General Can guinea pigs get sick from people?

[smn1311]

I'm a little concerned right now because I just came down with a bad virus and I was wondering if guinea pigs can catch it from me? I read I'm not supposed to handle them while I'm sick but I took them to the vet today for a URI treatment which needs to be applied orally and I need to give it to them, there is no one else that can do it and they also live in the same room as me. Will they be okay?

 

[Soecara]

It is extremely unlikely they will catch a virus from you as that would require cross-species transmission, there are no viruses that I know of that have been transmitted from humans to guinea pigs. However if you had a bacterial infection they could catch it and it can sometimes be difficult to tell if you have a viral or bacterial infection.

You should still take necessary precautions to minimize the risk, wash your hands before and after handling them, and before handling their food, handle them as little as necessary, don't cough or sneeze on them.

 

[bpatters]

Ditto @Soecara. If you're not sneezing on them, and are careful about washing your hands before handling them, they should be fine.