Can my pets make me sick?
Pets are like family members in many Canadian households, but like all
animals, they can carry dangerous organisms. You can come into contact with
harmful bacteria, viruses or parasites when you play with and clean up after
your pets, handle pet food, and when you visit a petting zoo.
Diseases called "zoonoses" can be passed from animals to humans or
from humans to animals. Some zoonoses are very dangerous to humans
including:
- infection with E. coli O157:H7
- salmonellosis
- toxoplasmosis
- tuberculosis
- rabies
These diseases can be especially dangerous for young children, the elderly,
pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. If left untreated, they
can even be deadly.
How are zoonoses transmitted from animals to humans?
Animals can transmit harmful organisms in several ways:
- scratches, bites and saliva
- feces and fecal dust
- coughs, sneezes or mucus
You can also get sick from handling your pet's food and treats. This can
happen when the food is contaminated with E. coli or Salmonella bacteria.
If you get these harmful organisms on your hands, you could spread them to
your face, mouth, eyes or your food. If you have touched an animal, their toys,
their food and treats or cleaned up after them, wash your hands right away
before touching anything else!
Four ways to protect yourself and your family
1. Keep your pet healthy
- Take your pet to the veterinarian regularly and have it checked for
diseases.
- Keep your pet clean and its claws trimmed (if applicable).
- Beware of what your pet eats: garbage, raw meat and water from the toilet
bowl can be dangerous.
- Keep away from wild animals: you and your pet can catch diseases from wild
animals and their feces. (Don't forget that squirrels and other rodents can
be dangerous too.)
2. Watch out for animal waste
- Use waterproof, disposable gloves and wear a mask when cleaning cages,
litter boxes, animal pens and fish tanks.
- Clean cages, boxes and pens daily. Put feces in a plastic bag then in the
garbage.
- Never use pet feces for fertilizer or compost: it can carry dangerous
organisms!
- Cover your child's sandbox since cats like to use sandboxes as litter
boxes.
Did you know?
- Pregnant women should not be exposed to cat litter boxes since these might
be contaminated with parasites harmful to the fetus.
3. Keep clean
- After touching your pet and its toys, water from its container or aquarium,
or its treats or food, wash your hands well with soap and warm water for 20
seconds. Do this before touching your face and before handling food.
- Keep pets away from food preparation, storage and dining areas.
Did you know?
- Some reptile foods such as frozen or defrosted mice, rats and chicks can
contain Salmonella and be a
potential source of infection for both the reptile and its owners. Handwashing
is very important to protect yourself.
4. Take care at petting zoos
- Handwashing is your best defence! After you touch, always wash your
hands!
Did you know?
- Reptiles (like turtles, lizards and snakes) and amphibians (like newts,
frogs and toads) can shed Salmonella bacteria on their skin or in the
water.
Safeguarding Canada's Food Supply
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is the Government of Canada's
science-based regulator for animal health, plant protection and, in partnership
with Health Canada, food safety.
For more information on food
safety or to order free copies of this brochure, visit the CFIA website at
www.inspection.gc.ca or call 1-800-442-2342/TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday to
Friday). You can also find food safety information on the
Health Canada and
Canadian Partnership for Consumer Food Safety Education websites
respectively at www.hc-sc.gc.ca and www.canfightbac.org.
Cat. no.:
A104-13/2005E
ISBN:
0-662-41102-1
P0233E-05/09