tuberculosis in dogs :: Article CreatorCan Dogs Get Sick From Humans?
Pets have a positive influence on our daily lives. They provide us with valuable companionship, help us get out and exercise, and can even lower our stress levels.
Dogs are one of the most popular types of pets. In fact, experts estimate that 38 percent of households in the United States have one or more dogs.
Like humans, dogs can catch a variety of illnesses. You may even have wondered if your dog can get sick from you. While dogs can catch some illnesses from people, it doesn't happen that often.
Keep reading to learn more about the infections that dogs can get from humans, what we can get from them, and how to prevent the spread of these illnesses in your home.
The flu is a respiratory illness that's caused by a virus. There are many types of flu viruses.
In fact, there are two specific types of flu viruses that can cause the flu, or canine influenza, in dogs. These viruses are different from those that cause the flu in humans. In dogs, they can cause symptoms like cough, runny nose, and lethargy.
Research from 2014 and 2015 indicated that human influenza viruses can infect dogs, particularly 2009 H1N1 strains and H3N2 strains. However, while it's becoming clear that dogs can contract some human influenza viruses, they don't appear to actually become ill.
There are several bacterial infections that dogs can potentially get from people.
Salmonellosis
Salmonella bacteria can cause illness in both dogs and humans. Infection can lead to symptoms like fever, diarrhea, and vomiting in both species.
Transmission of Salmonella is fecal-oral. You can potentially pass it to your dog if you have salmonellosis and don't adequately wash your hands after using the bathroom. In this case, touching your dog's mouth or face may pass the bacteria to them.
Campylobacteriosis
The bacteria Campylobacter jejuni causes this infection in both dogs and humans. Symptoms in dogs can include watery diarrhea, decreased appetite, and fever. Like Salmonella, transmission is fecal-oral.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Humans can carry MRSA on their skin without any symptoms. However, potentially serious skin infections can occur if the bacteria enter through a break in the skin.
Dogs can potentially get MRSA from humans who have the bacteria on their skin. In dogs, MRSA can cause infections of the skin, respiratory tract, and urinary tract.
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a respiratory illness caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In humans, symptoms of an active infection can include coughing, fever, and shortness of breath.
Transmission of tuberculosis from humans to dogs has been reported. In dogs, tuberculosis causes symptoms like cough, weight loss, and vomiting.
Bronchitis is the inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which are large airways in your lungs. A person with bronchitis experiences a wet cough, fatigue, and wheezing.
In people, viral infections like the common cold or the flu most commonly cause bronchitis. However, these human infections don't cause bronchitis in dogs.
Dogs can still get bronchitis due to an infection even if they didn't get it from you. Canine infectious tracheobronchitis, or kennel cough, leads to symptoms like coughing, sneezing, and fatigue.
Kennel cough can occur from the bacteria Bordetella bronchiseptica as well as a variety of canine-specific viruses. Dogs can pass the infection to each other through direct contact as well as aerosols from coughing and sneezing.
Cold sores are fluid-filled blisters that appear on or around your lips. In humans, a virus called herpes simplex virus (HSV) causes cold sores. There are two types of HSV. HSV-1 mainly causes cold sores, although sometimes HSV-2 can cause them as well.
You can't transmit HSV-1 or HSV-2 to your dog.
However, one type of herpesvirus is important in dogs. Canine herpesvirus (CHV) can cause genital lesions and mild respiratory symptoms in adult dogs, and can be serious or potentially fatal in puppies. Humans can't get CHV.
In addition to the illnesses mentioned above, you can also potentially pass the following infections to your dog.
COVID-19
COVID-19 is the illness that's caused by the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In humans, COVID-19 can cause symptoms like fever, cough, and shortness of breath. While most cases are mild, some can be severe and require hospitalization.
So far, reports have found that a small number of dogs have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. It's believed that these infections were acquired from close contact with an owner who had contracted the virus.
According to the CDC, an animal that gets the virus may not have any symptoms, or may only have mild symptoms. Currently, the risk of a pet spreading the infection to other people is believed to be low.
Ringworm
Ringworm is a fungal infection that affects the skin, hair, or nails. While ringworm is more typically spread from animals to people, you can also potentially pass it to your dog.
Ringworm is spread through contact with the fungus, either by touching the infected area or by coming into contact with a contaminated surface. Dogs that have ringworm can have bald, scaly patches that often appear on their ears, face, or tail.
