Your dog’s biscuits may look innocent enough, but the Food and Drug Administration is raising some serious concerns about your risk of contracting salmonella after handling pet food and treats.
The CDC also advises owners to regularly clean pet bowls with soap and hot water, and keep children under the age of 5 from touching pet bowls, food or treats.
Since people often contract the illness by handling pet food and then either touching their mouths or preparing their own food, the CDC recommends washing your hands with warm soap and water for at least 20 seconds after coming in contact with any type of pet food.
According to a statement that the agency released last week, the “FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine … is particularly concerned about salmonella being transmitted to humans through pet foods, pet treats, and supplements for pets that are intended to be fed to animals in homes, where they are likely to be directly handled or ingested by humans.”
So the FDA has launched a yearlong test of dry pet foods, treats and supplements sold at grocery stores and large retailers like Target, Walmart, Petsmart and Petco. The analysis will include samples of food for dogs, cats, rabbits, reptiles, birds, gerbils, guinea pigs and other animals — all of which can also become sick from contaminated food.
But the academy emphasized that “in a home where a sick person has COVID-19, the risk for people living under the same roof is much bigger from contact with the sick person than with the pet”.
The SARS outbreak of 2002-2003, caused by a coronavirus genetically close to COVID-19, was able to infect several animal species including racoons, cats and hamsters, the academy said.
It also recommended separating an infected owner from their animal companion “during the period that the sick person may excrete the virus”, for example when coughing.
One of the dogs had a very low virus count, the academy said, and later tested negative, while the second is still being monitored.
And two dogs whose Hong Kong owner was infected with COVID-19 have also tested positive, it said.
It is important for all businesses to provide adequate hand washing facilities and this is even more vital when people come into contact with animals. Citron Hygiene are experts in providing washroom and hygiene care services to ensure that your premises is providing the facilities necessary for people to wash their hands properly and effectively.
Even domestic animal’s saliva and fur are full of germs, and whenever you touch animals these germs will be transferred onto the skin of your hands. This is why it is very important to take precautions to lower the risk of contracting a zoonotic disease. The best and most effective way to do this is by practising good hand hygiene.
World Zoonoses Day is an annual event held to raise awareness about the risk of zoonotic diseases and how to prevent the spread of them. French biologist Louis Pasteur successfully administered the first ever rabies vaccine on the 6th July 1885, which is why World Zoonoses Day is celebrated on the 6th July every year.
In the UK alone, the pet population stands at around 51 million, meaning there is a real risk of catching zoonotic diseases, especially when people do not wash their hands properly after coming into contact with animals. Anyone is at risk of catching a zoonotic disease whether they have been in direct contact with an animal or not. Young children, the elderly and anyone with a weak immune system are especially at risk. This is why it is vitally important to wash your hands properly after coming into contact with animals.
Petting and normal zoos, farms, pet shops, wildlife and bird sanctuaries, stables, vets and rescue centres are all areas of where zoonotic infections can be caught and spread. As a precaution, good hand hygiene should be a priority. This means that adequate handwashing and sanitising facilities need to be provided in all places where people are likely to come into contact with animals. If you are out and about, it may not always be possible to access soap and water, so you may want to consider carrying personal hand sanitiser around with you so you can clean your hands effectively.
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A French medical body urged pet owners on Wednesday to take precautions like washing hands after stroking dogs or cats, saying the risk of catching COVID-19 from animals “cannot be ruled out”.
Even though there is no evidence yet that domestic animals can transmit the virus to humans or get sick from it, there could be a potential risk, said the French Academy of Medicine, which advises the government on epidemics and has set up a dedicated COVID-19 monitoring group.
The SARS outbreak of 2002-2003, caused by a coronavirus genetically close to COVID-19, was able to infect several animal species including racoons, cats and hamsters, the academy said.
And two dogs whose Hong Kong owner was infected with COVID-19 have also tested positive, it said.
One of the dogs had a very low virus count, the academy said, and later tested negative, while the second is still being monitored.
Neither have displayed any signs of illness, but “these scientific observations suggest that COVID-19 can be transmitted to dogs by a contaminated owner,” it said.
But it noted that there is nothing to suggest so far that dogs can infect humans or other animals.
While reiterating that Frances Anses health agency and the World Organization for Animal Health consider animal-to-human transmission unlikely, the academy nevertheless advised pet owners to “reinforce” their hygiene measures, including regular hand-washing after touching their pet and “not allowing them to lick your face”.
It also recommended separating an infected owner from their animal companion “during the period that the sick person may excrete the virus”, for example when coughing.
But the academy emphasized that “in a home where a sick person has COVID-19, the risk for people living under the same roof is much bigger from contact with the sick person than with the pet”.
“Particularly in periods of confinement, the pet is more a friend than a danger,” it added.
The World Health Organization recently stated there was “no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit COVID-19”.