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January 22nd, 2011
05:41 PM ET
A furry dilemma: Sleep with your pet, risk catching his bugsCuddling with pets puts you at risk of catching some icky bugs, warns a report published in the February issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases, the public health journal of the Centers for Disease Control. Some pet owners sleep in bed with their animals as a “source of psychological comfort,” but the report warns that “pets can bring a wide range of zoonotic pathogens into our environment.” Zoonotic pathogens are infectious agents that can be transmitted between animal and humans. We'll just call them icky bugs.
The probability of getting sick from sharing your bed with your pet is extremely rare, said lead author, Bruno Chomel, a professor of zoonoses at University of California Davis. But he warned that children and people who have compromised immune system should be aware of the risks. “It can happen,” he said. “It’s rare when it happens and it can be bad. It’s not told to panic people or scare people, but to be aware there are things that can happen.” Chomel and co-author Ben Sun looked through published literature about cases in which people's illnesses correlated with sleeping, kissing or being licked by pets. Some of examples are startling: – A man had a dog sleep under the covers with him. The dog licked his hip replacement wound and the owner got meningitis. – A 9-year-old boy slept in bed with a flea-infested cat and got the bubonic plague in 1974 in New Mexico. – A newborn was sickened with meningitis. The pet cat had stolen the baby’s pacifier and had been toying with it. – A 44-year-old woman developed meningitis and admitted that she was “regularly kissing the dog’s face and feeding it by transferring food mouth to mouth.” In a survey from the American Kennel Club, 21 percent of dog owners said they regularly slept with their dogs. Chomel said he’s not trying to overstate the risks. “It’s a matter of common sense,” he said. “I never said, ‘Don’t have the pet in the bedroom.’ I’m saying, if you put the pet on the bed or in the bed, there are consequences.” He said that cats and dogs catch fleas- that owners don't always catch. “If you have a pet that’s well taken care of and sees a vet on regular basis, is properly dewormed, properly vaccinated and well-taken care of, that lowers the risk quite a lot,” Chomel said. Take precautions like washing your hands especially before meal times and consider whether you want your pet to sleep with your child, he said. The paper mentioned that having pets have been shown to bring psychological support, friendship and health practices like walking and reducing stress. But the report is not balanced, said Patricia McConnell, a certified animal behaviorist and adjunct professor in zoology at the University of Wisconsin. “I think it’s important to read this particular report keeping in mind a balance,” she said. “We’re always balancing the benefits of social interactions - whether it’s four-legged or two-legged.” If you sleep with a flea or tick-infested animal - sure, there are risks. “It’s common sense to all of us that there are dangers associated with the world around us from sleeping with a human to kissing your dog, to tripping on your bedroom slippers which is a common cause of emergency room visits,” McConnell said. Pets have a therapeutic effect on humans. Some research suggests children who grow up with pets can build more robust immune systems. Being around animals, petting and touching them increases levels of oxytocin – a feel-good hormone. It can lower stress-causing hormone like cortisol, she said. “In that sense, there is value in being reminded there are dangers in interacting with our pets,” she said. “I’m troubled by the report, as written. It’s not comprehensive. I don’t want people to panic- when they see this - this would be a disservice.” |
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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True statement, regularpeople!! So true!!
I actually had a schnauzer once that DIDN'T like sleeping in my bed. She would always jump down and go lay on her favorite blanket instead.
Good one, deepwater805!! LOL!
I love sleeping with my babies!!( I call my dogs my babies! )They are clean and my house is clean as well!!
Studies show that reading idiotic headlines and lead-in paragraphs about stories like this will significantly reduce your common sense quotient. Studies also show that sharing a home with school-age children significantly increases the risks of contracting illness. Oh yeah... studies show that leaving your home and venturing out into public places significantly increases risks of contracting serious illness. What's this? Studies show that hospital stays significantly increase the risks of contracting deadly illnesses? Blah blah blah studies show this or that. Everyone stay locked up alone in their sterile, padded room and eat only low sodium chicken broth for the rest of your miserable lives. Happy yet? Healthy?
