London, Sept 16: A pet pooch or cat in the house can not only be great company for your kids, but as it turns out, they can be good for your young ones’ health too.

A new research, by researchers at the University of Western Australia in Crawley, led by Jane Heyworth, found that pets can protect their young owners against common stomach bugs.

The researchers found that incidences of gastroenteritis – commonly called stomach flu – were significantly lower in young children in homes with pets, than those without pets.

Heyworth said that the new findings contradicted a common view that pets such as dogs and cats are a source of stomach flu.

“It is a commonly held view that dogs and cats are a source of gastroenteritis, but our results do not support that,” New Scientist quoted her, as saying.

Heyworth suggests that being licked and touched by pets may allow children to develop immunity from repeated low level exposure of pathogenic organisms.

As a part of the study, the researchers followed a group of 965 kids, between the ages of 4 to 6, and noted incidences of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

They found that kids with pets in the house were 30 percent less likely to have gastroenteritis symptoms.

The study shows the positive effects of having pets. Previous studies have shown that having pets can also keep depression and illnesses such as heart disease at bay.

The study is published in the journal Epidemiology and Infection. (ANI)