Are Your Pets Making You Sick?
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Santiaga/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Cuddling with a puppy or cozying up to a kitty has health benefits, but a new study suggests that household pets can also be sources of infection.
Young children, elderly people or pregnant women might well give a thought to potentially dangerous bacterial infections, including C. difficile and Campylobacter jejuni, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
If your pet’s a reptile, amphibian, exotic animal or rodent, researchers say think even harder, as the group poses the greatest risk to humans and can transmit diseases through contaminated surfaces.
Researchers say that reptiles and amphibians are responsible for one in 10 cases of sporadic Salmonella infections in patients younger than 21.
Physicians do not regularly ask about pet contact or discuss the risks of pet-transmitted diseases, and the study highlights the need for common-sense steps: proper hand washing, discouraging face licking, avoiding exotic animals, wearing protective gear when cleaning pet habitats, and regularly scheduling veterinary visits for pets.
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