Dear doctor,

I love pets so much and indeed have a cat and dog which keep me good company. However, someone warned me that pets sometimes spread infections to people. What infections can animals pass to people?

Monica

Dear Monica,

It is fun to have pets in the house. They provide fun as well as companionship. But pets carry a risk of spreading some infections as well. One can get infections due to handling of the pets physically and without following good hygiene. One can acquire fungal infections from pets which can manifest as itchy round, flat, red, black or whitish skin lesions which itch a lot.

Round worms can also be passed from animals to human owners. These cause abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea or constipation, dry cough, skin rashes and in severe cases can affect the brain. Hook worms, tape worms particularly Echinococcus, protozoal infections like Giardia, bacteria causing diarrhoeal diseases like shigellosis, salmonellosis, there is a multitude of infections which can potentially be transmitted to humans through pets. Serious infections like toxoplasmosis, pneumonias, brucellosis, etc can occur through pets.

Painful boils caused by staphylococci can occur through pets. The source of infection is usually the paws of animals, fur and its tongue. Bite or scratch by a pet even if playful can transmit microbes present in the animal’s mouth to the handler thus causing infections. Risk of acquiring infection is increased in the children, elderly and those with reduced immunity. On a serious side, bite by a cat or dog can transmit rabies which is a life threatening infection.

One can have allergy to the fur of pets which can manifest as frequent cold, cough, skin rashes and or asthma.

This is not to say one should not keep pets . They can be kept in a manner which is healthy. The pet should be kept clean always. The room where it stays, the litter box, all should be clean One should wash hands thoroughly after handling a pet. While one likes to hold and fondle them, close intimate handling like kissing should be avoided.

Domestic cats and dogs should not be allowed to mingle with stray animals because this exposes them to risk of rabies and many other infections. It is also important to be regular with the vaccination of pets.

Dr Rachna Pande is a specialist in internal medicine at Ruhengeri Hospital