uncommon.
Rabies vaccines are available for cats and for humans, but post-exposure treatment is also required. Oral vaccines may be given to wildlife to limit the spread of rabies in the mammal population. An infected animal which has bitten a human is destroyed and presented for necropsy to confirm whether it was infected by rabies. Chlamydia and Psittacosis Chlamydia causes conjunctivitis in cats and, less commonly, respiratory symptoms. There are only isolated cases of chlamydia being spread from cat to human.