Can Our Pets Make Us Sick?

Can our pets make us sick, everyone has this in mind and I am no different. So, I reached the veteran to find the answer. This is what I establish.

Family pets or animals closer to home may contract and spread the diseases. You must have heard bird flu spreading to humans. Have you ever thought how?

Being adjacent to an infected pet or animal increases your susceptibility to infection.

Our immune system is the same as other mammals. Hence, the zoonotic diseases overlap.

Now, what is zoonotic (I also heard the word first time from a veteran). It is an infection or illness that spreads between animals and humans. Some of them are rabies and influenza.

During COVID-19, we learned that animals could catch this from us. Not every disease is transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa.

However, this confirmation makes me more worried. What does a pet parent do?

What to look for?

There’s no need for panic at home, though. Preventive measures will save us by preventing most infections. The foremost rule is regular veterinary care.

Specialists can identify, treat, and prevent the infection.

Being a pet parent, you can keep an eye on the most common infection that is hookworms and roundworms. If a dog or person is affected by roundworms, they shed the worms in stool, and then people can come in contact with the eggs.

• These eggs remain in the environment for an extended period, and ingestion spreads the parasite to people.

• Intestinal parasites from dogs and cats can also spread to people.

Similarly, hookworms are transmitted. It can transmitted across exposed skin unreasonably.

Bird flu is the most common influenza that spreads from birds to humans.

• The concern lies in the fact that influenza mutates quickly.

 Hence, disease monitoring is a must.

Especial Care with Exotic pets

Proper handling for reptilian pets is essential.

• Maintain hygiene, like hand washing.

Children are at high risk of contracting salmonella poisoning from pet reptiles such as lizards or turtles.

Infection spreads when children rub their eyes and keep their hands in their mouths. You should supervise kids from doing such things.

• The pets can be the source of infection with salmonella. The virus naturally occurs on the skin of reptiles. Hence, hand washing is recommended.

Individuals working at dairy farms and poultry farms should maintain hygiene excessively.

Handling pet waste

• While handling pet waste, use of gloves and shovels is recommended.

They act as a barrier between germs and you.

• Handwashing is the most essential preventive measure.

Stop the germ spread while cooking.

• Meats and seafood should be properly cleaned and cooked at optimum temperatures before eating.

In the kitchen sink, the epidemiologist said that properly cooking raw foods can make or break an individual’s health.

Before using raw poultry and chicken make sure the surface is disinfectant.

• It should be cooked at the optimum temperature of 165 degrees for safe consumption.

Enjoy pet parenting by taking these safety precautions.