Can Your Pet Catch the Flu from You?

当你生病时，你的狗或猫通常是最好的良药。在你的膝盖上，猫舒缓的呜呜声或狗狗下巴的温暖可以帮助你休息和康复。但是你知道这样做可能会让他们生病吗？
When you’re sick, your dog or cat is often the best medicine. The soothing purr of your cat or the warmth of your dog’s chin on your lap can help you rest and recuperate. But did you know you could make your pet sick?

分享爱与细菌
Sharing the Love — and the Germs

你可能听说过“动物传染病”这个术语，指的是传染媒介从动物转移到人。这里包括寄生虫，如钩虫和蛔虫、真菌如癣菌、细菌甚至病毒如狂犬病。但疾病也可以从人传染给动物，这一过程被称为人类感染病或反向动物传染病。
You may have heard the term “zoonosis,” referring to the spread of infectious agents from animals to humans. These include parasites such as hookworms and roundworms, fungi like ringworm, bacteria and even viruses such as rabies. But diseases can also leap the other way — from people to animals — in a process known as anthroponosis or reverse zoonosis.

更糟糕的是，一些疾病可以如网球般在宠物主和宠物之间来回游走。 虽然反向人畜共患病的情况相对不常见，但它们可能对猫和狗，特别是具有免疫系统受损的年幼或老年宠物构成严重风险。
Even worse, some diseases can travel back and forth between owners and pets like a tennis ball in a game of fetch. Although instances of reverse zoonosis are relatively uncommon, they can pose a serious risk for cats and dogs, especially young or old pets with compromised immune systems.

虽然目前对反向动物传染病知之甚少，但医疗界对它越来越感兴趣。例如，当病毒从人类转移到动物时，某些病毒可能会发生突变并变得更危险或更易传播。
While little is currently known about reverse zoonosis, it is gaining interest in the medical community. Some viruses, for instance, may mutate and become more dangerous or more transmissible when they move from humans to animals.

流感疫苗
Felines with the Flu

2009年，美国经历了H1N1病毒引起的流感。也被称为“猪流感”，病毒最初被认为是从猪转移到人身上。事实证明，它也从人类转移到其他动物身上。
In 2009, the United States experienced an influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 virus. Sometimes called the “swine flu,” the virus was initially thought to have jumped from pigs to people. As it turns out, it also leaped from people to other animals.

在首例病例中，一名女子因H1N1流感住院治疗。当她被治疗时，她的猫在因H1N1病毒引起的肺炎中死亡。从那以后，还有几只猫，一只狗和一些雪貂似乎已经从人类身上捕获了这种病毒。
In the first documented case, a woman was hospitalized with the H1N1 flu. While she was treated, her indoor cat died from pneumonia caused by the H1N1 virus. Since then, several more cats, a dog and a number of ferrets appear to have caught the virus from humans.

在人群中，流感症状包括喉咙痛、流鼻涕、咳嗽、疲劳、发烧和发冷。具有病毒的宠物通常显示类似的呼吸道感染，经常失去食欲，在极端情况下可能会死亡。
In people, symptoms of the flu include a sore throat, runny nose, coughing, fatigue, fever and chills. Pets with the virus typically show similar respiratory signs, often lose their appetites and, in extreme cases, may die.

虽然流感病毒从人转移到动物只有少数记录在案的病例，但是可能还有其他没有报告病例。为了安全起见，当您感染流感时，让你的猫远离你的床边是个好主意。如果你的宠物发生流感后出现呼吸道感染，请带它立刻就医。
Although there are only a handful of documented cases of the flu virus passing from people to animals, it’s possible that additional cases went unreported. To be safe, it’s a good idea to keep your cat out of your bed when you have the flu. And if your pet develops respiratory signs after you’ve had the flu, schedule an appointment with your veterinarian.

超级病菌的攻击
Attack of the Superbugs

虽然耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌或MRSA细菌通常只会影响人类，但它们已知被证实可以转移到动物身上。
Although methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA bacteria, typically affect humans, they have been known to jump to animals.

这些细菌对许多抗生素具有抗性，因此治疗方案是有限的。在某些情况下，MRSA感染可导致死亡。这些感染细菌也可以从人类转移到动物身上后又回到人类身上，因此宠物主和宠物可有潜在交叉感染的危险。
These bacteria are resistant to many antibiotics, so treatment options are limited. In some cases, MRSA infections can lead to death. These bacterial infections can also move from humans to animals and back to humans, so an owner and pet could potentially swap the infection back and forth.

人和宠物都是细菌寄居的对象，这意味着他们虽然没有生病，但是皮肤或鼻子上都有MRSA细菌。MRSA可引起皮肤和伤口感染，细菌可以通过与皮肤接触或受污染的物体（如绷带）传播。
Both people and pets can be colonized with the bacteria, meaning they can host the MRSA on their skin or in their noses without actually becoming ill. MRSA can cause skin and wound infections and the bacteria can be transmitted from contact with the skin or contaminated objects such as bandages.

结核病传染给狗
Tuberculosis Goes to the Dogs

几年前，一只年轻的约克夏犬被带到田纳西大学兽医学院时出现呕吐，食欲不振和持续咳嗽的状况。当狗最终死亡时，兽医们惊奇地发现有细菌引起结核病，很可能是由当时正在接受结核病治疗的宠物主传播给它的。 猫也可以从人群中感染结核病，但这是非常罕见的。
A few years ago, a young Yorkshire terrier was brought to the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine for vomiting, loss of appetite and a persistent cough. When the dog eventually died, veterinarians were surprised to find it had the bacteria that caused tuberculosis, most likely transmitted from the owner, who was being treated for the disease. Cats can also catch tuberculosis from people, but it’s very rare.

保护你的宠物和你的家人
Protect Your Pets and Your Family

帮助预防动物传染病或反向动物传染病的最佳途径是保持良好的卫生习惯。平时用肥皂和温水洗手至少15秒钟，或者在处理宠物之前和之后使用酒精洗手液清洗双手。
The best way to help prevent zoonotic or reverse zoonotic diseases is to practice good hygiene. That means scrubbing hands with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after handling pets.

最好不要用嘴亲吻你的宠物，或让他们舔你的皮肤或任何开放的伤口。食物也同样如此：不要让宠物舔你的盘子，经常清洗宠物的餐盘。
It’s best not to kiss your pet on the mouth or allow them to lick your skin or any open wounds. The same goes for food dishes: Don’t allow your pets to lick your plate clean and wash your pet’s food dishes often.

处理宠物的粪便或尿液时请戴上手套，并尽快处理掉院子里和垃圾箱内的宠物垃圾。
Wear gloves when handling your pet’s stool or urine and dispose of pet waste in the yard and litter box as soon as possible.

最后，安排定期检查，及时接种疫苗和寄生虫病防治，帮助您的宠物和家人都保持健康的身体。
Finally, schedule regular veterinary exams and keep up with vaccinations and parasite control to help keep your pets — and your family — in good health.