Oh, puh-leeze, give me a break!! A man who had a hip replacement had his dog sleep UNDER THE COVERS with him and got sick when the dog licked his wound? One word for that: DUH!!!! I had BOTH of my hips replaced this past year and although my pup generally sleeps at the foot of my bed (NOT under the covers) I had the good sense–as I think most people of normal intelligence would!–to NOT have him on the bed nor anywhere NEAR the surgical wounds during the recovery period. The examples cited in this article are incredibly rare and the fact is that people with compromised immune systems have to avoid LOTS of different things, not just "not sleeping with pets". C'mon CNN–please don't give the paranoid anti-bacterial nuts any more fodder to base their craziness on.
In fact, I know some people who dont have any pets and their homes are FILTHY! I went to eat at one of my aunts homes and found a hair in my soup!! She is always saying bad things about dogs and cats and how dirty they are and well, whats HER excuse?? LOl...its funny...and I called her on it too. I said, " There is a hair in your homemade soup and you dont have any pets and I have never found a hair in my food at my home!" People like that need a lesson!
@ Austin3759's comment EPIC!
My uncle slept with his beagle for years, then one day while walking to work, my uncle was halfway through a crosswalk and he stopped to lick his ba11s and was hit by a car. He was a sane person, but now we have an idea as to why he did that.
@ Michelle- Thats right!! Anything to appease the majority of idiots in this country!! Sanjay Gupta needs to find something else to study like the reason CNN will even ALLOW him to publish such a story!
@ teke- Thats so true!! Like we need more nuts running around!! I bet our tax dollars even pays for some of these stupid articles or their authors!!
This article seems better fit for the National Enquirer than for CNN! I'm disappointed, truly. There was so much obfuscation and contradiction, not to mention the (oft-mentioned) outdated "facts." Really?!
Why would you think letting the dog sleep on your bed would put you in more danger than everyday petting of the animal?
Foul propaganda from the pet bed industry.
Really guys? Dogs should be aloud to sleep with you. Everyday, people fight off hundreds of diseases from bacteria on everyday house hold items. I think we can manage a dog sleeping in our bed. People do know how to take care of pets you know. If your dog is dirty, give it a bath, if it makes a mess, clean it up ( with gloves or such, not your hands) and wash your hands afterwards, It's common sense people. Honestly.
Exactly really. See I knew you could write this article. No harsh play guys she's a minor. But she love sleeping and taking care of her two beagles but this article cheesed her off too.
And every year, *some* people are struck by lightning. I don't stay up nights worrying about it.
HaaaaHaaaa relevance and you are up late duffus
Seriously – on a more general note – I constantly wonder about our constant germ phobia. This is not to sayyou shouldn't take reasonable precautions, but everyone who sterilizes everything befoe going near it – your body's immune system only gets stronger when you hit it occasionally with something weak (in other words, sub clinical). Eliminating all germs from your life means that when sopmething does hit, you're really going to be in for it.
All the people who are putting out negative comments about this article missed the point. It is just put up to make you aware that these things exist! They are not saying stop keeping your pet's close, instead those of you who chose to do so, be aware that in rare occasions humans can get affected simple. The article is not meant to be judged!
Plus if you feel like judging, why don't you get a life and cuddle with a human being, someone you actually love. If you want to be with Animals you might as well go and live like a dog in the bush. I cannot believe some woman actually fed a pet with her mouth, that is insanely disgusting! Disturbing!
HEY BRANDY, STOP TALKING TRASH! IF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT DOGS LICKING THIS AND THIS AND THAT, AND THEN KISSING PEOPLE ....THEN WHAT ABOUT THE GUYS YOU KISS. DO YOU KNOW WHERE THEIR MOUTH HAS BEEN? WHAT THEY HAVE EATEN? WHETHER THEY HAVE HERPES? WOUNDS AND IN KSSING THEM YOU HAVE THEM NOW IN YOUR MOUTH.
STOP LISTENING TO THIS MORON BRANDY. GUYS LOVE YOUR PETS, AND FLUSH THIS ARTICLE IN A POTTY.
