Zoonoses in Pets
The Diseases People and Pets Share
Zoonoses sound like exotic diseases from far off lands or like Dr. Seuss creations. In reality, a zoonosis is a disease that is shared between people and animals. These diseases can range from the mild, such as an infestation of fleas, to the serious and deadly, like rabies. Even though people are afraid of zoonotic diseases, you are much more likely to catch a disease from your human companions than from your pets. Some precautions, though, do make sense.
Start With Hygiene
Good personal hygiene is important for disease prevention when it comes to zoonoses. Despite hearsay, dogs’ mouths are not sterile. So, though sharing licks of an ice cream cone is cute, it may not be the best choice if you’re trying to avoid disease.
Washing hands after handling or being licked by strange animals is just common sense. This is especially important if you have open cuts or sores on your hands. Even non-mammalian pets, such as water turtles, may carry zoonotic diseases like Salmonella, so hand washing is imperative after handling all kinds of pets.
Parasites are some of the most easily shared zoonoses. Fleas are generally obvious and you should be able to control these pests with the various new flea control products available at your veterinarian’s office.
Internal parasites can be trickier. Dogs and cats that have roundworms can leave eggs in sandboxes and dirt outside where young children play. If they get dirt on their hands or in their mouths, the children could ingest the worm eggs. In humans, the worm larvae migrate into unusual tissues and may cause problems such as eye damage, even necessitating enucleation, or removal of the eye. Since worms are more prevalent in young animals, all puppies and kittens should be treated for roundworms to help prevent this zoonosis.
Avoiding Serious Problems
Rabies is a zoonosis that is virtually 100% fatal to both pets and humans if left untreated. Most companion animals, from dogs and cats to horses, are now routinely vaccinated against it, which has greatly lowered the number of human cases of this deadly virus. Beware of wild animals acting strangely and do not handle them. Nocturnal animals that are seen out in daytime or that are behaving unusually tame are often ill. Call your local animal control officer for help if you notice anything unusual. Rabies is generally spread by a bite, but can also be acquired if saliva gets into a wound.
Most zoonoses go both ways—they can be transmitted from animal to human, and from human to animal. This is sometimes seen in families where a child gets strep throat often. The child is treated and then seems to get better, but the infection recurs. It often makes sense to do a strep culture on any family pets, because the child may have given the infection to them and then contracted it again.
The bottom line is that zoonotic risk is minimal compared to the love, companionship, security, and even health benefits our pets give us, but it still bears watching, so follow proper hygiene, wash your hands, keep your own pets up to date on preventive care—and watch out for your fellow disease-carrying humans.
Dr. Debra Eldredge, D.V.M., graduated from Cornell University and was the first recipient of the Gentle Doctor Award. She has also been a writer in recent years, winning national awards from the Cat Writers Association and the Dog Writers Association of America. She lives in upstate NY with 7 dogs, 1 cat, 6 horses, 2 donkeys, 9 ducks, 13 sheep, 1 goat and 3 primates - her husband, daughter, and son.