Household pets are often a great source of joy and have positive effects on our mental well-being. For most of us, this outweighs the risk of coming into contact with any bugs they may carry.
Household pets can host a number of organisms that cause parasitic, bacterial, fungal, and viral diseases in humans. These animal-to-human diseases are known as zoonoses.
Bites and scratches from pets can lead to diseases such as pasteurellosis and cat-scratch disease; while psittacosis or parrot fever is contracted when humans breathe in aerosolized droplets containing secretions from infected birds.
But the most common zoonotic diseases come from parasites and bacteria that are transmitted through the gastrointestinal route—by touching the pet or litter tray and then your mouth.
Don’t worry, the risk of catching these diseases can usually be mitigated by washing your hands.
