Are you like to kiss and sleep together with your pet? If yes, you need to be careful. A study says pets can transmit dangerous diseases, Meningitis.
As quoted from Medicmagic, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), United States recently released a shocking study about pets. According to CDC, physical contact with cats and dogs is very risky to transmit zoonosis diseases (diseases transmitted by animals).
CDC also said that apart from zoonosis, direct contact with pets can be easily affected by meningitis or inflammation lining of the brain. This disease has a mortality risk about 50 percent, although it can be cured but there is a risk of permanent neurological damage such as paralysis, epilepsy or mental disorders.
In a study published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, February 2011, CDC noted several cases of meningitis infection caused by pets. Cases of meningitis were generally occur through contact with body fluids, especially saliva.
Related to habit sleeping with pets, Prof. Bruno Chomel, a researcher from the University of California provides some suggestions. According to him, this habit is not only risky to send meningitis, but also plague, which can be transmitted through the existing fleas on your dog or cat.
“Transmission of disease from pets to humans is very rare, but not impossible. This study is not to scare people ,but to make people realize that sleeping with pets have a risk ,”says Prof . Chomel, quoted by CNN.
On the other hand, the experts also revealed that the presence of pets in the family has a good influence on children’s health. According to one study, children who live with cats, dogs or other pets have better endurance .
Playing with pets can also raise levels of the hormone oxytocin or antidote to stress. As a result, if a person is often playing with pets, the risk of depression become lower.
