You Can Get More Than Love From Your Pet
Whether you’re the proud owner of a cuddly kitten, a loyal, fun-loving dog, or a cute hamster, chances are that you get many things from your pet — unconditional love, good company, and reduced stress, for starters. Unfortunately, scores of infectious organisms — from bacteria to fungi to viruses — can also be transmitted from your pet to you.
“We don’t live in a sterile world, and the animals that are our pets and companions are not free of germs,” says Susan Rehm, MD, vice chair of the Cleveland Clinic Infectious Disease Department in Ohio. “It occasionally happens that you can pick up a disease from your pet.” The elderly, the very young, pregnant women, and people with a compromised immune system are most vulnerable, according to a review of 500 studies, published in The Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Here’s a guide to some of the pet-to-people illnesses you should be aware of — with advice on how to keep from catching them.
Ringworm From Pet Puppies and Kittens
Young animals are more likely than older dogs and cats to transmit this disease to people. Ringworm is caused by a fungus and gives people a scaly, reddened circular rash on the skin or a bald patch on the scalp. Some adult pets, usually cats, often don’t even show any ringworm symptoms. But you can pick up ringworm easily by touching an infected pet or even a pet’s blanket or towel. It’s also present in garden soil where cats and dogs may have done their business. If you get ringworm, you can use a topical antifungal ointment — one that contains miconazole, for example. In certain more serious cases, your doctor may prescribe an oral antifungal drug.
Prevention Tip: “The best thing you can do to prevent a ringworm infection is to wash your hands as soon as you pet your animal,” says Greg Nelson, DVM, diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners and a staff member of Central Veterinary Associates in Valley Stream, New York. Also, he advises, wear gloves when you garden.
Roundworms, Hookworms, and Tapeworms
Most puppies and kittens are born with roundworms, Dr. Nelson says, which is why they should routinely be tested and treated. The eggs can survive for up to a month in a moist environment like sand or soil where a pet did his business. If you handle infected sand and then eat without washing your hands, you can swallow the eggs. In rare cases, someone infected with roundworm eggs can experience eye, heart, lung, and even neurological symptoms, Nelson says. Visceral toxocariasis, the illness that can result from roundworms, can be treated with antiparasitic drugs like albendazole or mebendazole.
Hookworms in a pet, usually dogs and cats, can be caused by several parasites. A person can get infected if the hookworm larvae from contaminated soil penetrate the skin.“This is the logic behind not permitting dogs on the beach,” Nelson says. The infection usually resolves on its own, or you may be given an antiparasitic treatment.
Tapeworms can transmit from fleas when a pet self-grooms and swallows an infected flea. A pet can then infect a person, though the risk is low. “If your skin comes in contact with the tush end of your dog, they are transmitted to you,” Nelson says about tapeworms. “You may have gastrointestinal symptoms and weight loss.” You’ll likely be put on oral medication.
Prevention Tips: You can prevent hookworm infections by not walking barefoot or sitting on contaminated soil or sand.The best way to avoid tapeworms is to control fleas in your home. Make sure that your cat or dog is on a flea and tick preventive medication. And be sure to have a new pet examined by a vet and treated for worms, if necessary. Clean up after your pet, placing all waste into a plastic bag and disposing of it in the trash can.
Salmonellosis From Reptile Pets
Apartment dwellers who aren’t allowed to have dogs and cats often decide to get a lizard, snake, or other reptile instead. As a result, the disease known as salmonellosis, caused by the bacteria salmonella, is becoming more common, Nelson says. Besides snakes and lizards, turtles and iguanas also harbor this bacteria. It doesn’t cause symptoms in the animal but can make humans very sick with diarrhea, fever, and cramps lasting about a week. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warns against keeping a turtle at home if you have young children or elderly people in the household, because of the risk of salmonellosis.
Prevention Tips: Ask your vet to test your reptile once a year to make sure it doesn’t have salmonella. Wash your hands thoroughly every time you handle your pet or put something in their cage. Don’t clean out the reptile cage in the kitchen sink, where salmonella could come in contact with food and dishes, says Julio Lopez, DVM, of Studio City Animal Hospital in Los Angeles. And make sure the vegetables you buy to feed them are triple-washed. “If you feed your reptile broccoli, kale, or any other vegetable that is not thoroughly washed, it could have salmonella,” Nelson says. Also, if you take a child to a petting zoo, be sure she thoroughly washes her hands at the end of the visit.
Parrot Fever (Psittacosis) From Pet Birds
Your pet parrot, parakeet, or macaw could be infected with a bacteria called Chlamydophila psittaci and could transmit it to you. People can catch this by inhaling dried secretions from infected birds, even though the birds themselves may not appear ill. Symptoms you might get include fever, chills, muscle aches, and a dry cough. Your doctor may prescribe you an antibiotic like tetracycline or doxycycline.
Prevention Tips: “Be careful while cleaning bird cages so that you don’t stir up any debris,” Lopez says. If you are cleaning in an area that is not well-ventilated, you may want to wear a mask, says Rehm. Be sure the cage lining is cleaned each day, recommends the CDC, and wear gloves when you handle items contaminated with bird droppings.
