IPAC Week: How clean is your dog’s ‘kiss’ and other uncomfortable questions you might not want to know the answers to
We asked St. Joe's Dr. Zain Chagla to look at some common beliefs related to infection prevention and control, including how we
receive puppy love. His anwer might make you rethink kissing the pooch.
Some people allow their dogs to “kiss” them, which is another way of saying the dog licks their faces, including lips. The argument, they say, is that a dog’s tongue is cleaner than a human’s. But, is that true?
On Infection Prevention And Control Week (Oct. 16-20, 2017), we asked Dr. Zain Chagla to debunk – or not – some of the more popular beliefs related to bacteria. Dr. Chagla is an infectious disease physician at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.
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Q: Is it safe to receive a “kiss” from the dog?
A: “You just have to think about what your dog does on an average day – he licks his behind, he licks the ground and picks things up off the street with his mouth. All of that leaves bacteria on the dog’s tongue. They also have different bacteria than humans, and those bacteria are a risk for making people sick, particularly people with a weaker immune system, the elderly and people with open wounds.”
The verdict: It’s a myth that dogs’ tongues are clean. When you kiss your dog, you’re kissing everywhere he’s licked. When you take into account the different bacteria on dogs’ tongues, it’s best to keep the puppy love and licking away from your face.
Q: Is it safe to eat food after it’s been dropped on the floor if it’s picked up within five seconds?
A: “When food is dropped, bacteria hits the food the moment it touches the surface, particularly if the floor is moist. The amount of time doesn’t matter much.”
The verdict: The five-second rule is a myth. Although our bodies do a good job of killing harmful bacteria, eating food that’s been dropped on the floor increases the risk of infection. Leave it for the dog and don’t kiss the pooch afterwards.
Q: Can I get the flu from the flu vaccine?
A: “The flu vaccine is the flu virus that’s been killed – there’s nothing alive. At worst, you’ll feel a little tenderness or a fever. The problem is a lot of other viruses cause flu-like symptoms and folks picking up one of those mistake it for the flu.”
The verdict: It’s a myth that the flu vaccine can give you the flu. It protects some people really well and it lessens the effects of the flu in people not fully protected.