If a cat is heavily infested with ticks, the parasites can drink enough blood to cause anemia (severe blood loss). Additionally, if your cat brings ticks into the house, your family members could be exposed to Lyme disease and other diseases that ticks can transmit if they bite people. Ticks can transmit a disease called cytauxzoonosis (pronounced sight-oh-zo-uh-nosis) to cats. 1  This disease causes serious illness and even death in infected cats. Cytauxzoonosis is actually caused by two parasites.
Genetic changes in human populations occur too slowly to be responsible for the obesity epidemic. Nevertheless, the variation in how people respond to the environment that promotes physical inactivity and intake of high-calorie foods suggests that genes do play a role in the development of obesity.
Any explanation of the obesity epidemic has to consider both genetics and the environment. One explanation that is often cited is the mismatch between todayâs environment and energy-thrifty genes that multiplied in the distant past, when food sources were unpredictable.enetic changes in human populations occur too slowly to be responsible for the obesity epidemic. Nevertheless, the variation in how people respond to the same environment suggests that genes do play a role in the development of obesity.