Pets provide many emotional and psychological benefits to humans who care for them, but it's also possible for pets to pass along illnesses. Most can be prevented with proper pet care and hygiene. Scratches or bites from dogs or cats can get infected. Cat scratches are particularly dangerous because most cats in the United States carry the bacteria that causes cat scratch disease. If you get bitten or scratched, clean the wound and contact your doctor.
Humans also can get sick because of parasites carried by pets.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease are spread by ticks, which can attach themselves to pets. Pets don't spread these diseases to humans, but if a pet gets infected, that means disease-carrying ticks could be present. Other pests like fleas and mites can cause problems for humans. Outdoor pets are most at risk, and flea and tick treatments for pets also keep humans healthy. Intestinal parasites, such as tapeworm, carried by pets can be transmitted to humans through contact with pet feces.