Healthy Dogs and Cats Can Make Us Ill and Vice Versa

Healthy Dogs and Cats Can Make Us Ill and Vice Versa
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It’s no secret that dogs and cats can potentially spread diseases to humans. While these furry creatures are known for being cute, fluffy, and faithful companions, it’s important to remember that they can carry harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can make humans sick.

Some of the most common diseases that can be transmitted from dogs and cats to humans include rabies, Lyme disease, salmonella, and toxoplasmosis. Rabies is a viral infection that is transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals, and it can be fatal if left untreated. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is transmitted through the bite of an infected tick that has been carried by a dog or cat. Salmonella is a bacterial infection that is commonly associated with food poisoning, but it can also be spread through contact with contaminated pet feces. Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that is carried by cats and can be transmitted to humans through contact with contaminated cat feces or soil.

We might get MDROs from our pets

Pets, such as cats and dogs, may transmit multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) to their hospitalized owners and vice versa, according to a new study, and as SciTechDaily reveals. Although only a few cases were found, the study highlights the concern of pets as potential reservoirs of MDROs, which are bacteria that resist treatment with multiple antibiotics.

Dr. Carolin Hackmann from the Charité University Hospital in Berlin, Germany, explained:

Our findings verify that the sharing of multidrug-resistant organisms between companion animals and their owners is possible,

However, we identified only a handful of cases suggesting that neither cat nor dog ownership is an important risk factor for multidrug-resistant organism colonization in hospital patients.

The study focused on four common superbugs in hospital patients, and genetic sequencing was used to identify both the species of bacteria and the presence of drug-resistant genes. While the level of sharing between hospital patients and their pets was low, the authors emphasize the potential danger to vulnerable people in hospitals.


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Even since he was a child, Cristian was staring curiously at the stars, wondering about the Universe and our place in it. Today he's seeing his dream come true by writing about the latest news in astronomy. Cristian is also glad to be covering health and other science topics, having significant experience in writing about such fields.

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