What Dog Diseases Can Be Passed to Humans?

Contracting a disease from your dog can be a serious matter. The most common way to contract a disease from a dog is by coming into contact with the dog's blood, urine, saliva, or feces. The best way to avoid a shared disease is to take your dog into the veterinarian to administer the appropriate vaccinations and to use extra precautions when cleaning up your dog's waste.

  1. Rabies

    • Rabies is a neurological disease that can be passed from a dog to a human through a bite. The disease causes deterioration of the brain in both humans and dogs. The first visible symptoms in dogs is a change in personality. Infected dogs will become fearful and gradually become more aggressive as the disease progresses. Trouble with coordination, balance, and basic functioning skills are the markers of the final stages, eventually leading to death. The early stages of rabies in humans are marked with headaches, lethargy, and loss of appetite. Advance symptoms include seizures, hallucinations, and paralysis. Rabies will cause death if not treated properly.

    Leptospirosis

    • Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that is mostly carried in small rodents. The disease can be transferred from dogs to humans by coming with contact with the drinking water and food of an infected dog. The disease enters through the mucus membranes of the body and causes deterioration of the body's internal organs in both dogs and humans. It is also possible to contract his disease by coming into contact with an infected dog's urine.

    Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

    • Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a disease caused by tick bites. Symptoms in dogs and humans are similar. Lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, depression, diarrhea and joint pain are common symptoms. Humans will also show small red blotches on the wrists, palms and bottom of the feet. This disease is usually contracted through contact with a dog's bodily fluids and is treated with a regimen of antibiotics.

    Parasites

    • Intestinal worms such as ringworms, roundworms and hookworms are common canine parasites that can be passed to humans. These parasites are spread through an infected dog's feces or saliva. The small eggs of these worms are ingested and hatch in the host's intestines. Intestinal worms can cause malnutrition and internal organ damage.