CDC redesigns Healthy Pets Healthy People website

Published on October 28, 2015
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched its redesigned Healthy Pets Healthy People website on Oct. 2 with expanded information about diseases that people can catch from pets and other animals. The website provides simple actions to help people protect their health and their animals'.

The “Animal Tales” section of the Healthy Pets Healthy People website offers stories about connections between animals and people, with tips about how to protect against zoonotic diseases. (Courtesy of CDC/Rebecca Myers)

It is an excellent resource for practitioners and their clients, said Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, director of the One Health Office in the CDC National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.

The redesigned website offers:

  • An alphabetized list and descriptions of diseases that can spread from animals to humans.
  • A list of animal species with descriptions of zoonotic diseases associated with each species.
  • Precautions that people with weakened immune systems, children, and pregnant women should take when interacting with animals.
  • Tips for preventing illnesses acquired from pets and other animals.
  • Detailed information about the health benefits of owning a pet.

“CDC recognizes the health benefits of keeping pets and the importance of the human-animal bond,” said Dr. Heather Bair-Brake of the CDC Quarantine and Border Health Services Branch. “The Healthy Pets Healthy People website was created to educate pet owners about some of the risks associated with animals and to provide tips on how they can be safe with their pets.”