Sleeping with pets can cause nasty diseases

By Amina Khan, Los Angeles Times, January 25, 2011:

Think twice about cuddling your furry friends in bed; otherwise, you could be exposed to a nasty disease. That’s the recommendation from a paper being published in next month's issue of the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Pet ownership appears to have been on the rise in the U.S. over the last few decades, surveys show. Of an estimated 60 million pet dogs in the U.S., according to this study, an estimated 21% to 33% sleep on or in their owners' beds – and of 75 million cats, 60% curl up with their owners.

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Nonetheless, the authors write: “Our review suggests that persons, especially young children or immunocompromised persons, should be discouraged from sharing their bed with their pets or regularly kissing their pets.” Especially if they’re not an indoors kind of creature. Read more>>