News Article: Sleeping with your Pets Can be Dangerous

Many people can’t imagine bedtime without their pet beside them. Some veterinary scientists however, say that allowing pets in bed is not the best idea. Although rare, the risk of contracting a disease from your pet is real – as a study published in the February issue of the CDC journal, Emerging Infectious Diseases, affirmed.

“I know this will make me unpopular, but pets really don’t belong in your bed,” Bruno Chomel, co-author of a study and expert on transmission of diseases from animals to humans, said.

Sleeping with or kissing your animals on the lips may put you at risk for serious medical problems, according to the study. Chomel and another co-author, Ben Sun, chief veterinarian with the California Department of Public Health, presented examples of rare cases where humans became ill from their pets.

Among the examples was a nine-year-old boy who developed the plague after sleeping with a flea-infested cat. Another was a 60-year-old woman who contracted meningitis from continually kissing her dog. There were other documented cases of chronic, drug-resistant staph infections due to sharing beds with pets.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 60 percent of all human pathogens could have been transmitted from animals. Experts say those at the greatest risk of contracting disease from pets are the young, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.

But don’t panic. Although it is important for pet owners to recognize the risk of disease, The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) emphasizes that healthy pets carry very little risk. If you aren’t ready to kick your pets out of bed, there are other precautionary measures that can greatly reduce disease transmission risk.

“A little common sense will go a long way,” said AVMA president, Larry Kornegay.

Some common-sense approaches Kornegay suggests are regular veterinary exams, vaccinations appropriate for your geographical area, and dental care for pets. He also recommends owners wash their hands and be sure to keep their animals from drinking toilet bowl water or eating feces.

Joseph Doles, a Cleveland Veterinarian says common sense and proper veterinary care will “further reduce an already rare risk.”