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    Can you catch a hidden virus from a dog kiss or a cat cuddle?

    What's the risk of contracting a virus from your Fido or Kitty? It's not a frivolous question, as one cat-owning virologist explains. And there's another question: Can you give a virus to your pet?
    by Michaeleen Doucleff Mar 13, 2023 3 minutes
    Can cuddling or kissing a pet put you at risk of contracting an unknown virus? Can people pass a virus to pets? Those are questions that pet owners ponder. And if Centu (left) and Ruby (right) could talk, they'd probably ask as well.

    "Get ready for a silly question," one reader wrote in response to our series on "hidden viruses" that jump from animals to people.

    "I love my pups very much – and I think they love me too because I get lots of kisses. Is that bad from a spillover virus perspective – for me or my dogs? Should I train my pups to be less ... kissy? That's gonna be tough. I may just accept the risk :)"

    This question isn't

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