Informative article. When I was young I got a puppy and got icky bugs. Who knows what hides in that lovely face.
I still love pet but sleeping with pets "no thanks". I'm glad this article was up to share this truth.
HEY YOU DANI 23 TRASH. YOU MUST BE FROM INDIA THATS WHY YOU ARE SO ANTI -PET AND SO PRO-SELF. DON'T YOU POOP AND PEE? DON'T YOU WASH YOUR BUTT AFTER POOP WITH YOUR HANDS, PER YOUR CULTURAL WAYS? SO ARE YOU FILTHY AND SHOULD BE ISOLATED BECAUSE YOU CAN SPREAD DISEASE.
GET OFF AND STOP ACTING LIKE AN UNEDUCATED MORON. YOU ARE A MENACE TO PET LOVERS.
My wife and I have arguments over this at bedtime quite often. She wants her dog to sleep with us, I think dogs in the bed are nasty, besides, I don't want to fight with an 80lbs. Retreiver mix for enough room to get a nights sleep. Dogs don't belong in the bed with people, that's what his pet bed in the corner is for.
You people worry about kissing a dog on the mouth but have you ever seen the inside of a slaughterhouse??What you eat is way more dangerous than kissing your pet...just one more overblown article!
I absolutely adore and love pets as much as anyone, having had many dogs and cats over the years. Those people here criticizing and deriding CNN for no good reason need to get a grip on reality. The article specifically states that transmission of zoonotic diseases is not that common, BUT that it CAN happen. Guess what? It happened to me. I acquired a bad case of Giardia after my dog had had 2 bouts with it over a 3 year span. My dog did nap and sleep with my wife and I at times, and transmission probably did occur this way, since the dog would lick us to wake us up in the morning (presumably to be fed). I probably somehow ingested a Giardia cyst which went full blown inside my digestive system and rendered me very weak and sick for several days. Thank you CNN for an EXCELLENT article, that was well written, truthful, and well balanced.
My dog had Giardia as a puppy, too. I took precausions and didn't get it. Giardia is a disease that all mammals can contract. A person could just as easily get it from their child, if they had a child with Giardia. Or from swimming in water contaminated with it. We think that is how my puppy got it. I had a cat once who got pink eye. I was very careful around her then and washed my hands a lot, just like my friend did when her little boy got pink eye (years later, not related to my cat). My point is, yes, you can get stuff from your dog/cat/other pet, but you can also get diseases from humans and other areas just as easily. Actually, more easily since a lot of diseases dogs/cats/other animals get are not contagious to humans. You just have to use common sense just like you would if you were around a sick person.
I am about 50, and I have a pets all of my life. Just use common sense. Dogs are pack animals and SHOULD sleep where you sleep, but that does not mean under the covers. Don't have a dog if you chain him up to a post!!!
Would you eat a hamburger that fell on the ground? Well sharing food with your dog is the same thing, and if you are kissing your dog on the mouth, you have a serious problem and need therapy!
If this story were true, I would have been dead a long time ago – from am overdose of puppy love. My dogs have always slept with me and I awake every morning to puppy kisses. I'll take my chances.
i've had a dog most of my life and like pets, but it seems like some of the reactions to this article are quite irrational. There very well could be risks in sharing a bed with a pet. Just because you might love your pet more than anything else in the world doesn't make the findings of this study unfounded. Pets can be great for one's psychology, but it seems like it will take more than pets to address the issues with some of the nutjobs in the comments section here. Own a dog or cat, fine, but understand the health risks, environmental costs, etc, and don't forget that not everyone cares about pets as much as you might
good point – no one talks about the environmental costs of pets. It's got to be significant. People get upset about Octo-mom but there are thousands of Octo-mom equivalent pet owners in the US! What's the idea behind having multiple dogs or cats? Only farmers should be able to get away with that, and even then, there should be a reason for the excess. Perhaps we should but heavier taxes on pets, registration, etc? Might cut down on the old 'cat ladies' who have 12 cats and strain the environment.
