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

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. (Ben de la Cruz/NPR; Lauren Migaki/NPR)

"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 :)"