Zoonosis is Something You Need to Know About If You Have Pets
Zoonosis is a funny word and it represents any infectious disease that can be transmitted or shared by animals to humans and/or humans to animals (reverse zoonosis). Why is this important? Think about it. What’s the most identifiable of these types of transmissions? Remember Old Yeller? Rabies is transferred by bites: hopefully all of us get our pets vaccinated. Dog bites account for 80% of the recorded animal bites and no particular breed of dog is born wanting to bite more than any other breed.
Interesting factoid: Men are more frequently bitten by dogs; women, by cats.
Cat Scratch Disease (Cat Scratch Fever) can cause a whole host of infections. It is transmitted by fleas from cat to cat and to humans through scratches, bites, or even licks. CSD can be prevented by using flea treatments for your cats. None of these are life-threatening.
Toxoplasmosis - All animals and birds can be infected with the toxoplasmosis parasite. The parasite enters the muscles of a bird or animal when it eats raw meat or drinks the milk of another animal that is infected. Cats can also spread the parasite in their feces. Humans can also become infected with toxoplasmosis when changing a cat litter box.
- Common ways for people to become infected with toxoplasmosis include: eating raw or undercooked meats; drinking unpasteurized milk; cleaning cat litter boxes. Pregnant women should not empty the kitty litter box.
- Cats raised indoors like my two captives, and those that have never eaten mice, birds, or raw meat are not likely to be infected. Always wash your hands after petting your cat, do not compost the kitty litter in your garden but dispose of it in a plastic bag for the trash. People recover from Toxoplasmosis with medical treatment for the most part. Those with compromised immune systems may need treatment.
Ringworm can also be transmitted by dogs and/or cats from petting their fur. Ringworm can be transmitted from human to human also. Roundworm from dogs and cats. Salmonella from infected stools and fish tanks. Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) - may or may not affect humans. Apparently not enough people have died of it for the scientists to commit themselves.
There are many more which the Seattle & King County Public Health Website has a comprehensive list from A-Z. The whole point of this post is that many things can be transmitted from animal to animal and then to humans:
Zoonosis. Does this mean we shouldn't have pets?
What it does mean is that you should always wash your hands after handling a pet or changing the litter; teach your children to wash their hands after handling a pet; don’t let your children put pet toys in their mouths; don’t kiss your pet on the mouth. Take very good care of your furry babies, keep them clean, flea-free, and love them unconditionally; they will love you back for years and years.
Knowledge is power; knowledge of Zoonosis will keep you and your family - including your furry children - healthy.
At the SPCA Suncoast, all volunteers use disposable gloves when cleaning litter boxes and kennels; hand sanitizer is used before and after handling pets. We want our animals safe too.
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Zoonosis is Something You Need to Know About If You Have Pets
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