Can Your Pet Make You Sick?

It's no wonder that pets inhabit more than half of America's homes. They're cute, cuddly, great companions and boundlessly loyal. Research shows that having a pet can lower blood pressure, reduce heart rates and decrease stress levels. However, pet lovers, beware. Man's best friends can make you sick.

Pet-related illnesses

Young children, pregnant women, people with HIV/AIDS, organ transplant recipients and people being treated for cancer are most-at-risk for catching a pet-related illness. Most people know about rabies and about pets bringing home ticks that can cause Lyme disease, but many other illnesses can be spread from pets to people. Here are just a few.

Campylobacteriosis: Can cause diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting. In those with compromised immune systems, it can cause life-threatening infections. Campylobacteriosis may cause arthritis or Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can lead to temporary paralysis.

Campylobacteriosis results from handling or eating raw or undercooked poultry, or from contact with the feces of an infected dog or cat.

Cat scratch disease (CSD): A bacterial infection resulting from the scratch or bite of a cat, usually a kitten. Infected cats show no signs of illness. Human symptoms include mild infection at the wound site, swollen lymph nodes, fever, headache, fatigue and loss of appetite.

Leptospirosis: Causes flu-like symptoms, which can develop into life-threatening infections in the kidney, liver, brain, lung and heart. Pets can become infected by drinking, swimming or even walking through water contaminated with the urine of an infected animal. Infection can enter your system through your eyes, nose or mouth, especially if the skin is broken. Leptospirosis is rare in cats.

Symptoms in your pet include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, refusal to eat, weakness and stiffness.

Psittacosis: Infection that causes fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, dry cough and pneumonia. Heart, liver and neurological complications can also occur. This disease can be fatal.

Infection comes from inhaling the dried secretions of infected birds (parrots, parakeets, cockatiels, macaws, ducks, turkeys, etc.). The bird usually has no symptoms.

Ringworm: A ring-shaped, often-itchy rash. Many animals - including dogs, cats and farm animals - can transmit it. It can also be passed between humans. Ringworm is not a worm, but a fungal disease.

Salmonella: Bacterial disease with symptoms of diarrhea, fever and stomach pain. Other organs are sometimes affected and hospitalization may be required.

Contaminated foods and a variety of animals can cause infection. The culprits most often are baby chicks and ducklings, and reptiles - such as lizards, snakes and turtles.

Toxoplasmosis: Caused by a parasite. Symptoms are flu-like with swollen glands and muscle aches. Toxoplasmosis results from eating meat that isn't fully cooked or from contact with contaminated cat feces.

Pregnant women should not clean litter boxes. Toxoplasmosis can infect the fetus, causing miscarriage or severe birth defects.

Avoiding pet-related illness:

Take the following steps to keep your family and your pet healthy:

• Keep your pet vaccinated.
• Don't feed raw or undercooked meats to pets.
• Don't let your cat catch mice.
• Don't take in sick strays or wild animals.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after playing with animals.
• If you're scratched or bitten by a cat, wash the injured area immediately.
• Don't have reptiles or amphibians in homes with young children or immunocompromised persons. Remove such pets before the arrival of a new baby.
• Use gloves to clean aquariums and animal cages.
• Don't give baby chicks or ducklings to children as Easter gifts.
• Have children wash hands thoroughly after visiting petting zoos.
• Keep rodent problems under control.
• Don't allow your pets to drink from toilet bowls.
• Do not allow your pets to get into garbage.
• Don't allow pets to lick open wounds.