Family pets can harbor worms and various bacteria, potentially infecting humans and causing diarrhea, fever, and itching. The variety of animals chosen as pets is extensive, with dogs, cats, hamsters, and birds being the most common. Each species can carry multiple pathogens that can be transmitted to humans.
Parasitic Infections
Many pet owners have the habit of playing with, sleeping with, and treating their pets as close friends. However, these actions pose a high risk of parasitic infections from animals. For instance, cats can carry the parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which causes toxoplasmosis. This parasite is widespread globally, and infected individuals often show no symptoms. However, toxoplasmosis can cause severe complications in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women, such as eye infections, brain infections, fetal deformities, and miscarriages. Children born to infected mothers may experience brain problems, eye issues, epilepsy, developmental delays, or blood disorders.
Pet owners can also contract roundworms from dogs and cats, causing itching, hives, headaches, seizures, prolonged fever, vestibular disorders, and insomnia. The worms can form tumors in organs such as the liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, eyes, and muscles, or cause platelet dysfunction leading to hemorrhage and encephalitis. Children can become infected by contact with dogs and cats.
Hookworms can infect humans through skin contact when cuddling pets or walking barefoot on damp soil containing animal waste. Symptoms of hookworm infection include cough, chest pain, and wheezing. Severe cases can lead to anemia, protein deficiency, emaciation, and heart failure.
Diarrhea Caused by Campylobacter Bacteria
The Campylobacter bacteria commonly reside in poultry, cats, and dogs. The primary transmission route is through contaminated food, such as undercooked meat, raw milk, contaminated animal waste, or infected water. According to the World Health Organization, Campylobacter is one of the four main causes of diarrhea and the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Infected individuals usually experience mild illness; however, young children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals can die from the infection. Currently, there is no approved vaccine for Campylobacter, with only one candidate vaccine undergoing clinical trials.
Rabies
Rabies is one of the dangerous infectious diseases with a high mortality rate in Vietnam. The disease is transmitted to humans through bites, scratches, or open wound contact with infected animals. WHO statistics indicate that approximately 59,000 people die from rabies each year, and over 10 million people require rabies vaccination. According to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, 43 rabies deaths have been reported nationwide since the beginning of the year. Rabies vaccination is the key to disease prevention and mortality reduction.
Prevention Measures
Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat, and clean kitchen utensils, fruits, and vegetables thoroughly. If you have young children, keep them away from areas with cat waste, do not allow cats into the kitchen, and avoid adopting stray cats or dogs. Clean the pet’s living area weekly. Dog and cat waste should be buried or placed in sealed bags and disposed of in the trash. Regularly deworm and vaccinate pets, and wash hands thoroughly after playing with them. Rabies vaccines are available and are usually administered after animal bites or scratches or prophylactically for veterinarians and those frequently in contact with animals.