If your pet hasn’t been neutered, you now have one more reason to consider getting the deed done. Scientists have discovered that unneutered dogs can carry a bacteria that humans can catch according to new studies.

Brucellosis infection is most commonly spread by livestock, but one strain of the bacteria can be carried by dogs and spread to humans. The bacteria can produce flu-like symptoms and is a potential hazard to women who are pregnant.

People who regularly handle dogs are at most risk, but people with compromised immune systems and young children are particularly at risk. An average, healthy adult likely wouldn’t contract the disease unless they were exposed to high concentrations of the bacteria.

Symptoms in humans of brucellosis include sweats, fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle pain. The disease can also cause long-term or recurring symptoms such as arthritis, swelling of the testicles and heart, neurological symptoms and chronic fatigue.

Brucellosis can also cause trouble with pregnancy. It has been linked to fetal problems in women who contract it when they are pregnant. The CDC recommends that women discuss the disease with their doctor if they feel like they could have been exposed.

Right now researchers don’t know how prevalent the disease is in the United States, but they want to get the word out so that people and doctors know that it is out there and the risks that can be involved.

Be sure to share this story with your family and friends to help get the word out there of this dangerous bacteria.