Mumps
Older research has found antibodies to the mumps virus in dogs, indicating that the virus can infect them. However, it doesn't appear as if they become ill.
Mumps cases have declined by 99 percent in the United States due to vaccination. Because of this, it's very unlikely that you'd pass it to your dog.
Bacterial diseases
Some examples of bacterial diseases that can be passed from dogs to people include:
Brucellosis. Brucellosis typically causes a flu-like sickness in humans. Although rare, it can be spread through contact with infected animals, including dogs. Campylobacteriosis. This illness causes digestive symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and cramps. It can be spread through contact with the feces of an infected dog. Capnocytophaga. In rare cases, these bacteria can spread to humans through a bite or scratch. Symptoms can include blisters, pain, and swelling in the affected area. Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is spread through the urine of an infected dog. It can cause symptoms like high fever, aches and pains, and digestive discomfort. MRSA. You can get MRSA via direct contact with a dog that's carrying the bacteria. If the bacteria enter a break in the skin, it can lead to a skin infection. Salmonellosis. Salmonellosis causes symptoms like fever, diarrhea, and vomiting. It can be spread to humans through contact with an infected dog or its feces.
Viral diseases
Rabies can be spread through a bite or scratch from an infected dog and causes a variety of serious neurological symptoms. By the time these symptoms appear, it's often too late for treatment.
Rabies is rare in the United States due to vaccination.
Fungal diseases
Ringworm is a fungal disease you can get through contact with an animal that has the infection. In people, it often causes a ring-shaped rash that's itchy and scaly.
Parasitic diseases
There are several parasitic diseases that can be transmitted from dogs to humans. Many of them are present in the feces of an infected dog. They include:
Cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidiosis is spread through ingesting feces from an infected dog. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, cramping, and nausea or vomiting Echinococcosis. This infection is rare and is spread through contaminated feces. It can potentially cause the development of cysts within the body. Giardiasis. Giardiasis causes gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. You can get it from the feces of an infected dog. Hookworm. You can get hookworm through skin contact with soil that's been contaminated with dog feces. Dog hookworms can't survive in the body for long periods, but they can cause a condition called cutaneous larva migrans. Roundworm. You can get roundworm by swallowing eggs that are found in the feces of an infected dog. Roundworm can affect the eyes or other organs of the body. Tapeworm. This parasitic infection can be spread through ingesting infected fleas. Tapeworms infect the digestive tract but rarely cause symptoms in people. There are several diseases you can get from dog feces. These include:
campylobacteriosis cryptosporidiosis echinococcosis giardiasis hookworm roundworm salmonellosis Additionally, leptospirosis is a bacterial infection you can get from contact with the urine of an infected dog.
Some illnesses can be passed through direct contact with an infected dog or contact with a contaminated surface.
Although unlikely, doing things like sleeping in the same bed with your dog could increase your risk for these infections:
brucellosis MRSA ringworm There are some illnesses you can potentially pass to your dog, causing them to become ill. These include things like salmonellosis, MRSA, and ringworm.
Research indicates that dogs can sometimes contract human flu viruses, SARS-CoV-2, and mumps. However, they often don't appear to become ill due to these infections.
There are many illnesses you can get from your dog. These are often spread through close contact, or contaminated feces or urine.
There are things you can do to help prevent spreading illnesses between yourself and your dog. These include things like frequent handwashing, seeing your dog's veterinarian regularly, and limiting close contact if you're ill.
If your veterinarian has diagnosed your dog with one of the illnesses listed above and you feel you may have been exposed, reach out to your own doctor to determine if you need to schedule an examination.
Tuberculosis In Animals
Tuberculosis affects both humans and animals. Cattle tuberculosis has affected animal and human health since ancient times. Not very long ago cattle and swine tuberculosis was one of the commonest diseases affecting livestock killing millions.
Tuberculosis and Farming - Eliminating the Disease and Reducing CostsPlay
Tuberculosis and cattle rearers
It is important for cattle rearers to get the "bovine tuberculosis free" accreditation because cattle serve as a reservoir for bovine tuberculosis in humans.
Cattle tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium bovis. The main reservoir of M. Bovis infections in cattle is infected cattle. These infected cattle may also serve as the source of infection for man. Humans can contract bovine tuberculosis by eating the bacteria in raw milk and milk products.
