Types of Diseases Transmitted by Pets

Pets are a wonderful addition to any home. They add a sense of fun, love, and play into your life. However, pets are not just flowers and sunshine. The truth is that often your pets may be bringing diseases into your home. Now the truth is that it is not common for humans to catch a disease from a pet, but it is not an impossibility. It does happen, and if you have someone in your home whose immune system is a bit shaky they can be at higher risk for transmitted diseases. Often this can mean those individuals who have an underlying health problem, children, or even women who are expecting. In general you have to have very close contact with your pet to catch a disease, but it is not impossible to do it. Some of the diseases that can get transmitted to humans are diseases that are exclusively associated with animals, but there are others that are more common to humans. Here is a breakdown of some of the diseases that you should be on the lookout for. Worms are very common in cats and dogs, and essentially those are roundworms that you hear about. When the pet produces waste products it can be infected by the roundworms. If someone comes into contact with their waste they could possibly be exposed and become infected. If you become infected you can expect to suffer from a loss of appetite, fever lung congestion, and coughing. To avoid this you want to be sure that you are taking your pet into the vet for regular checkups, and that you are properly disposing of their waste. You may not have heard of Salmonellosis, but it can be really miserable if you contract it. This is passed to humans through food that has been infected. When you contract it you can expect to suffer from high fevers, painful vomiting, exhaustion, and uncomfortable diarrhea. Believe it or not your pet can actually be the source of your case of strep throat. Though it is not common, it is a real possibility. The truth is that it is actually more common for you to be infecting your pet, but either way you should avoid your pets mouth. This means you do not want to kiss or lick your pet. Yes, that may sound silly for adults, but it is something that you will want to watch for with your kids. Often they do not know any better. Scabies can be a very painful disease. You may hear it referred to as "sarcoptic mange," but whatever you call it it is no fun. It is a skin disease that starts when a mite actually tunnels under the skin. This mite causes severe itching, and that can lead to very painful scratching. It is common to develop it through contact with an animal so you want to take care to keep your pet in good health and to wash your hands after any physical contact with them.