Any reasonable person who is familiar with the rules of hygiene knows that dogs and cats should definitely not be kissed in the face. And actually, why not? Very few people will be able to give an intelligible answer to this question. In addition, almost all owners of four-legged pets admit: they kissed their wards, and more than once. So is the ban correct and what is the danger?
Viruses and infections, bacteria
Many viral diseases are transmitted by airborne droplets and by the exchange of secretions of the mucous membranes. There is minimal risk, even if the pet appears to be completely healthy. The simplest bacteria live in the organisms of cats, dogs and humans, without posing a threat with good immunity.
Fungus
A dog or cat may be a carrier of the fungus, but not suffer from it itself. Also, infection can occur during the incubation period, when the tetrapod is already infected, but the visual signs of the sore have not yet appeared. The most popular fungus transmitted from four-legged humans is ringworm.
Staphylococci
For a person, several families of staphylococci are scary, especially dangerous if their immunity is decimated by illness or serious treatment. However, the same dogs rarely tolerate Staphylococcus aureus. For humans, Staphylococcus aureus is the most pathogenic, threatening purulent inflammatory processes in almost all organs and tissues. A frequent visitor to the skin and mucous membranes is staphylococcus epidermidis, which causes, for example, conjunctivitis.
Salmonella
Another dangerous infectious disease that mainly affects young cats and dogs is salmonellosis. The terrible name hides an acute intestinal infection, accompanied by a high fever. In some carriers, the disease causes no symptoms at all, while others suffer from severe digestive upset, fever, seizures, and even sepsis.
Felinosis
Felinosis, or cat scratch fever, is the acute reaction of the human immune system to an infection that has entered the skin through a bite or scratch. Its causative agent is the bacterium Bartonella. She lives in the saliva of cats, dogs, guinea pigs and other animals. Infection threatens with fever, acute intoxication, rash, suppuration, inflammation of the lymph nodes, and various allergic reactions.
Toxoplasmosis
One of the dangers for pregnant women is toxoplasmosis. However, the possibility of contracting it through a kiss is extremely small. Toxoplasmas live in animal feces, but become active only on the third day after entering the external environment. You can get sick, for example, after contact with sand from a sandbox.
Rabies
In the vast majority of cases, rabies is transmitted through the bites of wild animals, less often – domestic dogs and cats. You can get infected through the patient’s saliva, which gets on the mucous membranes. The incubation period of a terrible disease lasts from 10 days to 3-4 months. The disease affects the central nervous system and is fatal. There is no cure for rabies. You can only prevent the infection from spreading by getting the rabies vaccine immediately after the alleged infection.
Plague
Another terrible disease is the plague. It is carried by mice and rats, less often by representatives of the feline family. Affecting the lymph nodes and lungs, the plague bacillus causes fever and blood poisoning.
Periodontitis
Periodontitis is an inflammation of the gums caused by microorganisms. It affects dogs and cats. The disease threatens toothaches, bleeding gums, tooth mobility, and in the worst case, and their loss.
vermin
Worm infestation is a significant risk that most cat and dog owners do not consider. Unfortunately, prevention is practically powerless here. After 3 – 4 days, the animal may well become a carrier of new parasites.
Most often, cat and dog lovers become infected askaridami – numerous representatives of this family develop and multiply rapidly in the host’s body.
Nematodes popularly called filamentous worms. They parasitize almost all types of animals and people.
Echinococcus and tapeworms – very dangerous and, fortunately, rare parasites, which, however, can be infected by kissing a cute cat’s face.
Allergy
A mysterious ailment that does not hesitate to bother new owners of cats and dogs. An allergic reaction is an attempt by the immune system to cope with “foreign” cells in the body. A person can react to saliva and animal hair, secretions from mucous membranes and skin. Most often, the reaction manifests itself in the form of redness and itching, but there are also more serious cases.
Risk groups
Some people are more susceptible to infection with variegated sores from their pets than others. Patients with immunodeficiency are especially vulnerable. A defenseless organism cannot cope with even the most harmless bacteria. For example, small mites live on the skin of cats, dogs and humans. They are absolutely harmless for people with strong immunity, and if the protective functions of the body are reduced, a person becomes ill with demodicosis.
Hugging and kissing animals can be likened to playing Russian roulette if you suffer from an autoimmune disease or any other ailment that is treated with steroids.
Another risk group is newborn babies, as well as pregnant women. Caution should be observed for those who have completed courses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy, HIV-infected.