Is kissing pets safe?

Experts believe that kissing pets or allowing them to lick your face is a potentially risky habit that can expose pet owners to several infectious diseases.

The relationship between humans and pets has changed significantly in recent decades. According to a comprehensive survey conducted in Australia, 69% of households own at least one pet. People spend approximately AUD 33 billion annually on their care.

Owning pets offers many physical and mental health benefits. However, every animal carries infectious diseases that can sometimes spread to humans. For people with strong immune systems, the risk is low. However, pregnant women and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of contracting diseases from animals. Habits like kissing pets or allowing them to lick your face can also be a cause of illness.

Research in the Netherlands shows that half of pet owners allow their pets to lick their faces, and 18% allow their dogs to sleep in the same bed. Another study indicates that 45% of cat owners allow their cats to jump on the kitchen sink.

These habits, coupled with kissing pets, can spread infectious diseases from animals to humans. A 2011 report showed a woman in Japan contracted meningitis from a Pasteurella multicoda infection after frequently kissing her dog's face. Pasteurella multicoda is a bacterium commonly found in the oral cavity of dogs and cats. Young children are also more likely to contract the disease from dogs and cats, as they often put their hands to their mouths after touching pets.

A woman is kissing her pet dog. Photo: Freepik — A woman is kissing her pet dog. Photo: *Freepik*

There are currently over 70 pathogens that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Sometimes, sick pets may not appear ill or show obvious symptoms. This makes it easier for owners to become infected. Bacteria, viruses, or parasites can be transmitted directly to humans through saliva, feces, and bodily fluids, or indirectly through contaminated living environments, bedding, soil, food, or water.

Dogs and cats are often sources of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites that can be transmitted to humans. In rabies-endemic areas such as Africa and Asia, dogs are the primary source of rabies transmission through saliva. Dogs also carry the bacteria Capnocytophaga in their mouths and saliva, which can be transmitted to humans through close contact or bites. Most people do not develop the disease, but these bacteria can sometimes infect people with weakened immune systems, leading to severe illness and even death. In early September, Australia recorded a woman who died 11 days after contracting a rare bacteria from a dog bite.

Pathogens transmitted from cats to humans are usually through the mouth or feces, such as giardia, campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, and toxoplasmosis. Experts recommend that people wash their hands thoroughly and wear gloves whenever cleaning cat litter boxes. Cats can also sometimes transmit infections caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae through bites or scratches.

Both dogs and cats are reservoirs of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which causes staphylococcal disease – a global health problem and a challenging treatment.

Besides dogs and cats, birds, turtles, and fish can also transmit the disease. Birds are carriers of bacteria that cause pneumonia, leading to psittacosis. Close contact with pet turtles can expose owners, especially young children, to Salmonella infection.

Experts do not object to owning and interacting with dogs and cats. However, they suggest methods that can reduce the risk of illness, such as washing hands immediately after playing with pets, after cleaning their beds, toys, and feces. People should not allow pets to lick their faces or open wounds; and young children should be supervised when playing with pets, and instructed to wash their hands immediately afterward.

Thuc Linh (According to Conversation )

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