Health Tip: Prevent Disease From Pets: MedlinePlus

Health Tip: Prevent Disease From Pets: MedlinePlus

 

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Health Tip: Prevent Disease From Pets

Avoid touching animal waste

By Diana Kohnle

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Related MedlinePlus Page

• Animal Diseases and Your Health

(HealthDay News) -- Household pets can carry germs that can be transmitted to people.
The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these suggestions to help prevent the problem:

• Avoid touching animal waste. Carefully and thoroughly wash your hands after cleaning up from pet waste.


• Don't let children play in uncovered outdoor sandboxes in public areas, which may have been contaminated with animal waste.


• Don't kiss pets on the mouth.


• If you are pregnant or have a compromised immune system, do not clean cat litter boxes or touch reptiles.


• If you have a pet reptile, keep the cage clean. Always wash hands after handling the reptile or anything in its cage.

HealthDay

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