While fleas cannot thrive on humans, their bites can cause itching and inflammation. Flea-infested cats may become infected with tapeworms from flea ingestion while grooming. Some feline intestinal parasites, including roundworms and hookworms, can also cause disease in people. Ringworm is not caused by a worm at all; it is a skin infection caused by a group of fungi. In cats, ringworm appears as a dry, gray, scaly patch on the skin. In humans, ringworm often appears as a round, red, itchy lesion with a ring of scale around the edge. Ringworm is transmitted by contact with an infected animal's skin or fur, either directly or from a contaminated environment. Infected cats drop fungal spores from their skin and fur; these spores. Children are particularly at risk of infection. To reduce environmental contamination, confine infected cats to one room until they are free of infection; then thoroughly clean and disinfect the