Toxoplasmosis From Pet Cats
Transmitted to humans via the feces (poop) in an infected cat’s litterbox or contaminated soil, the parasite called Toxoplasma can be particularly dangerous to an unborn child. If a woman contracts this parasite during her pregnancy, it can cause birth defects in the baby. Toxoplasmosis causes flu-like symptoms which usually go away in a few weeks, but the parasite can live on in the body. You may recover without treatment, or your doctor could prescribe drugs like pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine, and folinic acid.
Prevention Tips: Clean your cat’s litterbox daily and always wash your hands with soap and water afterward. Also, wash your hands after you work in the garden or in any soil. Try to keep your cats indoors (outdoor cats typically are more likely to be exposed to toxoplasma), and don’t let them use your yard as a litterbox.
Cat-Scratch Disease From Flea-Infested Cats
If your cat has fleas and is scratching at them, and then scratches you, breaking the skin, you can be infected by bacteria called Bartonella henselae. This illness can causes fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and a general feeling of unwellness — it’s definitely something you want to avoid. A severe case may require treatment from your doctor.
Prevention Tips: If you get a cat bite, or a cat scratch, wash it out with soap and water right away, advises Lopez. And, he adds, “This is one more reason why it makes sense to give your cat a monthly flea medication.”
Avian Tuberculosis From Pet Birds
Pet birds can contract avian TB (Mycobacterium avium complex) and be asymptomatic, but if it becomes airborne and is transmitted to a person, it can look like tuberculosis and attack the lungs, Nelson says. Fortunately, it’s not very common. You’re unlikely to get it unless you are immunocompromised. The infection is difficult to treat and often resistant to antibiotics. “It’s a form of TB, but not the traditional form of TB that humans get,” says Jason D’Amore, MD, research director for the department of emergency medicine at North Shore University Hospital in New York.
Prevention Tips: Hand washing is the best preventive measure you can take. Additionally, don’t buy unregistered birds, Nelson says. “There is an illegal bird trade and birds are being brought in from Mexico and Central America,” he says, which could put you at risk for infection.
Rabies From Pet Dogs
Typically, this dreaded disease is found in infected wild animals like raccoons, skunks, bats, and foxes. Carried in saliva, rabies can be transmitted to your dog if he goes outside and gets into a tussle with an infected animal. If he’s bitten by the infected animal, he can get rabies. “And anyone who thinks their pet can’t get it is wrong,” Nelson says. If you are bitten by an animal and it’s unknown whether or not he’s had the rabies vaccine, you may need to get the series of rabies shots. Surviving rabies is rare once a person develops symptoms: flu-like illness, delirium, and hallucinations, according to the CDC.
Prevention Tips: The best way to prevent this illness, which is virtually always fatal in humans, is to have your pet vaccinated regularly against rabies.
Leptospirosis From Infected Pet Urine
Leptospira is a bacteria found in the urine of infected animals like dogs, mice, rats, and squirrels. It can be transmitted to humans through direct or indirect contact with contaminated urine. The bacteria can survive in water or soil for weeks to months. “If your dog runs through the yard where there is urine that contains the bacteria, and then comes in and cleans off his paws, you can get leptospirosis,” Nelson says. Symptoms people experience include fever, vomiting, chills, and a rash that can lead to kidney failure if untreated. It’s treatable, he says, usually with an antibiotic like doxycycline or penicillin.
Prevention Tips: Leptospirosis is another good reason to keep up with your pet’s vaccinations. It can be prevented by vaccinating your dog. Also, take precautions to keep rodents like rats and mice out of your house and yard.
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis From Pet Hamsters
Commonly transmitted by rodents, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, or LCM, is a viral disease caused by lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). If you are exposed to urine, droppings, or nesting materials from infected rodents, you can get LCM and may have flu-like symptoms, according to the CDC. Severe cases may lead to encephalitis and mean a trip to the hospital. In pregnant women, infection can pass on to the fetus and has been linked to congenital defects and mental retardation. Hamsters can be infected with LCMV from wild mice in the pet store, at the breeder, or in the home environment.
Prevention Tips: To reduce your risk, avoid contact with wild mice, and take measures to rid your house of mice. Whenever you handle pet rodents like mice, hamsters, or guinea pigs, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
Who Should Take Special Precautions With Pets
If you or someone in your household is very young, elderly, pregnant, or immunocompromised, you’ll need to practice stringent hygiene measures when it comes to pet care, Lopez says. “You need to be more careful about doing the common things that everyone else should be doing,” he says. “Wash your hands. If you have a cat, make sure the litterbox is cleaned regularly. If it’s an outdoor cat, don’t leave feces lying around the yard.” If you are immunocompromised, don’t handle animals that are infected with ringworm since you’re more susceptible if you are undergoing cancer treatment or on a medication that suppresses your immune system. Have someone else in the family clean out the bird cage. And to protect very young children, teach them to wash their hands thoroughly after handling a pet.
