EXCLUSIVE Texas woman, 31, catches C. diff from her PET CAT – in first animal-to-human US case that left her with violent diarrhea for MONTHS

A “healthy” woman in Texas suffered from severe diarrhea for months after contracting a bacterial infection from her pet cat.

The 31-year-old from Houston was diagnosed with C. diff, a highly contagious infection that throws the digestive system out of balance and leads to painful inflammation in the colon.

It is usually caused by contact with contaminated surfaces or contact with infected people. But when the woman’s symptoms did not disappear after two months despite taking medication, doctors began investigating further.

They found out she had adopted a stray cat about a month before her symptoms started – and decided to test the animal.

It has always been theorized that animals can pass the infection on to humans, but that is not the case it has never been proven.

NEW PHOTO ON ROUTE WAS ORDERED AN HOUR AGO: When the woman’s infection returned, suspicion fell on her pet cat, which was an adopted stray (stock image)

The above shows a timeline of the woman’s illness

Swabs showed that both the woman and the cat were infected with the same strains of C. diff.

The cat had no symptoms of the disease. The woman was otherwise healthy, did not smoke, drank alcohol socially and had only one male sexual partner.

The matter came to light in the American Journal of Case Reportswith doctors warning it was a reminder of the risks of pets.

The woman came to the doctor for the first time complaining four times a day of severe diarrhea and fever that she had been suffering from for a week.

Doctors kept her in the hospital for two days and gave her antibiotics before discharging her.

Statistics show that approximately 500,000 Americans become infected with C. difficile each year, with two-thirds of these cases linked to nursing homes.

15,000 to 30,000 people die in the US every year.

Anyone can become infected, but most cases happen when patients are taking antibiotics, or shortly after finishing their course.

This is because antibiotics disrupt the bacteria in the intestines.

Those aged 65 and over who have recently stayed in a hospital or nursing home are at greatest risk.

Immunosuppressed individuals are also at higher risk.

Symptoms include abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea and fever

It can be ingested as trace amounts and survive the acid in the stomach to reach the intestines, where it begins to grow out of control and release toxins that cause damage to the cells.

Symptoms begin five to 10 days after infection and initially resemble food poisoning, although they persist.

In severe cases, this can lead to life-threatening dehydration, caused by severe diarrhea due to the infection.

Research shows that up to 20 percent of patients die from a C. difficile infection within 30 days of diagnosis, although the disease is much more common in older adults with weaker immune systems.

The disease can also cause damage to cells in the colon, increasing the risk of them developing cancer and developing colon cancer.

Cats can become infected through contact with C. difficile soil contaminated with the feces of other animals.

They can also become infected through ingestion of contaminated food and from veterinary clinics and animal shelters where they are in close proximity to other animals.

Dogs can pick up the bacteria in the same way.

Cats can then get traces of the bacteria on their fur when they clean themselves or they can be present in their feces.

People can contract this by petting the animal or cleaning the litter box, causing an infection.

Antibiotics are used to treat C. difficile infections.