You just need to lookout for signs of infectious that may be harmful for you and your family. These diseases can be transmitted not only by your cat or dog but by less common pets, too. Birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and rodents all can pass infections on to humans.

Before bringing an animal into your home, make sure you understand the risk of disease associated with the new pet. Learn how to spot when something's wrong, and tell your children to stay away from wild animals or pets they don't know. Understanding how to protect your family can help ensure that your experience with animals will be a happy one.

Diseases from dogs and cats
Certain diseases are more commonly spread by dogs and cats than by other pets.

Rabies: Rabies is caused by a virus that enters your body through a wound particularly a bite and eventually affects your brain. Your cat or dog pick up rabies through a bite from or to another animal that has rabies.

Animals infected with rabies exhibit unusual behavior. Your dog, which might usually be friendly, could suddenly become aggressive. Stay away from animals that appear to be drooling or foaming at the mouth, both of which are symptoms of rabies. And avoid animals that appear injured or have trouble walking.

Seek emergency medical care immediately if an animal you think could have rabies bites you or your child. That way you or your child can be given preventive vaccines to prevent the disease. Once symptoms develop, it may be too late to treat the disease. Early signs and symptoms of rabies in people include restlessness, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, fever, itching at the site of the animal bite.

As rabies progresses, infected people can become aggressive and alternate between periods of wild excitement and seemingly normal behavior. Eventually the person with rabies becomes unconscious and paralysed. Rabies is nearly always fatal.

Protect your family and your pets by having your pets vaccinated for rabies.

Cat-scratch disease: Cat-scratch disease can follow a cat scratch or bite, especially from kittens. Your cat does not need to be sick to carry the bacteria associated with cat-scratch disease, and you are not likely to notice any signs of infection in your pet.

You will generally notice signs and symptoms of cat-scratch disease one to two weeks after a cat scratch or bite. These include a pus-filled sore at the site of injury, swollen and tender lymph nodes, fever, headache, fatigue. The disease rarely results in long-term complications. Symptoms may disappear without treatment.

Toxoplasmosis: Toxoplasmosis is sometimes called litter box disease and results from contact with a parasite present in cat feces, soil or undercooked meat. Your cat will not have any signs or symptoms of the infection. Initial symptoms in you or your family might resemble those of the flu, though sometimes you will not experience any symptoms at all. Signs and symptoms include swollen lymph glands, fatigue, fever, headache. Wash your hands after cleaning your cat's litter box.

Toxocariasis: Toxocariasis is a parasitic infection caused by roundworms. Although roundworms are most common in dogs, they are also found in cats. The infection usually does not cause symptoms in adults, although it can cause a variety of problems in children, including allergy-like signs and symptoms such as hives, muscle pain, fever, cough, wheeze, abdominal pain.

To prevent toxocariasis, always clean up after your dog so feces are not left on your lawn, where your children might play. Because the parasite can live in soil. Have your dogs and cats treated regularly for worms.

Q fever: The bacteria that causes Q fever is spread by cats as well as barnyard animals, such as cattle, sheep and goats. You can catch Q fever by eating or touching contaminated meat or by inhaling air that contains particles of animal feces, blood or birth products, such as the placenta. Q fever causes flu-like signs and symptoms, including fever, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, dry cough.

You are at a higher risk if you work around animals such as at a slaughterhouse, meat packing plant or a veterinary office or if you live on a farm or ranch. Have your pets and farm animals checked regularly by a veterinarian.

Diseases from birds
Parrot fever: Parrot fever (psittacosis) is a bacterial disease that affects wild and domestic birds, including parrots, macaws, cockatiels and parakeets. In humans, psittacosis signs and symptoms include cough, chest pains, fever, chills, headache, muscle pain.

To prevent parrot fever, regularly rinse and refill your bird's water and food dishes and clean the cage daily. If you have two or more birds, keep their cages away from each other. That way the birds can't pass psittacosis to each other by dropping feces or feathers into each other's cages.

People at the highest risk
Young children (ages 5 and younger) are prone to picking up germs because they spend time crawling on the ground and don't wash their hands as frequently as adults. Teach your children the importance of frequent and thorough handwashing.

Consult doctors and veterinarian
Consult doctors and veterinarian about specific ways you can protect your family and your pets from infections. Keep your family and your pets up-to-date with their vaccinations. Knowing how to prevent infections from spreading from your pets to your family can lead to a greater sense of security, helping you enjoy your companion animals even more.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.com