The spread of cattle tuberculosis
Cattle tuberculosis also has the capability of spreading among other herbivores like deer, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, camels, llamas, tapirs, elk, elephants, rhinoceroses, opossums, ground squirrels, otters, seals, hares etc. They can also infect dogs, cats, ferrets, foxes, badgers, rats, primates, moles, raccoons, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, and lynx.
Tuberculosis in cattle
Tuberculosis in cattle is a chronic disease that usually takes many months to a year before the development of clinically evident infections. There is a high prevalence of latent and hidden cases as well. Most infected cattle only become clinically infected at advanced age.
Mode of infection in cattle
Adult cattle are usually infected by inhaling invisible droplets containing the bacteria into their lungs while calves are more often infected by drinking contaminated milk. It is the mode of infection that determines the clinical signs of the disease.
Clinical signs of Tuberculosis in cattle
In adult cows the lesions are seen in the lungs leading to pulmonary tuberculosis. The bacteria enter the lungs and begin to multiply and generally spread to the lymph nodes near the lungs. If the cattle has a good immune system the infection may remain limited to the lungs and could continue to be undetected for the productive life of the cow.
Once the infection overcomes the immune system other organs are affected. This includes kidneys, liver, spleen and the lymph nodes associated with these organs. Calves which ingest the bacteria in milk commonly develop lesions in the lymph nodes at the junction of the neck and head near their throats. They have swollen lymph nodes along the intestinal tract as well.
Bacteria similar to Tuberculosis bacteria
When cattle is infected with other bacteria similar to tuberculosis bacteria like Mycobacterium avium, they become sensitive to tuberculin testing and give false positive reactions when tests are being conducted to find cows with M. Bovis infections. These other bacteria are more important as causes of infection in swine, sheep, goats and humans.
Further Reading
Fears As Reports Link Pet Cats And A Dog To TB Infections
29 Mar 2014
Pets are in the media firing line as two cats and a dog are linked to tuberculosis infections in what are believed to be the first cases of their kind in the world.
A teenager contracted tuberculosis from her pet kitten, in what health officials say is among the first cases in the world of humans getting the disease from cats.
Jessica Livings, 19, had to have emergency surgery when she was struck down with pneumonia caused by TB and her mother Claire also contracted a dormant form of the disease, it has been reported.
It is thought the pair contracted TB when they were cleaning a wound on their cat, Onyx, which they adopted only weeks before.
Ms Livings told the Daily Mail: "I lost a stone and a half in five weeks, I was very ill and had fevers, cold sweats and hallucinations. I didn't realise what was real and what wasn't."
She said she was diagnosed with the disease in October after a vet raised concerns over an outbreak of TB in the Newbury area of Berkshire.
Vet Carl Gorman, who reported the outbreak, told the Mail he believed it started with a local herd of cows contracting bovine TB.
Public Health England (PHE) this week said that two people in England have developed TB from a cat in the first ever recorded cases of cat-to-human transmission.
Screening public
PHE has offered precautionary screening to 39 people who may have been in contact with cats infected with the Mycobacterium bovis bacterium, which causes TB in cattle and in other species.
Of these, 24 people accepted screening. Two were found to have active TB and there were two cases of latent TB, which means they had been exposed to TB at some point but did not have an active infection.
Dr Dilys Morgan from PHE said: "These are the first documented cases of cat-to-human transmission, and so although PHE has assessed the risk of people catching this infection from infected cats as being very low, we are recommending that household and close contacts of cats with confirmed 'M bovis' infection should be assessed and receive public health advice."
It has also emerged that a child under 10 may have been infected with TB by a pet dog.
The child from Gloucestershire developed a latent form of the disease last year after the family pet fell ill.
The victim managed to make a full recovery but vets were forced to destroy the dog after screening the family last year.
'Scientifically impossible'
If confirmed it would be the first ever case of its kind in the UK, Public Health England (PHE) said.
But a spokesman claimed it was "scientifically impossible" to prove whether the dormant form of TB contracted by the child had come from the dog or another source.
The spokesman said: "A family in Gloucestershire were tested for tuberculosis (TB) last year after their pet dog was confirmed with the bovine form of the infection.
"Mycobacterium bovis (M. Bovis) is a bacterium that causes bovine TB in cattle and although the organism can infect and cause TB in humans, the risk of infection for the general public is very low.
"The family is known to have connections to a veterinary practice and this was investigated as a potential source of infection."
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