Close contact with dying pets put owners in the hospital with life-threatening infections, according to a MSNBC news article.

The article cited case studies from the latest issue of the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, which revealed three instances where owners with close contact in their pet’s dying days wound up with respiratory illnesses. The illnesses were linked to common bacteria found in pets’ mouths.

The lead author of the study says these kinds of cases are rare, though seeing three incidents within a year is striking.

All three of the pet owners in the study, all women in their 50s and 60s, were previously healthy before the incidents.

One dog owner reportedly licked honey from the dropper she used to feed her dog; the other two women reported cuddling and kissing their cats for days before they were hospitalized with the illness.

Read more from MSNBC.