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Diana Briske will never forget the day Snuggles attacked.
62歲的戴安娜・布瑞思克(Diana Briske)是明尼蘇達(dá)州羅切斯特市(Rochester)的一位退休人士，她永遠(yuǎn)也不會(huì)忘記斯納 絲(Snuggles)傷人的那一天。
The calico cat was getting her regular evening petting when she suddenly bit into Ms. Briske's right hand. The wound didn't bleed, so Ms. Briske simply washed it out. The next morning, though, her hand was swollen and painful. She went to a doctor, who sent her directly to the emergency room.
那天晚上，這只花斑貓?jiān)谙衿匠Ｒ粯咏邮苤魅藧?ài)撫的時(shí)候，突然咬住了戴安娜的右手。當(dāng)時(shí)傷口并沒(méi)有流血，所以戴安娜就簡(jiǎn)單用水沖洗了下。但到了第二天早上，她的手就又腫又痛。戴安娜去看了醫(yī)生，醫(yī)生直接把她送進(jìn)了急診室。
Ms. Briske spent 10 days in the hospital, where surgeons repeatedly drained and cleaned the injury. 'I never dreamed in a thousand years I'd need hand surgery' from a cat bite, said the 62-year-old retiree from Rochester, Minn.
戴安娜在醫(yī)院住了10天，那里的外科醫(yī)生反復(fù)為她的傷口膿腫引流并進(jìn)行清理。她說(shuō)：“我這一輩子做夢(mèng)也沒(méi)想到，就因?yàn)楸回堃Я艘淮危揖谷恍枰鍪植渴中g(shù)。”
A new study by researchers at the Mayo Clinic has found that of 193 patients who came in for cat bites on their hands over a three-year period, 30% had to be hospitalized for an average stay of 3.2 days. Most of those admitted, like Ms. Briske, needed their wounds surgically cleaned to eliminate infections, according to the study, published this month in the Journal of Hand Surgery.
梅奧診所(Mayo Clinic)研究人員進(jìn)行的一項(xiàng)新研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，在三年的時(shí)間里，193名因手部被貓咬傷而前來(lái)就診的病人中，有30%的人不得不住院治療，其平均住院時(shí)間為3.2天。該研究論文于本月發(fā)表在《手外科雜志》(Journal of Hand Surgery)上，論文還稱，大多數(shù)被收治的病人，如戴安娜，他們的傷口都需要手術(shù)清理以消除感染。
'Cat bites can be very serious, and when you do get an infection, it can be very difficult to treat,' said Brian T. Carlsen, a Mayo surgeon who was an author of the study. That's particularly true with a hand injury because of the structure of the tendons and joints, he said.
該研究的一名作者、梅奧診所的外科醫(yī)生布萊恩・T.卡爾森(Brian T. Carlsen)說(shuō)：“被貓咬傷會(huì)非常嚴(yán)重，當(dāng)你真的感染后，將會(huì)很難治療。”他還說(shuō)，如果是手部被咬傷，因?yàn)槠浼‰旌完P(guān)節(jié)的結(jié)構(gòu)，情況更是如此。
An estimated 45.3 million U.S. households had cats in 2012, up from 38.4 million in 2006, according to the American Pet Products Association. Pets may reduce stress in, and lift the mood of, their owners, some studies suggest. But a growing body of research, in fields ranging from psychology to parasitology, points to possible health concerns.
據(jù)美國(guó)寵物產(chǎn)品協(xié)會(huì)(American Pet Products Association)稱，2006年，全美有3,840萬(wàn)戶家庭養(yǎng)了貓，這一數(shù)據(jù)在2012年估計(jì)升至4,530萬(wàn)。一些研究表明，寵物可能會(huì)減少主人的壓力并改善他們的情緒。但越來(lái)越多的研究――從心理學(xué)到寄生蟲(chóng)學(xué)領(lǐng)域――都指出了寵物可能帶來(lái)的健康問(wèn)題。
Cats' sharp teeth often penetrate deeply, creating punctures that may not appear serious but can easily harbor bacteria that live in the animals' mouths. Cat bites represent around 10% to 15% of emergency-room visits tied to animal bites, according to the Mayo paper. Cat scratches can also cause infections, doctors say.
貓的尖牙經(jīng)常會(huì)深深穿透被咬對(duì)象，造成一些可能看似并不嚴(yán)重的傷口，但它們卻易成為生長(zhǎng)在動(dòng)物口中那些細(xì)菌的溫床。梅奧診所那項(xiàng)研究的論文指出，在因動(dòng)物咬傷而到急診室就醫(yī)的患者中，有10%到15%的人都是被貓咬傷的。醫(yī)生們還稱，被貓抓傷也會(huì)引起感染。
Dogs are involved in a far larger percentage of bite-related emergency-room visits, but they tend to pose a different type of hazard. They will often create a bigger wound, but they don't have the needlelike effect of cat bites that can plant bacteria deep in the flesh, doctors say.
