Aside from proper pet food and services, Chinese pet owners are also paying top yuan for pedigree dog breeds and accessories such as collars and costumes. (Photo : Reuters)
Pets may put immune compromised individuals, young children, elderly people and pregnant women at risk of infections, says a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The study reports that though pets provide social, health and emotional benefits to the owners they also remain as a source of infection by spreading zoonotic pathogens, according to CTV News.
Dr. Jason Stull, a veterinarian at Ohio State University and lead author of the study noted that young pets are like having young children at home. He added that like young children the young pet animals also catch germs easily therefore it is advisable to have grown up or mature animals that are less likely to carry certain zoonotic pathogens in the households that has people with severely immunocompromised conditions, reports The Star.
Stulls said that there are about 70 known diseases transmitted by pets to human and new diseases are being discovered regularly these days. He also added that most people are not aware of the fact that pets could spread infection in human population noting as an example that it is risky to get a pet animal for a child undergoing treatment for cancer.
Stulls also noted that "Patients at high risk and their households should have increased vigilance of their pets' health and take precautions to reduce pathogen transmission." The researcher added that "Clearly these animals are not a frequent cause for disease, but there are some specific situations where we really need to be paying closer attention," according to The Star.
