9 tips to protect yourself from diseases transmitted by pets – 05/18/2023 – Health

It is undeniable that pets have become an integral part of many families and are gaining more and more space (and affection) from their human partners.

The proof of this comes from statistics: according to the latest census by Instituto Pet Brasil, the country now has 149.6 million pets — the third largest number in the entire planet.

Thus, seven out of ten Brazilians are guardians of a pet or at least know someone who has one.

That number has been rising little by little, but it took a leap with the Covid-19 pandemic: 30% of pets were adopted in the last two years, according to the National Union of the Industry of Products for Animal Health.

Coexistence with animals is beneficial to health and brings well-being. But care must be taken so that all this proximity does not harm health: animals can transmit a series of diseases, some of them potentially serious and fatal, such as rabies and toxoplasmosis.

There are more than 200 diseases that fit the concept of zoonoses – when a problem can circulate and affect humans and other species concomitantly. And about 6 out of 10 infectious diseases that affect people are transmitted from animals, including domestic animals, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But that, of course, is not a plausible justification for giving up the idea of ​​having a pet at home — or, worse, abandoning the pet that is already part of the family life.

With some basic measures, it is possible to significantly reduce the risk of having any contact with viruses, bacteria and other pathogens that cause such zoonoses, as you can see below.

1. MAKE PERIODIC CONSULTATION

Even if the pet is fine, it needs to undergo a veterinary evaluation at least once a year.

During this appointment, the health professional will perform some basic tests and ask questions about the animal’s health.

This is also an excellent opportunity to perform two fundamental care for the health of the pet. The first is to update the vaccination card. After all, there are doses that need to be taken by them every year.

When we talk about dogs and cats, the main thing is the vaccine that protects against rabies, a disease caused by a virus whose mortality is close to 100%.

“It is transmitted through the saliva and through licks, bites or scratches of an animal that is infected”, summarizes the veterinarian Simone Baldini Lucheis, professor of the Graduate Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechnics at Unesp (Universidade Estadual Paulista) in Botucatu, in the interior of São Paulo.

When the animals have their rabies vaccine up to date, this represents protection for themselves and, indirectly, for guardians.

The second routine care in annual consultations is deworming. This remedy allows you to eliminate parasites from their bodies.

Lucheis explains that one of the most common worms in dogs and cats is the cutaneous larva migrans, which is behind a condition popularly known as the geographic bug.

The name comes from the fact that it can infiltrate our skin and transit through these superficial layers of the body. Hence this worm forms tortuous lines very similar to what we see on maps.

“It is also important that the tutor collects the feces of their pets whenever they go out with them to public roads and parks”, adds Lucheis.

2. BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH HYGIENE

Speaking of cleaning, another key point is the maintenance of feed pots, drinking fountains and places where the pet pees and poops.

In addition to worms, these sites can be sources of bacterial contamination.

One of the most worrying, especially when we talk about cats, is Toxoplasma gondii, which causes a disease known as toxoplasmosis.

“This micro-organism can be in the digestive tract of the animals and be eliminated through the feces”, describes doctor Marcos Vinícius da Silva, responsible for the Tropical Diseases and Zoonoses Outpatient Clinic at the Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, in São Paulo.

“An individual runs the risk of becoming contaminated with this bacteria through direct contact with this material, through water or unhygienic and undercooked food”, he exemplifies.

In some cases, toxoplasmosis can be very serious. It is particularly worrisome in pregnant women, as it can cause miscarriage or malformation of the fetus.

To avoid this risk, what is recommended by experts is to have a stool test that assesses the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats. The test is even more indicated in puppies, who tend to carry this bacteria more often.

If it is indeed detected, there are treatments available to eliminate it from the cat’s body.

The other step is to always maintain the hygiene of the boxes that cats use as a bathroom. In addition to removing feces daily, it’s important to change the sand at least twice a week – and clean the container with soap and water with each new cycle.

And, of course, it is imperative to wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning to prevent bacteria from contaminating other surfaces or food.

The concern for pregnant women is so great in this case that the CDC in the United States suggests that they do not clean the litter box during the nine months of the baby’s development.

3. ORGANIZE THE ENVIRONMENT

The place where pet objects are kept is another sensitive point to avoid contamination with bacteria and other pathogens that cause infections.

The cat’s litter box or the dog’s toilet mat, for example, should be kept as far away from the kitchen and pantry as possible.

The animals that pee and poop anywhere can undergo dressage training.

Waste should be picked up whenever possible — and the soiled area needs to be cleaned and disinfected with bleach or other antibacterial agents.

This even applies to guardians of less conventional species. Turtles, for example, frequently excrete Salmonella bacteria, one of the major causes of gastrointestinal infections in humans.

Still in terms of organization, the external environments of the houses are always a point of care.

