Diseases from Dogs
My-Dog.info > Dog Diseases, Bites, Worms & Ticks
Important Tip: Many germs can be passed to people from dog
bites. Learn more about how to prevent dog bites from the Humane
Society of the United States at www.hsus.org
Although dogs can pass germs to people, you are not likely to
get sick from touching or owning dogs. To best protect yourself
from getting sick, thoroughly wash your hands with running water
and soap after contact with dogs, dog saliva, or dog feces
(stool).
Dogs can carry a variety of germs that can make people sick.
Some of these germs are common and some are rare. For example,
puppies may pass the bacterium Campylobacter in their feces
(stool). This germs can cause diarrhea in people. Less often,
dogs in urban or rural areas can carry the bacterium Leptospira
(lep-TO-spy-ruh). This germ causes the disease leptospirosis
(lep-to-spi-roh-sis) in people and animals. Dogs can also carry
rabies, a deadly viral disease. Rabies from dogs is rare in the
United States.
Some people are more likely than others to get diseases from
dogs. A person's age and health status may affect his or her
immune system, increasing the chances of getting sick. People who
are more likely to get diseases from dogs include infants,
children younger than 5 years old, organ transplant patients,
people with HIV/AIDS, and people being treated for cancer.
Special advice is available for people who are at greater risk
than others of getting diseases from animals.
Below are some dog-related diseases.
Brucella canis Infection (brucellosis): A
bacterial disease rarely associated with dogs.
Campylobacter Infection (campylobacteriosis):
A bacterial disease associated with dogs, cats, and farm animals.
Cryptosporidium Infection
(cryptosporidiosis): A parasitic disease associated with dogs,
especially puppies, cats, and farm animals.
Dipylidium Infection (tapeworm): A parasitic
disease associated with dogs, cats and fleas.
Giardia Infection (giardiasis): A parasitic
disease associated with various animals, including dogs and their
environment (including water).
Hookworm Infection: A parasitic disease
associated with dogs and cats and their environment.
Leishmania Infection (leishmaniasis): A
parasitic disease associated with dogs and sand flies outside the
United States.
Leptospira Infection (leptospirosis): A
bacterial disease associated with wild and domestic animals,
including dogs.
Lyme Disease: A bacterial disease that can
affect dogs and ticks.
Q Fever (Coxiella burnetii): A bacterial
disease occasionally associated with dogs.
Rabies: A viral disease associated with
various animals, including dogs.
Ringworm: A fungal disease associated with
dogs.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: A bacterial
disease associated with dogs and ticks.
Roundworm: See Toxocara infection.
Salmonella Infection (salmonellosis): A
bacterial disease associated with various animals including dogs.
Tapeworm (flea tapeworm): See Dipylidium
Infection.
Toxocara Infection (toxocariasis, roundworm):
A parasitic disease associated with dogs and cats and their
environment.
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