在因動(dòng)物咬傷而到急診室就醫(yī)的病例中，被狗咬傷占的比例更大，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)超過(guò)貓傷，但狗一般會(huì)造成另一種類型的危險(xiǎn)。醫(yī)生們說(shuō)，狗咬的地方常常會(huì)形成一個(gè)更大的傷口，但它們不會(huì)像貓咬那樣具有針扎似的效果，后者會(huì)將細(xì)菌深深地“種入”肉體內(nèi)。
For reasons that aren't clear, research has suggested a possible link between cat bites and human depression. David A. Hanauer, an associate professor at the University of Michigan Medical School, analyzed electronic health records of around 1.3 million patients seen by the university's health system and found that 41% of those treated for cat bites were also diagnosed at some point with depression. 'There definitely is an association there,' said Dr. Hanauer. But, he said, 'we don't know why,' and the link doesn't necessarily imply causation. The research was published in August in PLOS ONE.
研究已表明，在貓咬傷和人類抑郁之間可能存在著某種關(guān)聯(lián)，其原因目前尚不清楚。密歇根大學(xué)醫(yī)學(xué)院(University of Michigan Medical School)副教授大衛(wèi)・A.哈諾爾(David A. Hanauer)分析了由該校醫(yī)療衛(wèi)生系統(tǒng)收治的約130萬(wàn)病患的電子健康記錄，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)因?yàn)樨堃驮\的病人中有41%的人也被診斷為患有某種程度上的抑郁癥。哈諾爾博士說(shuō)：“這其中絕對(duì)存在著有某種關(guān)聯(lián)。”但他也稱，“我們不知道原因”，而且這種關(guān)聯(lián)并不一定就意味著因果關(guān)系。這項(xiàng)研究的論文于去年8月份發(fā)表在《公共科學(xué)圖書(shū)館綜合卷》(PLOS ONE)上。
Cats also pick up parasites from the environment and can pass those along to people. Around 10% to 20% of people in the U.S. are infected with Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite cats can get from eating infected animals, such as rodents and birds, and then shed in their feces. It typically has little impact on healthy people. But it poses a danger to the fetuses of pregnant women, which can get a syndrome whose symptoms include blindness and mental disability, and to people with weakened immune systems, who may suffer central nervous system damage.
貓還會(huì)從外界中帶來(lái)一些寄生蟲(chóng)并將其傳染給人類。在美國(guó)，大約有10%到20%的人都感染了剛地弓形蟲(chóng)。如果貓進(jìn)食了遭受感染的動(dòng)物――如嚙齒動(dòng)物與鳥(niǎo)，貓就會(huì)染上這種寄生蟲(chóng)，然后通過(guò)糞便排出。對(duì)健康的人群而言，這一般沒(méi)什么影響。但它卻會(huì)對(duì)孕婦肚子里的胎兒以及那些免疫系統(tǒng)功能低下的人群構(gòu)成危險(xiǎn)，前者會(huì)患上一種綜合癥，其癥狀包括失明與智障，而后者的中樞神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)則可能會(huì)遭受損傷。
A number of studies in recent years have suggested a possible association between toxoplasma infections and an increased risk of serious psychological issues in humans, including schizophrenia and suicidal behavior. 'There's moderate evidence' of a link, said Robert H. Yolken, a professor at Johns Hopkins University who co-wrote a 2012 analysis examining research on toxoplasma and schizophrenia. One possible reason is that the parasite might boost the presence of the chemical dopamine in the brain, he said. Also, he said, any potential impact is likely more significant if the infection occurs at a young age.
近年來(lái)大量的研究已表明，在弓形蟲(chóng)感染與人類嚴(yán)重心理問(wèn)題風(fēng)險(xiǎn)攀升――包括精神分裂癥和自殺行為――兩者之間可能存在著某種關(guān)聯(lián)。約翰霍普金斯大學(xué)(Johns Hopkins University)教授羅伯特・H.約肯(Robert H. Yolken)說(shuō)，“目前有一些證據(jù)”表明這種關(guān)聯(lián)的存在。約肯于2012年與他人合著了一篇探討弓形蟲(chóng)與精神分裂癥研究的分析。他說(shuō)，一個(gè)可能的原因是，寄生蟲(chóng)也許會(huì)增加大腦中化學(xué)物質(zhì)多巴胺的分泌。他還稱，如果感染發(fā)生在幼年期，任何潛在的影響都可能會(huì)更為顯著。
Animal experts say proper precautions should minimize health risks from owning a cat. 'The presence of a cat in the house poses very little risk' for toxoplasma infection, said Jeffrey L. Jones, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People shouldn't get infected if they are careful with litter boxes and wash and thoroughly cook their own food.
