Dog saliva can cause infections

Dog Saliva can cause infections in humans

16/02/2011

So-called dog kisses should be avoided. In the mouth of the animal can hide bacteria that lead to dangerous infectious diseases. However, simple hygiene measures are enough to protect yourself and your children. The health expert of the Professional Association for Children and Youth Physicians (BVKJ) in Cologne referred to this.

Especially children like to be abschlabbern of pets and kiss. The animals like to be taken to bed to cuddle. But all of this can lead to dangerous illnesses and should always be avoided, as Dr. Ulrich Fegeler from the Professional Association of paediatricians in Germany advises. If parents notice that a dog is licking a child, the affected areas should be thoroughly washed with water and commercial soap. This will prevent pets from transmitting infectious diseases such as Pasteurella or Capnocytophaga canimorsus to children.

The "Pasteurella multocida" bacteria (a pathogen of the rinderpest) nest among other things in the mucous membrane of the nasal conchae and in the throat. Settlement can affect people as well as animals. The bacteria can multiply well without causing symptoms in the infected animal. "Therefore, they can spread very well, and a whole range of animals can be Pasteurella carriers without even showing signs of disease," explained Fegeler. In humans, the pathogens can lead to sepsis, bone inflammation, inflammation of the lungs and meningitis. If a bacterial disease is present, it is conventionally treated in medicine with antibiotic drugs. The administration of antibiotics must be carried out quickly when diagnosed, as permanent damage threatens.

Also the germs of „Capnocytophaga canimorsus“ occur in the animal's mucous membrane, without the dog or cat itself having to get sick. In humans, the bacteria can cause life-threatening conditions. This can cause diseases such as gangrene, blood poisoning, inflammation of the heart lining or meningitis. If a child has been bitten or overly scratched, a pediatrician should be consulted, advises physician Fegeler.

To protect animals and family from diseases, cat and dog owners should visit a veterinarian regularly. A veterinarian thoroughly examines the animal and prescribes dewormers. If the animal is kept free of fleas and also regularly examined, also Fegeler sees no concerns for an animal husbandry in the domestic environment. (Sb)

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Image: Heike Berse