In recent years, raising cats has become very popular among young people. They often call themselves "cat slaves", and petting cats and playing with cats every day has become a pleasure for many cat slaves. However, it is worth noting that although petting a cat can relieve stress and make people feel psychologically satisfied, the hidden risks of disease cannot be ignored when they are intimately in contact with their pets.
A few days ago, a 6-year-old girl ate and slept with her new favorite cat and experienced "immersive" cat petting. As a result, her head suddenly started to lose hair a week later.
Parent: My daughter likes it very much and often holds it. Two days ago, she found that there was a piece missing on her head. The test was a fungal infection. It is conservatively estimated that it will take two months to complete the treatment.
The hospital's test confirmed that hair loss was caused by fungal infection on the scalp, which is closely related to raising cats. After the video was released, it quickly fermented online. Coincidentally, there were two grandparents and grandchildren in Hankou, Hubei, who also had scalp fungal infections because of raising cats.
How can such a cute kitten become the culprit for skin diseases? According to the doctor, there are many fungi that cause infection and itching, among which the most common are Microsporidium canis and Trichophytonus tinea cervix. The "cat moss" commonly found in cats is a self-limiting skin disease in humans. People with poor resistance or weak constitution may be infected.
Deputy Chief Physician of Dermatology Department, First People's Hospital, Zhang Qunlin: This disease is common among children, because children's sebaceous glands are not as rich as adults. Adults have rich sebaceous glands, so their long-chain fatty acids can inhibit the growth or reproduction of fungi. Some of them are patients who have been taking corticosteroids for a long time, or patients who use immunity preparations (high incidence).
Doctors said that it is very common for patients who are exposed to scalp fungi. Their department receives more than 20 cases every year, of which 30% of them are infected with pets. Most of these patients are infected with fungi while hugging, kissing and playing with cats carrying fungi. Summer is a common season for this type of disease. The hot and humid environment is prone to breed fungi, and the exposed skin also increases the risk of "hit".
Deputy Chief Physician of Dermatology Department, First People's Hospital, Zhang Qunlin: After the scalp and hair are infected with fungi, it can cause hair loss, hair breakage, dandruff, itching, papules, pustipes, and abscesses. Finally, it will cause severe scars, causing hair failure to grow, which means permanent hair loss.
Doctor reminds that if symptoms occur, be sure to go to the dermatology department of the hospital to diagnose it as soon as possible. Once you are infected with scalp fungi, you can achieve better treatment results.