It has been proven that pets can carry germs that make people sick, even when those germs have no harmful effect on animals. Essentially, the cohabitation of humans and animals has led to the proliferation and exposure of microorganisms and bacteria that would not otherwise occur. This article teaches you about the various pet diseases that you can get.
8 Pet Diseases That Can Harm You
Concerning animal diseases, there are 8 that are contractible by human beings:
Ringworm
Ringworm is a disease caused by a fungus that can pass from animal to human via contact. Individuals with ringworm develop a circular, reddened, scaly, and itchy rash.
Cat-scratch disease
Humans can become infected with cat scratch disease (CSD) when an infected person breaks an individual’s skin by scratching or biting, or licking a person’s open wound.
The bacteria can cause an infection around the wound, leading to lesions.
Salmonella
According to the CDC, salmonella infection hospitalizes an estimated 19,000 people and is responsible for 380 deaths yearly in the United States. Frogs, geckos, and other creepy, crawly animals can carry the illness-causing bacteria.
Psittacosis
Psittacosis (parrot fever) is a disease caused by bacteria and contracted by humans from infected parrots. It is usually obtained by inhaling dried secretions from infected birds.
Campylobacter
Campylobacterosis is a disease caused by bacteria and is sometimes passed to humans through contact with the feces of infected cats and dogs. Symptoms of human infection include cramping, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and fever within two to five days after exposure to the organism.
Toxoplasmosis
Your pregnant partner can contract toxoplasmosis by cleaning your cat’s litter box. The disease could also be passed to the unborn child, leading to birth defects affecting the eyes and nervous systems.
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis is a rodent-borne viral disease mainly hosted by common house mice. The virus is transmitted to humans through contact with feces, saliva, urine, or blood of infected pet mice or hamsters.
Seoul virus
Although rodents are not common pets in the United States, there are enough pet rats in the country to require a CDC investigation into the outbreak of the rodent-borne Seoul virus. This disease is contracted through the droppings of saliva and droppings of infected rodents, specifically brown or Norway rats.
Conclusion
You can wash your hands after contact with any animal to avoid animal infection. You can also handle feces with care and avoid bites and scratches. If you notice symptoms in your infected animal, you should immediately take it to the vet.
