For many people, pets are cherished members of the family. They share our homes, curl up on our couches and beds, and are part of our daily routines from mealtime to playtime. While animals bring tremendous joy and well-documented benefits, such as reducing stress and encouraging physical activity, they can also carry diseases that are transmissible to humans.
Take our quiz to test your knowledge and learn how to better protect your entire family — including your furry companions — from preventable diseases.
1. True or false? Animals can appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick, depending on the disease.
2. Which of the following are one of the types of zoonotic diseases—illnesses or pests that can be transmitted from animals to humans—that we most commonly get from our pets?
A. Parasites like worms, fleas, and ticks
B. Fungal infections
C. Bacterial infections
D. Viral infections
E. All of the above
3. Which of the following are among the most common mechanisms by which pests and diseases are passed from pet to human?
A. Coming into contact with animal feces.
B. Coming into contact with an animal’s saliva, respiratory tract fluids, or other bodily fluids through touch or through inhaling them.
C. Being in close proximity to a sick or infested animal.
D. All of the above
4. Intestinal parasites like roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, giardia, and toxoplasma can be transferred from pets to humans through accidentally consuming the parasite through contact with cat feces or contaminated soil. Which of the following are preventive measures?
A. Have young animals dewormed by the vet as soon as you bring one home.
B. Always wash hands after petting a dog or cat, especially young animals.
C. Wear gloves when gardening or touching soil or sand that may be contaminated with cat feces.
D. If you have a cat, change the litter box daily.
E. All of the above
5. True or false? Ringworm is actually a fungal infection (not a worm) that is highly contagious and can be passed among dogs, cats, horses, other animals, and humans, and causes a ring-shaped, itchy red rash that may be dry and scaly, or wet and crusty.
6. Salmonella, a bacterium that causes diarrhea, fever, and stomach pains, can be spread from pets to humans in which of the following ways?
A. Contact with reptiles such as lizards, snakes, and turtles.
B. Contact with chicks, ducklings, and other pet birds.
C. Contact with dogs, cats, and small pets like hedgehogs and guinea pigs.
D. All of the above
7. True or false? Pet birds can carry psittacosis, or parrot fever, a bacterial infection that causes flu-like or respiratory symptoms in humans who breathe in dried feces or respiratory tract fluids from infected birds.
8. Which of the following are preventive measures for protecting yourself from getting sick from your pet?
A. Wash your hands with soap and water after touching animals (including pets) or their food, water bowls, litter boxes, feces, cages or toys.
B. Don’t kiss their fur, feathers, scales, or skin.
C. Don’t eat or drink around high-risk animals or in the places they live.
D. Clean your pet’s habitat (like their aquarium, cage, or terrarium) outside if possible. Don’t use the kitchen sink to clean your pet’s habitat, toys, or bowls.
E. All of the above
9. Which of the following are preventive measures to take to keep from getting external parasites like scabies, fleas, and ticks from your pets?
A. Maintain preventive treatments in pets, like topical/oral flea and tick repellents.
B. Wash pet bedding weekly in hot water.
C. Vacuum and clean frequently.
D. Reduce parasite habitats by maintaining a manicured lawn.
E. All of the above
10. True or false? While not as common, there is documentation of several diseases that have been transmitted from humans to their pets, including the swine flu, human norovirus, dengue, COVID-19, and tuberculosis, as well as several lesser-known viral, fungal, parasitic, and bacterial infections.
compiled by ERIKA ALDRICH / Information from National Institutes for Health, CDC, Cleveland Clinic, UC Davis, ASPCA, and the University of Florida.
ANSWERS:
- True
- E. All of the above
- D. All of the above
- E. All of the above
- True
- D. All of the above
- True.
- E. All of the above
- E. All of the above
- True