Human-Animal Connections:

Animals make our lives better in many ways. For example, we know that just petting a dog or cat or watching fish in an aquarium can reduce our stress levels. Some therapy animals help ease the pain of PTSD or hospital stays, while others provide assistance for children with allergies or autism. Service animals make everyday living easier for people with physical challenges. Learn more about how the lives…and health…of animals and humans are interconnected.

One Health Headlines: Friday, February 10, 2012

February 10, 2012 | Michael San Filippo | Leave a comment

This week’s One Health roundup includes a look at canine cancer (and how it may hold clues to curing cancer in humans); the dangers of wood smoke and cigarette smoke to our pets; how pets can improve the lives of people in hospice care, courtrooms, and offices; and the latest in animal research.

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One Health Headlines: Friday, February 3, 2012

February 3, 2012 | Michael San Filippo | Leave a comment

We lead off this week’s One Health roundup with an incredible story out of California, where an 8-year-old girl became one of the few people ever to survive a rabies infection (you can read the CDC report here ).

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Dogs helping to heal the emotional wounds of war

January 31, 2012 | Julie Ciaramella | 2 Comments

The capacity of human hearts to be healed by animal kindness is an astounding thing, as you’ll see in this report from last night’s NBC Nightly News about therapy dogs helping soldiers move on from the emotional wounds of war.

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One Health Headlines: Friday, January 27, 2012

January 27, 2012 | Michael San Filippo | Leave a comment

This week’s One Health roundup has updates on H1N1 avian influenza research, new information on how prion diseases spread between species, a look at the health benefits of pets, and much more.

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Dogs can make you happier

January 24, 2012 | Julie Ciaramella | Leave a comment

In news that every dog owner already knows, dogs make you happier, reduce stress and anxiety, and provide other benefits to your health. Petting a dog produces a hormone called oxytocin, which helps to reduce stress and anxiety. It’s the same hormone new mothers get a boost of after giving birth. There’s even some evidence that higher levels of oxytocin help people heal faster.

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