How your pet could give you a deadly illness: Transmission of superbugs, salmonella and parasites is a very real risk, doctors warn

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Study: Infections from domestic animals are 'a real threat to the vulnerable'
Young children, cancer patients and those with weak immunity most at risk
Doctors are not warning people of the dangers of pets, researchers warn

By Jenny Hope, Medical Correspondent for the Daily Mail

Published: 11:01 EST, 20 April 2015 | Updated: 12:14 EST, 20 April 2015

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Pet owners should be warned of the risk of catching diseases spread by ‘man’s best friend’ and other animals sharing our homes, say experts.

Infections from domestic animals are a real threat to the vulnerable including newborn babies, children with leukaemia, cancer patients and anyone with a weak immune system, it is claimed.

A new review of ‘zoonotic’ animal-to-human infection suggests many people including doctors do not take the risk sufficiently seriously or take precautions to limit harm.

All pets can potentially transmit diseases to people, new research has warned. Cats, rodents, reptiles and amphibians are all capable of transmitting Salmonella, Clostridium difficile and other sickness-inducing bugs

One of the study's authors, Dr Jason Stull, from the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Ohio State University in the US, said: ‘Studies suggest physicians do not regularly ask about pet contact, nor do they discuss the risks of zoonotic diseases with patients, regardless of the patient's immune status.’

Last year, Public Health England was forced to warn cat owners they were at risk of TB after it was passed by cats to humans for the first time - in an outbreak feared to have been caused by badgers.

Two people needed treatment for bovine tuberculosis after they caught the disease from their kitten, while two other cat owners were thought to have been infected with a dormant form of TB.

The infection was passed to each of the patients during an unprecedented outbreak of the disease among cats in Newbury.

All pets can potentially transmit diseases to people, says the new review.

Dogs, cats, rodents, reptiles and amphibians are all capable of transmitting Salmonella, Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Campylobacter jejuni and other sickness-inducing bugs.

Pets can also spread parasites such as hookworm, roundworm or Toxoplasma.

Infections could be acquired from bites, scratches, saliva or contact with faeces, said the researchers writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Infections from domestic animals are a real threat to the vulnerable including newborn babies, children with leukaemia, cancer patients and anyone with a weak immune system, the researchers claim

Reptiles and amphibians were said to present a special risk because they could transmit disease indirectly via contaminated surfaces.

The review said: ‘Reptiles and amphibians are estimated to be responsible for 11 per cent of all sporadic Salmonella infections among patients less than 21 years of age, and direct contact with such animals is not required for zoonotic transmission.

‘In one study, 31 per cent of reptile-associated salmonellosis cases occurred in children less than five years of age and 17 per cent occurred in children aged one year or younger; these findings highlight the heightened risk in children and the potential for reptile-associated Salmonella to be transmitted without direct contact with the animal or its enclosure.’

THE DISEASE DANGERS OF PETS

All pets can potentially transmit diseases to people, says the new review.

Dogs, cats, rodents, reptiles and amphibians are all capable of transmitting Salmonella, Clostridium difficile (C. diff), Campylobacter jejuni and other sickness-inducing bugs.

Pets can also spread parasites such as hookworm, roundworm or Toxoplasma.

Infections could be acquired from bites, scratches, saliva or contact with faeces, said the researchers writing in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Reptiles and amphibians were said to present a special risk because they could transmit disease indirectly via contaminated surfaces.

Despite the danger, 77 per cent of households acquired a high-risk pet after a cancer diagnosis, said Dr Stull.

The experts suggested the following tips to reduce the chances of picking up an infection from a pet:

* Wear protective gloves to clean aquariums and cages

* Handwash properly after pet contact

* Discourage face-licking by pets

* Avoid contact with exotic animals

* Regularly clean and disinfect animal cages, feeding areas and bedding

* Locate litter boxes or trays away from areas where eating and food preparation take place

* If you have a weak immune system, wait until it has strengthened before acquiring a new pet

* Regularly schedule vet visits for all your pets.

Dr Stull added that the health benefits of animal ownership and the reluctance of patients to give up their pets meant experts should highlight the importance of following specific precautions.

‘Patients at high risk and their households should have increased vigilance of their pets' health and take precautions to reduce pathogen transmission’ he said.