I think people who are criticizing this article are insisting like that because they are afraid of possibility of increase in aniaml abuse this article may cause.
@Ronnie...most of the people I know who have multiple animals have rescued them. There are many, many unwanted animals in this country! If people can open their homes to more than one then that is great! There's no difference to the environment if those animals live in a shelter or with a person. Most of those unwanted animals come from irresponsible people who don't spay/neuter their pets or don't care for them properly. If you want to blame someone, blame them. Don't blame the people who are trying to give homes to the animals who are already here! I can't believe someone posted such a stupid comment!
Your mom doesnt like cats link?Thats wierd!
Yeah sleeping with your pets is definitely a bad idea. The poor things could catch something from you and die.
Or be kept up all night by their owners snoring.
I'll take my chances.
People that let their pets sleep with them are WACKOS. Our 15 year old dog has her own bed, 2 of them in fact, and goes to be before we do and gets up before us most days. Let your pets sleep in THEIR beds you wacko moronic nutjobs!!
Now come on Peter. For a guy who made his fortune sharing STDs and shooting loads, its awful hypocritical of you to discuss hygiene and wackos.!
To the pet lovers who are bashing everyone that is not putting a comment that disagrees with this article..... Yeah you say your house is clean but remember for some reason pet owners can't seem to tell that their dog has the house smelling bad!!!! have a friend that doesn't have a pet come to your house and give you a honest opinion and see what your friend says!!!!!
I don't think all pet owners are nasty,but the habits of sleeping with pets is crazy TO ME... and if you prefer to do that then just be aware that there is some risk involved.....
I have three cats and we have people coming and going and some of them don't even know we have cats. Yes, my house is clean. I am a neat freak and clean and vacuum frequently. The litter boxes are hidden in out of the way places and there is no evidence of cats in the main part of the house. I always clean up any mess they make right away. If you were to come in here you would not even be aware that there are cats unless you happened to see one. There is not smell.
Considering all the diseases humans pass to each other in bed and the poor grooming of some men, I'd rather have my dogs or cats with me in bed. At least I know where they have been all day, I know how well groomed they are and they also have the best medical/vet care available. There are men who NEVER go to the doctor until something is oozing or painful. GROSS!
The guy cites a few case from over a period of almost 50 years and thinks he is on to something? The risk of fleas and tics is always present and not something to be dismissed lightly, but this is hardly a newsworthy finding.
My take from his findings is that we should not let our animals lick our wounds or mouth–pretty common sense advice if you ask me.
I think just the same as yours
Actually my dog sleeps in my bed all the time when I'm not home. I put a special blanket on the bed to protect my bedding from her hair. She is funny, she sits an waits for me to make the bed every morning and does not get up there until her blanket is in place.
then just washing your pet may be the anwser. why do you guys take it so seriously.
Also you should NEVER go outside for a walk in the woods because there is a risk of coming in contact with dangerous animals and "icky" bugs. In addition to avoiding the outdoors and animals you should also avoid any sort of contact at all because of the threat of disease. It's best just to lock yourself in the house while wearing protective biohazard gear.
This is so stupid, and is going to scare the over santized hordes into getting rid of their pets, overwhelming the pounds and lreading to mass euthanasia. Way to go "scientists", fearmongering at it's finest.
I agree wholeheartedly with the comments posted on behalf of Hariprakash. Eloquently stated. I too have lived with cat and dogs my entire life. Anyone with common sense takes necessary precautions in handling hygiene on a daily basis including animals, germs, cleaning etc. If you dog has fleas, the human is at fault for not treating the animal. It is called COMMON SENSE people. This article is a waste of time I agree. Precautions taken when a woman is pregnant with a cat is important. INFORM YOURSELF or be left with the results. Just part of living life now isn't it? I wouldn't drive a car with 3 wheels so why would I have a animal not vaccinated or health cared for with myself and family? Just a stupid article!!
As a Veterinary professional, I feel this article is ridiculous and sensationalist. OF COURSE an animal that is infested with parasites is a vector for disease. Maintain proper veterinary care and risks like this are minimal. I mean honestly, letting a dog lick a recent surgical incision? Common sense...not so common.
