Zoonotic diseases are defined as those that can be passed from
animals to people. Many of these diseases can affect our pets which can
put our families in danger. However, by taking some simple precautions,
we can greatly decrease the potential for exposure to these diseases for
our families.
Which Diseases Can Pets Pass to People?
There are thousands of zoonotic diseases, too many to list them all
here. Some of the most common and/or most dangerous zoonoses (another
word for zoonotic diseases) include:
- Rabies
- intestinal parasites, including roundworms, hookworms and Giardia
- Toxoplasmosis
- Ringworm
- Leptospirosis
- Cat scratch disease
- Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter
- Lyme disease
- Other tick-borne diseases, such as ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
How to Protect Yourself and Your Family from Zoonotic Diseases?
There are many steps that you can take to keep yourself and your family safe from zoonotic diseases.
- Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. Teach your children to do so also.
- Cook all meat thoroughly before serving.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables before consuming them.
- Wear gloves when gardening or working with soil. Wash your hands when finished and before handling food or eating.
- Wear gloves while cleaning your cat's litter box, particularly if you are pregnant or immunosuppressed.
- Cover sandboxes that children play in to protect them from being used as a place for animals to relieve themselves.
- Be cautious drinking from water sources that may be contaminated
with animal feces or urine. If in doubt, use bottled water for drinking.
- Do not swallow water while swimming.
- Do not recycle pet waste for use as fertilizer for gardens and
lawns. Do not discard of litter box waste or dog feces in your garden or
lawn.
- Take measures to keep your pets free of external parasites, particularly fleas and ticks.
- Have your pet's feces checked for parasites by your veterinarian
regularly. Medicate as necessary. Puppies and kittens are typically
wormed for roundworms and hookworms at an early age due their high risk
of infection and the potential for spread to family members. Talk to
your veterinarian about the appropriate medication to use for your puppy
or kitten. Puppies and kittens can be wormed beginning as early as 2
weeks of age.
- Avoid walking barefoot on beaches, grassy areas and other locations which may be contaminated with hookworm larvae.
- Keep your pets, including all dogs, cats and ferrets, up to date
on their rabies vaccines. If your pet is unvaccinated and is exposed to
rabies, public health officials may recommend that your pet be
euthanized.
- Do not allow your pet to run at large.
- Do not approach or try to handle wildlife.
- Cover all garbage cans securely to avoid attracting raccoons and other wildlife to your yard.
- Do not feed wildlife in your yard. Doing so will encourage the animal to return to your yard.
- If you feed your pets outside, do not leave the food outside.
Remove the feeding dish and any uneaten food once your pet has finished
eating to avoid attacting wildlife and stray animals.
- If your pet is diagnosed with a zoonoses, discuss with your
veterinarian any additional precautions you should take to prevent
exposure for you and your family.