How to Prevent the Spread of Infections/Diseases from Pets to Humans.

But while we have so much to say about the infections that our pets can transfer to us as pet owners, we need to also bear in mind that humans can also transfer diseases to their pets, an example of such disease is the Mpox disease, which is a rare disease highly similar to smallpox, it is caused by mpox virus and very common in areas of Africa, but has been found in other parts of the world. For people who have it, it causes flu-like symptoms like chills and fever as well as rashes that could take weeks before they clear off, the thing about mpox is that it usually goes away on its own as a matter of fact, there hasn't been any known treatment option for it, that's the little information about Mpox that I will be sharing in this post, but while it goes away on its own in the human body, it is strongly advisable that humans should avoid pets when they have the virus as they can strongly spread it to the animal through cuddling, kissing, hugging, licking, etc, some animals that are also infected with the mpox virus can easily spread to other animals and humans inclusive.

Mpox is a good example of how humans could transfer the infection to pets, but let's check through some examples of diseases that can be spread from animals to humans, examples are;

• Brucellosis: A bacterial disease that causes flu-like symptoms in humans. Although very rare, it can also be spread through contact with animals carrying the bacteria. Associated symptoms are; headaches, abdominal or back pain, loss of appetite, chills, weight loss, and fever, in humans, it will take around a week to 2 months before the symptoms begin to show.

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• Campylobacteriosis: This is likewise a bacterial infection that can spread to humans through contact with the faces of an infected pet, humans with the bacteria may experience gastroenteritis symptoms such as; fever, cramping, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. The symptoms could begin to appear around 2-5 days after exposure.

• Leptospirosis: This is also a bacterial infection spread through the urine of an animal with the bacteria, it brings about symptoms like; aches and pains, high fever, and digestive discomfort.

• Rabies: In this case, this is a viral disease that spreads from dogs to humans, it can be passed through a bite or a scratch. Rabies is dangerous as it could cause serious problems in the central nervous system, creating flu-like symptoms such as; muscle weakness, fever, and tingling.

• Ringworm: This is a fungal disease that can spread between animals and through contact with humans when an object carrying the fungal infection is touched, it can be spread to humans, objects like brushes, food bowl, clothes, carpets amongst others. The symptoms are, red, circular, itchy rash coming out on the skin, certain skin medications could clear out ringworm within 2-4 weeks.

• Salmonella: Salmonella can be spread to humans creating symptoms like fever, vomiting, and diarrhea in the infected person, you can also contract it when an item that contains the germ touches your face or mouth.

Enough of the long talks my friends, let us get straight into the business of the day.

How to limit infection/disease transmission at home.

Purchase the right pet: Just before you bring a pet home, ensure you are buying the right one home, and carry out appropriate tests.

Constantly wash your hands: It may already sound like a cliche especially if you read the contents of my blog, but we cannot say this enough, washing and sanitizing our hands is a great way to prevent the disease from spreading from animals to humans. Wash your hands after you touch pet food or pet treats whether it is in a dry or canned form, if it is raw then it is even more serious.

Wash your hands as well after changing your cat litter or cleaning your fish tank because when your hands come in contact with infected feces or urine, you could get sick.

Also, wash your hands immediately after playing with your pet or touching your pet. When I say wash your hands, I am talking about using soap and water, especially an alcohol-based sanitizer, get through with areas of your hands including your thumb and your fingers.

Check your coughing pet as soon as possible: Whenever your dog begins to cough consistently, make sure to check out your dog as they may be suffering from; canine influenza, canine infectious respiratory disease, heartworm disease, asthma, and heart failure.

Protect your pet from diseases: You can do this by speaking to your vet about how to prevent infections from wildlife or other animals.

• Do you put your pet in areas where they could get bitten by other animals?

• Understand when your pet is showing signs of fear or anxiety.

• Consult professionals on how to take out wildlife rodents from your home.

• Do not allow your pet to walk freely without supervision and keep them safe from wild animals.

• Prevent your pet from consuming contaminated water, rotten food, or soils containing bacteria, do this by ensuring that your garbage is tightly covered, and do not feed your pet raw meat.

• Whenever your pet has been given antibiotics to take, make sure they finish it.

Avoid bites and scratches from your pet: While you play with your pet, make sure they do not accidentally scratch or bite you in a way of being protective. These scratches or bites may contain organisms causing illnesses especially when they penetrate the skin or come in contact with the mucous membrane of the eyes, nose, and of mouth.

Take your pet for constant check-ups and vaccinations.

There are people whose immune systems are weak and they are at higher risk of getting diseases from animals and humans, children who are younger than 5, and adults older than 65. Pregnant women also stand a chance of getting certain animal-related diseases.
Always teach your pet how to act responsibly around pets and how to stay safe too.

References.

https://www.healthline.com/health/humans-catching-from-dogs#healthy-pets-healthy-people

https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/mpox/prevention/pets-in-homes.html

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/simple-steps-for-avoiding-infections-from-dogs-and-cats-201204064577

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22371-monkeypox

https://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/keeping-pets-and-people-healthy/how.html

https://www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-owner-education/aaha-guidelines-for-pet-owners/infection-control-prevention-and-biosecurity/