If you have pets and want to sleep with them (I do and have never had a problem with my dog) do so. If you think animals are unclean and don't want them in your house or bed – then that's your right. You lead a sad life without the unconditional love that pets give (in my opinion). But the premise of the "study" citing a 35 year old case and a man who had major surgery and contracted an infection – simply aren't good science. If you are going to make such a sweeping claim, then have the data to support it. I would submit that more people are made sick each year by things that their children bring home from school. What's next? An article saying people should not let their kids in the house or let them go to school. You can't use pseudo science to propagate your personal opinion – it's inaccurate, irresponsible and it lessens peoples view of your "news."
May dog eats and rolls in poo. no way she gets in my bed
We have 3 dogs that are loved dearly. They all sleep in the bedroom with us but on the floor or in their own beds Dogs sleeping in the bed is unsanitary. But if your ok with it go for it.
Parasites can be passed between most creatures. So yes, of course you could get ticks, fleas or ringworm from pets. But you can also get lice or crabs from a human .... and AIDS, and cholera, chickenpox, flu and a huge list of other dangerous diseases. People should be much more concerned about a human they're sharing the bed with, than any pets.
What is with people trying to humanize animals? Yes pets are wonderful. They can be cute and cuddly and fun, but people so often forget that they're not little humans showing them unconditional love. Their "love" is absolutely conditional. Stop feeding them and see how long they stick around. Treat your pets with respect but don't forget to insist they respect you too. Allowing them to sleep in your bed is a sign of submission to them and leads them to believe they are the pack leader in the house which can lead to all kinds of behavior problems. Also, it's just gross. They're not people, people. They're animals.
Can they sleep on the couch with us? Right now my wife is crashed on the couch as her night owl husband wastes time on the internet writing useless blog posts. Our two terriers are glued to her as usual and she couldn't be happier. The only behavioral issue I see with them is attachment issues, but my wife had a rough childhood and their love, attention, helplessness, and neediness has helped her deal with that. Therapists have never been able to help her as much as these two dogs. I'll take that trade any day.
Allowing my cats to sleep with me has nothing to do with submission. I allow them to sleep with me because I enjoy their company. If I didn't want them on my bed, they wouldn't be. If you think it's gross, that's not my problem...it's yours. As for how long they will stick around if I were to stop feeding them...as long as they would live. I don't allow them out of the house.
What is with people trying to humanize animals? Yes pets are wonderful. They can be cute and cuddly and fun, but people so often forget that they're not little humans showing them unconditional love. Their "love" is absolutely conditional. Stop feeding them and see how long they stick around. Treat your pets with respect but don't forget to insist they respect you too. Allowing them to sleep in your bed is a sign of submission to them and leads them to believe they are the pack leader in the house which can lead to all kinds of behavior problems. Also, it's just gross. They're not people, people. They're animals.
Heh. I'm a dog trainer. My dogs absolutely know who the pack leader is, and they all sleep in bed with me. They weren't allowed to sleep in bed until they understood the pack structure and until I had them trained to the level of obedience I wanted from them, but once they reached that point (some sooner than others) they've been invited to sleep in bed. The cats sleep in bed, too. Sure saves on the utility bills during Michigan winters, I can turn the thermostat down to 55 at night but stay toasty warm all night surrounded by my furry little heaters.
Congrats CNN. Keep up the good work. We've made so much progress in the last 20 years scaring the heck out of everyone in this country of ours. The beauty of our work is that even the toughest among us all have a soft spot to exploit. Sooner or later, we'll get to them. I thought we had 'em with food scares, hospital scares, pollution, 3rd hand smoke, accelerating Toyotas, bird flu, terrorists, SARS, renegade asteroids, s..e..xual predators, drugs, illegal immigrants, school shootings, and such.
But, pets, that was a stroke of genius! Maybe we expand on this new Fido fear. What about carpet? Oh shoot, we already tried that with the VOCs, didn't stick. Gotta think of something that touches everyone's lives... Give me some more guidance all wise ones.
