Am I at risk ?

Zoonoses: No, its not what you find on the faces of elephants. Zoonoses (pronounced ZO-uh-NO-seez) refers to those diseases that humans can contract from other animals. Until recently, zoonotic diseases touched few lives in this country.

Am I at risk for contracting a disease from my pet?

Current evidence supports the fact that pets pose a minimal risk. Your risk may be slightly higher if you fall into one of the following groups:

·         People with compromised immune systems

·         People with AIDS/HIV

·         People on chemotherapy

·         People who have received organ or bone marrow transplants

·         People who are aged

·         People born with congenital immune deficiencies

·         Pregnant women (a fetus's immune system is not fully developed)

This brochure will review general guidelines for minimizing your risk of catching a disease from an animal. If you are immunosuppressed and either have an animal companion or want to adopt one, carefully review these guidelines with your physician and your animal’s veterinarian.

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