Cuddling with animals: hygiene is important – baby and family

Whether dog, cat or guinea pig – children love their pets and like to cuddle with them. A few rules help families protect the little ones from diseases

Kissing cats can make you sick. Therefore, clean the children’s skin well afterwards

It’s sooo cute. And sooo soft. And the offspring already put his face in the cat. Without resistance, she also gets a kiss. But even if the animal can do everything with itself, it can harm the child: many pets carry pathogens in their fur, in their mouths and in their intestines. These bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites often feel good in humans – and sometimes cause serious illnesses. "Some germs are part of the animal’s natural equipment, so they do not make them sick themselves", explains Professor Werner Handrick, pediatrician and adolescent doctor and microbiologist at the Institute for Medical Diagnostics in Frankfurt an der Oder. "However, what is normal in animals can be dangerous to humans."

Pets can transmit diseases

Zoonoses are the diseases that some four-legged friends transfer to bipeds. Experts now count 200 of these infections. The best known are surely rabies or tick-borne Lyme disease. Usually less dramatic, but diseases caused by pets are much more common. Almost one in ten dogs and one in 20 cats have salmonella, which can cause severe diarrhea. Children are at twice the risk: they carry animals around with them, take them to bed with them and have more physical contact with them than an adult who only scratches the dog’s head once. In addition, the child’s immune system is not yet armed against every pathogen.

Incidentally, carriers can be all pets: for example, some guinea pigs or rabbits carry skin fungi with them. "Children get a red, scaly rash from it. In the so-called cuddle area on the cheeks, neck, hands and forearms", says pediatrician Handrick. In many animals, skin problems are noticed late or not at all: dense fur disturbs the view.

Warning: Dog and cat sometimes bite

Once licked through the face: a great proof of love from the dog and an even bigger load of bacteria for the child. By the way, whoever shows his affection here doesn’t matter: even a kiss on Miezes nose leaves potential disease-causing agents in the child. "Most bacterial infections show up with diarrhea, nausea and fever. But it can also get worse with pneumonia, blood poisoning or meningitis", warns Handrick. That is why cleanliness is the first rule when dealing with pets (see below). And not every dog ​​likes Bussis. Animals snap in the game or out of fear. "Children should always see a doctor after a bite. And not only when redness and fever appear", says pediatrician Handrick. Especially with cat bites, it is difficult to see how deep they go and whether a nerve or a vessel has not been injured.

Infection with worms becomes less common

A lot of advice from the past few years is now having an effect: "It is becoming increasingly rare for children to become infected with worms from dogs or cats. The problem is well known, people usually have their animals dewormed regularly", says Handrick. Also the so-called parrot disease, which causes strong flu-like symptoms in humans, only exists in birds, people almost no longer get sick.

But a new risk is creeping into German living rooms: reptiles are becoming increasingly popular as pets. Such an exotic seems more exciting than a banal rabbit. Unfortunately, parents mostly don’t consider one thing: "Almost all reptiles move across the floor. Their droppings lie there, and so bacteria are constantly spreading on the skin of the animals", microbiologist warns Dr. Wolfgang Rabsch from the specialist area for bacterial infections at Robert-Koch-institute (RKI) in Wernigerode.

Reptiles transmit life-threatening salmonella

Salmonellae are mainly found on the reptile skin. You cannot harm the animal as long as it is otherwise healthy. In infants, the pathogen sometimes causes life-threatening severe diarrhea, vomiting and fever. "In a household with children younger than five year old are, no reptile should live. The risk of infection is too great", warns Rabsch. In contrast to the worming treatment for dogs and cats, it is not possible to free the exotic animal from its undesirable inhabitants. That is why almost 90 percent of all reptiles carry salmonella on the skin and throat.

In recent years, the RKI has identified an increasing number of salmonella cases in children that could be attributed to reptiles. Babies are particularly at risk because infections can quickly threaten them. The pathogens usually reach the little ones through the hands of the parents. Therapy is often difficult because the bacteria are sometimes resistant to antibiotics. Parents should therefore prefer to avoid the striking exotic.

Stay clean!

Nothing speaks against a four-legged friend – if you follow these hygiene rules:

wash your hands!
Several times a day and preferably always after scratching. If a dog or cat licks a child’s face, the skin should then be cleaned with soap and water.

Beds are taboo!
Animals not only lose hair, but also dirt that they carry in from the outside with their fur.

Terrariums and objects from them.
. should not be cleaned in the kitchen or bathroom sink. Own cleaning utensils for these things reduce the risk of transmission.

Vet Check
No matter if reptile, rabbit or dog: Every animal has to be regularly checked for parasites and vaccinated.

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Christina Cherry
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