Where do you get off being sarcastic about a serious topic like disease vectors. Shame on you for making fun of serious topics.
Oh yeah, and don't forget that civilization is going to collapse in 2012.
This article has brought the fear mongering to a new low. I'm so sick of it!
What is with white people and animals. They are freaking animals, I think some of you people who lack obvious human connections should realize that . Who in their right mind would sleep with freaking animals. What else are you stupid people during with these animals, as a “source of psychological comfort.” IT"S JUST SICK WHITE PEOPLE!
Inquiring minds want to know!!!!!! If
Sorry, not just white people. My Indian wife would definitely argue that point.
My animals aren't freaks, but you sure sound like one. The color of someone's skin has nothing to do with sleeping with animals. I don't know what race you are and I don't care. I'm just very thankful that I don't have to sleep with someone like you. My animals love uncondtionally. Unlike you, they don't care what color someone's skin is. I'd rather sleep with animals than a lot of the humans out there.
BJ,
Maybe you shouldn't bother to answer me, just worried about getting help for your need of some “source of psychological comfort,” because you need Jesus. Tell rover I say, hel roo. I know you think he can talk.TEEHEEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE
I'm LOL so hard! You don't know me well enough to suggest sleeping with me. Although you do lie with dogs, so it probably doesn't matter much to you who you sleep with
I agree with George 100% and I'm white! At the end of the day these are just animals that regularly lick their balls, their backsides and roll in fresh poop at any opportunity. Would you allow a human partner into your bed that did just one of the above three – let allowed one?
Prior to being married to a vet, I always had a house cat that slept at the end of my bed. I never caught anything from any of my pets except flea bites before Frontline was invented. My husband is an animal collector, who if allowed, would have every animal we own (2 cats, 4 dogs) in bed with us. When we started dating I made it clear that I did not want pets in the bed. So far our 9 lb Chihuahua is the only pet that sleeps with us because my husband insists on it. But all of the dogs sleep in our bedroom and it's causing problems in our marriage. Two summers ago I was bitten by ticks twice. Once in our yard and once in the house. Apparently the tick fell off of one of the dogs onto the floor and I found it between my toes. Since then I have been disgusted with the idea of so many dogs in the house. I'm more afraid than ever because now I have a newborn. When I was pregnant, I was so afraid of getting bitten by ticks that I didn't step in the grass or go in the backyard the entire time. As far as the article is concerned I have to agree, but I feel that it was very poorly written. There are risks to owning pets, but they are minimal especially if your pets are inside pets only. To be on the safe side, take your pets to the vet for regular check-ups and vaccinations and check for ticks during tick season. Responsible pet owners shouldn't have any problems if they care for the pets properly.
Laugh out loud when a veterinarian talks against this article. it's his bread and butter, naturally he supports taking your pet to bed because they more attached you are to your pet, the more money you will spend on your pet for unnessessary and expensive treatment and that benefits the veterinarian. It's job security. An animal is always an animal and has a different hygienc than a human.
Uh huh. Sonny, I'll give you a hint. I'll bet ANY animal in my house, even a bird, if we accept each other, could take you and anyone YOU would choose to attack us.
And genetically, that IS the end of the story at the end of the day.
So, bite me if you dare.
Wait, CNN, maybe I've got another one. Sunshine. Can we find something more substantial than melanoma to be afraid of the sun? The sun touches almost everyone daily. Come on brain trust, you can do it. I believe in you.
Oh cripes, I forgot cell phones, especially smart ones. Everyone has one of those. Maybe we could link it to autism? Or s..e.xual preference? Nobody wants an autistic or s..e..xually confused child for God's sake. Yeah, that's brilliant. A child who texts and browses on an iPhone is more likely to be a gay autistic child. Run with it!
My brother got a cell phone before I did and he's gay already. Thanks for bringing this to my attention. CNN, please save us from our cell phones.
Whoa, whoa, wait... Some woman fed her dog by transferring food mouth to mouth?! She's a superfreak. Those examples are hilarious.