Greenbriar Animal Hospital

A few diseases can be passed back and forth from humans to pets, and vice versa. Other diseases of cats and dogs are not frequently a problem for humans, but it is possible for you to get one of these diseases from your pet, particularly if you are in a “Susceptible” category. These diseases can be serious or even fatal.

Major tips for at-risk issues:

Potentially contagious diseases in northern Virginia include MRSA-type staph infections, leptospirosis, H1N1 influenza, some skin conditions (ringworm and some types of mange), Bartonella (“Cat Scratch Fever”), intestinal parasites (toxoplasmosis, roundworms, hookworms), and more. In other parts of the country and around the world, the list is lots longer and includes things like Rabies, Anthrax, and Bubonic plague!

Some people are more susceptible to diseases due to their own medical condition or the status of their immune system. To avoid health risks for you, your family, or your friends, please check the list below!

If you, anyone in your family, or anyone in your circle of friends is on the “Susceptible” list, please talk to both your veterinarian and a physician about any precautions that you may need to take. If your physician has questions about a pet disease that may pose a hazard to people, ask them to contact us directly.

More susceptible people can include:

• Individuals with mental disabilities
• People with compromised immune systems:
  • HIV positive individuals
  • Chemotherapy and cancer patients
  • Organ transplant recipients
  • People with auto-immune disease (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.)
• People with advanced or chronic liver disease (hepatitis and/or cirrhosis)
• Diabetics, especially insulin-dependent
• Pregnant women
• Infants and children under 5 years of age
• Very elderly people
• People with underlying or chronic illnesses like asthma, emphysema, Cushing’s disease, etc.

For more information on diseases that can be passed from pets to people (called ‘zoonoses’), go to:

www.cdc.gov/healthypets