Silva, who is also a consultant on zoonoses for the Ministry of Health, points out that these places are often the point of contact between pets and wild animals.

“There is a risk of hunting and capturing bats that come to the city or contact with the urine of rodents”, exemplifies the doctor and professor at the Faculty of Medicine at PUC-SP (Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo).

The pee of rats and mice can bring the bacteria Leptospirawhich causes leptospirosis.

This micro-organism penetrates through the skin or mucous membranes and causes everything from a mild fever to very serious bleeding.

To avoid this problem, the first step is to pay extra attention to backyards. The basic steps include installing screens in drains or pipe outlets, storing pet food in safe and difficult-to-access places, not accumulating garbage and debris, and carrying out periodic cleaning.

When cleaning, by the way, the use of protective equipment — such as rubber boots — is yet another measure to prevent skin contact with the Leptospira.

Lucheis recalls that, in the case of leptospirosis, there is a vaccine available for dogs. It must be applied every twelve months.

Still in the canine world, another disease that worries is leishmaniasis. This protozoan is transmitted through the bite of mosquitoes, which love to reproduce in decomposing organic matter (such as dry leaves that accumulate in the garden). Avoiding this accumulation of garbage, therefore, is a way to prevent the disease.

“Also as a preventive measure, you can use collars with repellents on dogs and vaccinate against leishmaniasis”, guides Lucheis.

5. USE PROPER TRANSPORTATION

Silva says that, some time ago, he needed to assist a family — a couple and an elderly man — who decided to travel by car between São Paulo and Mato Grosso in the company of a cockatiel.

“The problem is that birds of the parrot family [como a calopsita, o periquito e o papagaio] have a bacteria in the intestine that is released by the feces when they are under stress”, he explains.

“The bird was in the luggage compartment, they stayed the whole time of the trip with the car windows closed and the air conditioning on. The micro-organism was circulating around the environment and the three of them got sick”, he adds.

The condition caused by this bacterium is known as psittacosis and can progress to severe forms of pneumonia.

“The transport of animals from one place to another must always be done under the right conditions, in safe places and with the right equipment”, guides the infectologist.

6. BE CAREFUL WITH NOVICES

If you already have one or more pets and decide to adopt another one, this first contact between them needs to be done very carefully.

After all, the new pet may have an infectious disease and transmit it to others.

And that, in turn, creates and reinforces transmission chains for bacteria and other pathogens that can reach humans.

“It is necessary to leave the new animal in quarantine, without contact with the others”, points out Silva.

In this initial period of removal, the guardian must make sure that the pet has undergone a veterinary evaluation, has undergone some tests, has an up-to-date vaccination card and used dewormer.

This isolation window is also valuable for watching for any suspicious symptoms in the newbie’s behavior, body, eating routine, sleeping, or peeing and pooping.

7. AVOID SOME JOKE

A primer from the American CDC suggests that tutors do not accustom the animal to certain pranks – mainly “little fights” or movements that stimulate bites or scratches.

Often, in the best of intentions, the little bug can hurt the tutor’s skin with its claws or teeth.

And these bruises saw a gateway to several infectious agents that are present in the pets paws or mouth.

An example of this is sporotrichosis, a disease caused by fungi of the Sporothrix species that is transmitted by cats and dogs.

The experts’ suggestion, therefore, is always to use an object as an intermediary in the games.

Dogs love to run after balls or stuffed animals and felines enjoy sticks with rattles and tied wires, for example.

8. DO THE CASTRATION

This procedure is simple, safe and prevents the animal from generating unexpected puppies. But Silva points out another benefit of castration: some species, such as cats, participate in fights during the reproductive season by instinct.

These confrontations are marked by bites and scratches. And, as you may have already understood, these wounds are sources of transmission of viruses, bacteria, fungi and other agents.

With the animal neutered, this behavior is inhibited — which represents an indirect protection against such zoonoses.

9. CAREFULLY OBSERVE THE PET’S HEALTH

Even if all the previous precautions are put into practice, the pet can still suffer from some infectious diseases that also affect humans.

Keeping an eye on possible nuisances, therefore, is a fundamental step in making an early diagnosis and starting treatment as soon as possible.

Health professionals advise that, at least once a week, tutors perform a general check on the pet.

At this time, it’s worth checking if he doesn’t have skin lesions (especially in the grooves on his paws and ears), flaws in his fur or feathers, changes in behavior, changes in the consistency of his stools…

If these worrying signs do not improve after a few days, see a veterinarian for a more thorough evaluation.

“Having an animal requires constant attention and care with hygiene and health”, observes Silva

“The interaction with the pets demands a lot of responsibility from the tutor, who needs to be responsible for guarding them and prevent zoonotic diseases”, concludes Lucheis.

This text was originally published here.