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Expert Comment: The Importance Of Teaching Children About Zoonotic Diseases And How To Safely Interact With Animals
3 months ago 
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With schools back in session, Francesca M. Contadini, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health at the University of Surrey, discusses the importance of teaching children about zoonotic diseases and how to safely interact with animals.
Animals teach children empathy, tolerance, patience and the ability to love something other than themselves. Bernard Williams, the English philosopher, once said, "no symphony orchestra ever played music like a two-year-old girl laughing with a puppy", and being a mother, I wholeheartedly agree.
But it is important to remember that all animals - including ourselves - carry bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses. Some of these can’t spread between different species, whilst others can. We call diseases that humans can catch from animals “zoonoses”, and there are hundreds of them.
Children are especially at risk, as their immune system is still both immature and working overtime to catch up to all the microbes they haven’t met yet. If they catch a disease, they can get extremely sick.
Fostering the human-animal bond between children and animals is absolutely paramount, but remember to:
- Closely monitor all interactions between animals and children, as children can act erratically and trigger a reaction in pets.
- Always practice careful handwashing after each interaction.
- If your pet is showing signs of a disease, especially a skin condition or parasite, contact your vet. If you or your child show any signs of a similar infection, mention your pet to your GP.
- Thoroughly cook meat products and handle carefully any utensils that have been in contact with raw meat.
- Only provide children with pasteurised milk.
These easy steps will go a long way to protect our children from zoonoses and potentially life-long consequences.
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