Are The Animals In Your Home A Risk To Your Health?
Most people would answer a resounding no to this question. After all, we tend only to think of our beloved pets when it comes to animals in our homes. However, there is more to this issue that must be addressed. Indeed, not only do our pets have the ability to transmit disease to those in our home, but there is also the risk of often unwanted animal visitors to consider as well. Fortunately, you can read all about the subject, and how to minimize any risks in the post below.
What are zoonotic diseases?
zoonotic diseases are illnesses passed on to humans by animals. There are two main ways this can happen in the home. The first is that disease can be passed between household pets and the humans that live in the same space. The second is that disease can be brought into the home by wild animals and pests such as insects and rodents.
Types of zoonotic disease
There are a great number of zoonotic diseases and this category includes particularly dangerous illnesses such Dengue fever, Malaria, and West Nile fever. Although the ones your household will be susceptible to depend largely on location, and the animals involved.
However, less serious conditions such as tapeworm parasites, and roundworm are also considered to be zoonotic because they are transmitted from animals to humans.
Pests and zoonotic disease
Pests such as rodents tend to be the most significant issue when it comes to zoonotic diseases in the home. The reason being that they are uninvited and unwanted guests, whose behavior you have little control over.
Indeed, unlike pets, mice and rats will not be house trained, and homeowners often have very little control over where they move in the house. Something that means they can contaminate food and household surfaces easily.
How to lower the risk of zoonotic disease in your home
Fortunately, some tactics can help here. The first is that you can do your best to make your home as unappealing to pests as possible. For example, keeping food shut away in closed jars means pests cannot access it. Additionally, keeping your bins clean and making sure they are emptied regularly will stop smells, appealing to pests from attracting them from outside.
Also, at the first sign of any unwanted pest in your home, you must call a professional to help you remove them. Indeed, as rat and mice removal can be a challenging task, working with a specialist exterminator can help make your home safe as fast as possible. Therefore reducing the risk of any infectious diseases.
Pets and zoonotic disease
Of course, household pets like cats and dogs can also spread zoonotic disease. However, the good news is that when it comes to stopping the transmission of disease from pets to humans, there is much that can be done.
In particular, regularly treating your pets for worms and fleas, as well as regular grooming and good hygiene standards are usually sufficient. Regular, vet checkups are also important, as these can identify illnesses that you may be unaware of.
It is also vital that you deep clean their bedding regularly, as well as the part so the home they inhabit, to reduce any risk of infection.
