#viruses #infectious diseases #general blood analysis+1

What Diseases Can Humans Catch From Pets?

October 28, 2025

3 min read

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Pets get sick, just like humans. Let’s look at which of the diseases can be dangerous for owners.

Key takeaways

Pets get sick, just like humans.
Rabies
Leptospirosis

Who this is for

People exploring Bacterial and viral infections through viruses, infectious diseases.

Why it matters

This piece helps you get oriented quickly, then move into a collection or series if you want to keep going.

Article author

Dr. Veronique

Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

Rabies

If a person is bitten by an animal infected with rabies, he or she should seek medical help immediately. If the person does not seek medical help, the bite can end up being fatal. To prevent this from happening, all dogs and cats older than 3 months should be vaccinated on a regular basis.

What to check: To diagnose rabies in humans the doctor will use a general blood test, which shows specific changes, and a corneal swab.

Leptospirosis

This is a disease that is dangerous mostly to owners of hunting dogs or dogs living in the suburbs. It can be transmitted from mice through the water. Dogs become infected when they drink from puddles, standing ponds, and shallow streams. The disease causes severe liver and kidney damage. A person can become infected by caring for a sick animal and not following personal hygiene measures. Don’t let your dog drink water from untested water sources. Although it is not considered a "core" vaccine for dogs, a leptospirosis vaccine is available for dogs who may have access to untested water sources.

What to check: PCR test for the presence of leptospira DNA.

Cat scratch disease

This is transmitted exclusively from cats, most often from kittens under one year of age. Many cats are carriers of special bacteria, which can transmit the disease if their skin is damaged. A rash may appear around the scratch, and lymph nodes may enlarge, but usually, the symptoms are not very pronounced and serious treatment is not required. Sometimes the manifestations of the disease remain for several months. To prevent transmission from your cat, do not let your cat scratch or bite you. Additionally, do not let your cat lick any open wounds on your body.

What to check: Take a complete blood count with sedimentation and a skin test with a specific antigen.

Toxoplasmosis

This can be transmitted in the unlikely scenario that a person accidentally ingests cat feces. A cat with toxoplasmosis excretes microorganisms in a form that is not ready for further development. Cats develop this disease by eating raw meat or small animals like mice. It is a fairly rare disease.

What to check: Toxoplasma gondii antibody test.

Borreliosis (Lyme disease)

A pet can become infected indirectly by bringing home ticks on its fur. The ticks can then fall off the dog and bite a person to infect them with borreliosis, more commonly known as Lyme disease. There are various treatments, collars, and shampoos available to prevent ticks from infected dogs. Ideally, you should treat your dog during the months. It is outside when it is more likely to pick up ticks.

What to check: To diagnose borreliosis, the tick itself is examined (if you managed to save it). Second, the doctor will determine the right course of treatment, which may include antibodies.

Helminths

It is almost impossible for humans to catch helminths (worms) from pets. Compliance with basic rules of hygiene will protect you from helminths in almost all cases. Therefore, even if your pet has worms, there is no need to panic and start taking anthelmintic preparations as prevention.

What to check: The most common test is a stool test for helminth eggs.

Can animals get COVID-19?

Although some animals have become infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, the CDC believes that the risk of COVID-19) being transmitted from an animal to a human is low. The CDC recommends that the best course of action for pet owners is to get vaccinated themselves.

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