Although dogs can be beneficial to the health and wellbeing of their owners, people should be aware that dogs of any age, including puppies, can sometimes carry harmful germs that can make people sick. Germs from dogs can cause a variety of illnesses, from minor skin infections to serious illnesses.
Can you catch anything from a dog?
Dogs are a major reservoir for zoonotic infections. Dogs transmit several viral and bacterial diseases to humans. Zoonotic diseases can be transmitted to human by infected saliva, aerosols, contaminated urine or feces and direct contact with the dog.
Can humans get stomach virus from dogs?
While dogs may indeed be man's best friend, it turns out that they also have the ability to harbor one of man's most common enemies – norovirus. A study out of Finland has shown that pet dogs can carry human strains of norovirus and pass them on to people in the household.
Can humans catch a cold from dogs?
Dog colds are not contagious to humans. You can't catch a cold from your dog, any more than your dog can pick up a human strain of a cold virus from you. However, dog colds and influenza are highly contagious between dogs, which means we have to be careful not to help transmit the germs.
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