Pets can be great friends. They're good listeners, they
encourage you to exercise, and they're always on your side when
you argue with your parents. But, like people, pets can carry
infections, and sometimes these can be transmitted to people.
Keep reading to find out how you and your pet can stay infection
How Do Pets Spread Infections? Some illnesses that pets get -
such as feline leukemia, FIV, and heartworms - can't be
transmitted to people. But pets can carry certain bacteria,
viruses, parasites, and fungi that can transmit infections to
people. Infections from animals can be particularly dangerous to
babies and young kids, pregnant women, elderly people, and
people whose immune systems have been weakened by illness or
disease (such as -seez) is the name for infections that can be
passed from animals to humans. People get zoonoses when they are
bitten or scratched or come into contact with an animal's waste
products, saliva, or dander (flakes from hair, feathers, or
skin). Pets may also get ticks and fle