They believe the disease is not likely a risk to human health. Williams told USA TODAY there is no evidence humans are contracting the illness, nor is there evidence that other pets are. Dr. David Needle, a senior veterinary pathologist at the University of New Hampshire’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, said the pathogen is “host adapted,” meaning it’s more likely to stick with the organism it has already infected, rather than jump to another species. There is no known risk to human health linked to the respiratory illness in dogs, he said. In general, the risk of people getting sick from dogs with canine infectious respiratory disease is extremely low, Carlson said in a statement on Wednesday. However, because we don’t know yet exactly what agent or agents ... are causing the current outbreak, it’s a good idea to thoroughly wash your hands after handling your or other dogs. Experts said, it's wise to wash your hands after you've spent time with dogs.