Diseases pets and people share.

Having a companion animal such as a dog, cat, or pocket pet is increasingly popular in the United States. With more human-animal interactions come additional opportunities for disease exchange. This article highlights common zoonoses associated with pets and provides recommendations for preventing disease transmission, including hand hygiene, client or patient education, and appropriate pet care. The article also discusses human diseases in which animals may be mistakenly implicated as the source and the recent identification of human diseases such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in companion animal populations. The article also calls for the strengthening of integrated animal and human surveillance systems and cooperation of medical and veterinary practitioners.