Who doesn’t love the pet who lavishes unconditional affection through thick and thin? President Harry Truman, while coping with the lonely responsibilities of his job, remarked, “If you want a friend in Washington, buy a dog!” But there are risks and responsibilities in pet ownership. It’s a matter worth considering since about 57 percent of North Americans own a pet. In the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Dr. Paul Cherniack and Angela Cherniack discuss some of the infectious risks in owning pets. Yet it’s amazing that, in spite of these risks, studies indicate doctors rarely ask patients about pet ownership of dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, reptiles and rodents. So what are the main infections to consider? Cats are most likely to infect humans with bacterial disease called Bartonella, usually triggered by a scratch from claws infected with feces of fleas, or a flea bite. This causes the swelling of lymph nodes. In severe cases, this can result in inflammation of the heart, and nerves and cause lesions on the liver, spleen and skin.

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