Partnering to Prevent Illnesses Shared Between People and Pets

Did you know that 3 out of every 5 new human sicknesses come from bugs or other animals? Every year, tens of thousands of Americans will get sick from diseases spread between animals and people. These are known as zoonotic diseases, and CDC is always tracking and reporting these diseases to help people stay healthy.

CDC’s One Health Office partners with physicians, veterinarians, ecologists, and many others to protect Americans by leading a public-private partnership to prevent diseases that are shared between people and their pets. This partnership of experts, called the Zoonoses Education Coalition, was formed to develop a set of evidence-based, plain language recommendations, which can be used by everyone to promote healthy pets and healthy people. The partnership has created messages to prevent infections like Salmonella, rat-bite fever, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus from reptiles and amphibians, pet rodents, or rodents used for pet food (feeder rodents). To this day, this partnership has resulted in scientifically based prevention messages to educate pet owners and other stakeholders on how to stay healthy while enjoying their pets.

Pets and other animals are a wonderful part of our lives, and safe and responsible pet ownership is important to keep both people and pets healthy and happy. By making sure that everyone is using the same messages regarding pet safety, pet owners and others can find the most reliable guidance about how to prevent illnesses and stay healthy while enjoying their pets.