Why do you assume I eat undercooked meat or unwashed vegetables? I was talking about myself and my family, not what everybody else should be doing. I'm Bulgarian and the meat we eat is either well-done (roasted or fried) or boiled (healthiest, no doubt) - we don't ever eat rare meat. That's why we don't like beef - it's hard to chew unless it's rare. Regarding the veggies, our culture is to eat veggies in soups or fried (not ideal, I know), and we eat limited veggies raw, but most of them area easy to clean (like tomatoes, sweet peppers, and cukes), but, in general, washing well or cutting outer layers (which usually contain the most nutrients, I know) is done as people are very cautious. I'm always surprised how farmers markets here in the States give samples from unwashed produce - I'm literary getting grossed out! Some of the germs on them are beneficial, I know, but the risks outweigh the benefits.
You've missed the point entirely. You're looking at toxo infection rates and saying "My God, cats are riddled with disease, shun them!" But most of those infections are not caused by human contact with cats. There's no need to "stay away" from felines as long as you wash your hands after petting them or cleaning the litterbox.
No, I'm not missing the point - I have kids and although they have good hygiene, they don't always wash their hands. In the States though, people are crazy - I've see tons of videos of cat licking people's mouth (right after they wiped their ass clean), sleeping in their beds, and same applies to dogs. Caution is good. In fact, if you read The Longevity Project book, the conclusions are clear - overoptimistic and non-cautious people live less. Also, the myth that living with pets increases lifespan is also busted.
