Diseases Caused by Dog-Cat: The trend of keeping pets has increased in recent decades. Owning a pet is linked to many mental and physical health benefits, but our pets can also spread infectious diseases that can sometimes reach us. For most people, the risk is low.

But pregnant women and people who have weak immunity are at greater risk of getting sick from animals. Therefore, it is important to know the risks and take necessary precautions to prevent infection.

What diseases can be carried by pets?

  • Infectious diseases that spread from animals to humans are called zoonotic diseases or zoonoses. More than 70 germs from animals living together can spread to people.
  • Sometimes, a pet that has a zoonotic germ may seem sick. But there are often no visible symptoms, which increases the risk of infection for you because you do not suspect that your pet has the germ.
  • Zoonoses can be spread from pets to humans directly, such as through contact with saliva, bodily fluids, and feces, or indirectly, such as through contact with contaminated bedding, soil, food, or water.
  • Studies show that the prevalence of zoonoses associated with pets is low. However, the true number of infections is an underestimate because many zoonoses are not reportable, or they may have multiple exposure routes or common symptoms.

Genetic infections (meaning the germs naturally live in their population) caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites are found in dogs and cats. In endemic areas of Africa and Asia, dogs are the main source of rabies which is transmitted through saliva.

Capnocytophaga bacteria usually live in the dog's mouth and saliva, which can be spread to people through close contact or bites. Most people will not get sick, but these bacteria can sometimes cause infection in people with weakened immune systems, which can lead to serious illness and, in some cases, death. Just last week the news of such a death had come in Western Australia.

Feline-associated zoonoses include several fecal-oral diseases, such as giardiasis, campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, and toxoplasmosis. This means that it is especially important to wash your hands or use gloves when handling your cat's litter tray.

Cats can also sometimes spread the infection by biting and scratching. Dogs and cats are both reservoirs of the methicillin-resistant bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Close contact with pets is recognized as a significant risk factor for zoonotic transmission.

Birds, turtles, and fish can also spread the disease.

But it is not only dogs and cats that can spread diseases to humans. Pet birds can sometimes spread psittacosis. This is a bacterial infection that causes pneumonia. Contact with pet turtles has been linked to Salmonella infection in humans, especially young children. Even pet fish have been linked to a variety of bacterial infections in humans, including vibriosis, mycobacteriosis, and salmonellosis.

Close contact with animals, and especially certain practices, increases the risk of zoonotic transmission. A study from the Netherlands found that half of owners allowed pets to lick their faces, and 18 percent let the dogs sleep on their beds. (Bed sharing increases exposure to pet-carried pathogens.) The same study found that 45 percent of cat owners allowed their cats to jump over the kitchen sink.

Kissing pets has also sometimes been linked to zoonotic infections in pet owners. In one case, a woman in Japan developed meningitis caused by Pasteurella multocida infection after regularly kissing her dog's face.

Young children are also more likely to engage in behaviors that increase their risk of contracting animal-borne diseases—such as putting their hands in their mouths after touching pets. Even children do not wash their hands properly after touching pets.

However, anyone who comes in contact with the zoonotic germ through their pet can become ill. Some people are more likely to suffer from serious illness. These people include young, old, pregnant, and people with weak immunity.

What if there is a concern about a disease from a pet? If you follow some rules related to cleanliness and keeping pets, then your risk of getting sick can be reduced.

  • Wash your hands after playing with your pet and after handling their bedding, toys, or poop.
  • Don't let your pet lick your face or wound area. Supervising small children when they are playing with pets and washing their hands after playing with pets.
  • Wear gloves when changing the litter tray or cleaning the aquarium.
  • Wet bird cage surfaces when cleaning to reduce aerosols.
  • Keeping pets away from the kitchen (especially cats who can jump on food preparation surfaces)
  • Keep animal medical information up to date, including vaccinations and deworming.
  • - If you think your pet is unwell, seek medical help.
  • Photo Credits: Google