Get Know about the most common How to Protect Your pets from shared diseases and find out what you can do to Avoid them.

1. HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR PET FROM SHARED DISEASES
Several studies have pointed out that pets decrease stress for humans & promote relaxation.
They have a positive impact on almost all stages of life. They promote an active lifestyle,
influence social, emotional & cognitive development in children & have even been able to
detect oncoming epileptic seizures in advance. It turns out that apart from sharing compassion
for each other, pets and their human parents might end up sharing disease as well.
Pet parents should be aware that pets also carry germs which can make humans sick & vice
versa. While diseases passed from animals to humans are known as Zoonosis, diseases passed
from humans to pets are called Reverse Zoonosis. Zoonotic diseases have a wide range from
minor short-term illness to major life-changing sickness which can even be fatal.
COMMON ZOONOTIC DISEASES IN HUMANS
Here is a list of the most common dog diseases that affect humans.

2. This spreads through contaminated water, foodsCampylobacter spp. (Campylobacteriosis) –
like meat & eggs or contact with stool of the pet. While pets show no signs of illness, humans
can have abdominal pain, cramping, fever & diarrhea within 2 – 5 days after exposure. This can
be serious for infants & older persons.
This is a parasite which spreads to cats & dogs throughDipylidium Caninum (Dog Tapeworm) –
ingestion of infected fleas. It is common but rarely causes illness in pets or humans. Tapeworms
are often detected crawling near anus or in fresh bowels. Pets may, however, lose weight &
have mild diarrhea in severe infection. One of the most common diseases caused by dog feces,
children mostly get infected but generally do not show signs of disease.
These are tiny worms which spread throughAncylostoma Caninum (Zoonotic Hookworm) –
contact with contaminated sand or soil. Pets become infected by accidentally ingesting the
parasite from the environment. Young puppies are mostly affected & may have dark & bloody
stool with anemia. Severe infection can even lead to death. Humans become infected with this
while sitting, kneeling or walking barefoot on ground contaminated with stool of the infected
pet.
This is a fatal neurologic disease caused by a virus & found in pets & humans as well. ItRabies –
is one of the highly infectious animal diseases. Humans are mostly infected through bites of
rabid pets. Signs & symptoms in infected dogs are sudden behavioral change & progressive
paralysis. However, rabies can be prevented by vaccination. Signs & symptoms in humans
include a headache, fever & a generalized weakness which in a few days can progress to
anxiety, confusion, behavioral changes & delirium. Contact the doctor immediately when bitten
by a pet because once symptoms appear it is always too late.
These cause a parasitic disease called toxocariasis. Both pets &Toxocara spp. (Roundworm) –
humans can get infected by accidentally swallowing roundworm eggs from the environment.
Larval worms can also travel through the mother dog & infect puppies which do not develop &
grow well & display a pot-bellied appearance. Among humans, children are most often affected
with roundworm. Of the two forms of disease in humans, the first is caused by ocular larva

3. migrans when they invade retina to cause inflammation & scarring or even blindness. The other
visceral larva migrans invade parts of the body like lungs, liver or the central nervous system.
COMMON REVERSE ZONOTIC DISEASES AFFECTING PETS
Although Reverse Zoonosis is a rare phenomenon but it does occur. Here is a list of diseases
which pets can pick up from humans.
Ringworm-
Also known as Dermatophytosis, Ringworm is an infection of skin affecting both pets & humans.
Caused by a fungus it shows circular areas of redness in humans which can be itchy. Similar
circular patches of baldness are also seen in cats & dogs. The disease is transmitted through
direct contact or through contaminated objects like clothing, towels or brushes. Ringworm is
one of the most common 2-way human-pet infectious diseases known to mankind.
Influenza-
This is the H1N1 flu virus which is fatal to both pets & humans. Cats, dogs & ferrets have been
identified with H1N1 flu virus which has come from humans. Signs & symptoms are similar in
both pets & humans. These are respiratory disease, inappetence & death sometimes. It makes
good sense to stay away from family pets if you are suffering from signs & symptoms of
genuine flu.
Mumps-
This is a viral disease which causes fever & a headache in humans. It is followed by the
characteristic painful swelling of parotid glands in the neck region. In some cases exceptionally
serious complications are possible. Thanks to vaccinations this disease rarely appears
nowadays. Primarily a childhood disease it can also affect adults sometimes. It can affect dogs
too who show similar symptoms. So be sure to stay away from family pets if you are having
mumps.
Basically linked to food poisoning, this is also a 2-way disease which can moveSalmonella –
from humans to pets & vice versa. Signs & symptoms of Salmonella include nausea, headache,
fever, vomiting, diarrhea & abdominal cramps. However, cats & dogs are more resistant to the

4. disease, but the risk is always there. Rigorous hygiene should be put in place in order to avoid
family pets being exposed to human gastrointestinal bacteria.
This is a chronic respiratory infectious disease caused by MycobacteriumTuberculosis (TB) –
tuberculosis complex. TB can affect all warm-blooded mammals including pets & humans. Signs
& symptoms of TB in pets include coughing, weight loss, lumps, abscesses & bite wounds which
fail to heal. Cats & dogs can become infected with TB orally by drinking unpasteurized infected
cow’s milk or eating carcasses of infected animals. Close contact with infected wildlife, farm
animals & other infected pets & humans can also cause TB. Being bitten by an infected animal
or when a wound gets infected by bacteria present in the environment can also cause TB in
pets.
Prevention is better than Cure-Diseases passed from animals to humans are rare. But
when they do they can cause a variety of illnesses that range from minor skin infections to
many serious diseases. Diseases caused by dog feces are most common. Take the following
measures to protect your family & pet from falling sick.
 Sensible to seek routine veterinary care for the pet
 Wash your hands with soap & teach children to do the same after contact with pets, their stool
& their food.
 There are various instruments and tools available to clean pet poop. Please use gloves, poop
pickers and other relevant equipment that can keep you safe from coming in contact with pet
feces.
Routine veterinary care & some simple health tips will save the family members & pets from
falling sick from touching & petting family pets.
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