Some diseases affecting cats can be transmitted to humans. Outdoor cats are at risk of contact with rabid wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cats are the domestic animal most commonly found to be rabid. Cats are closely associated with people and rabid cats often become aggressive. These two factors increase the risk of human exposure.
Bites are the most common means of transmission.
Rabies is lethal if not detected and treated immediately. Fables attacks the central nervous system, resulting in paralysis and death. Flu-like symptoms progress to hyperactivity, disorientation, hallucinations, and convulsions. In the last stages of the disease, the victim lapses into a coma and dies of respiratory arrest. There have been only two documented human deaths in the U.S. from rabies contracted from cats since 1960.