動(dòng)物專家們稱，適當(dāng)?shù)姆雷o(hù)措施應(yīng)該能將養(yǎng)貓的健康風(fēng)險(xiǎn)降至最低。美國(guó)疾病控制與預(yù)防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)流行病學(xué)家杰弗里・L.瓊斯(Jeffrey L. Jones)說(shuō)：“讓一只貓?jiān)诩依锍鰶](méi)幾乎不會(huì)形成（弓形蟲(chóng)感染）的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。”如果人們能夠小心地處理貓砂盆，并徹底清洗、煮熟他們自己的食物，就應(yīng)該不會(huì)染上弓形蟲(chóng)。
'If you practice good hygiene, you'll be fine,' said Aaron Glatt, an infectious-disease specialist who is chief administrative officer at Mercy Medical Center in Rockville Centre, N.Y.
紐約洛克維爾中心區(qū)(Rockville Centre)莫西醫(yī)學(xué)中心(Mercy Medical Center)首席行政長(zhǎng)、傳染病學(xué)專家亞倫・格拉特(Aaron Glatt)說(shuō)：“如果你能踐行良好的個(gè)人衛(wèi)生習(xí)慣，就沒(méi)有問(wèn)題。”
One possible health benefit of cat ownership: a 'pet protective effect' against allergies and asthma, which has surfaced in some studies. Kids who grow up living with a cat appear 'less likely to develop allergy' to the animals, which, like other allergies, can be a trigger for asthma, said Matthew S. Perzanowski, an associate professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.
養(yǎng)貓可能帶來(lái)的一個(gè)健康好處是：一種能夠抵御過(guò)敏和哮喘的“寵物保護(hù)效應(yīng)”，一些研究已經(jīng)指出了這一效應(yīng)。哥倫比亞大學(xué)梅爾曼公共衛(wèi)生學(xué)院 (Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health)副教授馬修・S.帕札洛斯基(Matthew S. Perzanowski)說(shuō)，那些和貓咪一起長(zhǎng)大的孩子似乎“更不易對(duì)動(dòng)物產(chǎn)生過(guò)敏”。動(dòng)物跟其他過(guò)敏源一樣，可能會(huì)引發(fā)哮喘。
Humans can avoid other cat-related health problems by treating the animals properly to reduce the danger of attacks. For instance, if a cat shows signs of stress, such as putting its ears back, lashing its tail or crouching, people shouldn't approach it and should make sure it doesn't feel trapped, said Katie Lisnik, an official with the Humane Society of the United States.
通過(guò)正確對(duì)待貓咪來(lái)減少它們襲擊的危險(xiǎn)，人類能夠避免其它與貓相關(guān)的健康問(wèn)題。比如，美國(guó)人道協(xié)會(huì)(Humane Society of the United States)官員凱蒂・利斯尼克(Katie Lisnik)說(shuō)，如果一只貓表現(xiàn)出遭受壓力的跡象，如豎起耳朵向后折攏、擺動(dòng)尾巴或蜷縮蹲伏，人們就不該接近它了，而且應(yīng)該確保不要讓它覺(jué)得自己陷入了困境。
Indeed, Ida Lyke blames herself for the bite she got from her cat Sylvester. After she broke up his fight with another cat, Ms. Lyke, who lives in Claremont, Minn., and was also part of the Mayo study, tried to pick him up. He latched onto the bottom of her right hand. Ms. Lyke ended up in the hospital with a serious infection. Still, the 79-year-old kept Sylvester after the incident. 'He was just a lovable kitty,' she said.
的確如此，艾達(dá)・萊克(Ida Lyke)就因?yàn)楸蛔约旱呢堖湮鳡柧S斯特(Sylvester)咬傷而感到自責(zé)。現(xiàn)居明尼蘇達(dá)州克萊爾蒙特(Claremont)的萊克也曾參與梅奧診所的那項(xiàng)研究。在萊克將打架斗毆的西爾維斯特與另外一只貓拉開(kāi)以后，她試圖將他抱起來(lái)，他卻緊緊揪住了萊克的右手根部。萊克因而嚴(yán)重感染，最終不得不入院治療。即便如此，這位79歲高齡的老人在此次事故之后還是養(yǎng)著這只貓。她說(shuō)：“他只是一只招人憐愛(ài)的小貓咪。”
