If bitten by a dog causing bleeding, you should promptly go to the hospital for treatment and rabies vaccination

Proper pet keeping is indeed beneficial to our physical and mental health, but we should not stay with pets for too long. After all, many zoonotic diseases threaten our health, and being too close or having prolonged contact with pets will increase the infection rate of these diseases.

There are currently more than 200 known zoonotic diseases, which spread through the digestive tract, respiratory tract, skin contact, and other routes. When raising dogs, the main concern is rabies. The primary host of the rabies virus is wild animals, but rabies viruses infecting humans are mainly carried and transmitted by dogs and cats. It is important to note that apparently healthy dogs can also carry and spread rabies. Moreover, the incubation period of rabies in humans varies—some as short as a few days, others up to several years. Additionally, the closer the wound is to the head, the higher the chance of infection. Fortunately, the incidence of rabies is not very high, but for personal safety, vaccination should be done in a timely manner. Toxoplasmosis is a concern especially for pregnant women, but with regular check-ups and proper dog care, even pregnant women can raise dogs safely.

For cats, beware of "cat scratch disease," which manifests when a person is scratched or bitten by a cat, with a non-painful papule appearing near the scratch (or bite) site within 1-2 weeks, accompanied by swollen lymph nodes and sometimes suppuration.

When raising pigeons, watch out for pneumonia. Pigeons carry many fungi, such as the new cryptococcus species. When people closely contact pigeons, the new cryptococcus can enter the human body through the respiratory tract and cause inflammation in the lungs. Patients may experience fever, cough, sputum production, chest pain, wheezing, and other symptoms. Doctors call coughing and shortness of breath initiated by contact with pigeons "pigeon breeder’s pneumonia." If cryptococcus causes meningitis, the consequences can be more severe.

Avoid being too close to pets

Parrots carry a microorganism called Chlamydia, mainly discharged through nasal secretions and feces. This enters the human body through broken skin, mouth, or nasal pathways, causing "psittacosis." Besides parrots, many ornamental birds such as canaries, finches, and larks, even chickens and ducks, can also transmit psittacosis.

Other pets also require attention. Some children, especially girls, like to keep hamsters as pets and often play with them at home. However, keeping these pets requires prevention of diseases like hemorrhagic fever, which pose significant health risks.

As for snakes, they may have more parasite issues, so it is important to prevent infection. In summary, after selecting a pet, if possible, it is best to take them to a veterinary hospital for necessary health checks, since pet markets are hotspots for various animal viruses and cross-infection is common. Then regularly perform vaccinations, deworming, and care, and maintain a clean living environment. This benefits both the pet and our health.

Pets like dogs highly depend on humans, so we should spend some time accompanying them to enhance our bond. But the contact time should not be too long, and avoid constant intimate actions to prevent disease transmission.