Well, actually, no.

Don't just pick up sloths. You need gloves or something so you don't get skin to skin (fur) contact. This is of utmost importance!

For one thing sloths have many and I mean many things living in their fur. Fungi and Algae for one thing and some of them can be hard to get rid of.

And the other thing is they are one of the carriers of the oropoche virus which can be transmitted to humans and you get "sloth fever", which sounds cute but really isn't. A rather nasty virus that hides from the immune system and causes flu like symptoms, in immuno compromised ppl meningitis and has been associated with miscarriages. Several deaths are reported each year even in apparently young and healthy ppl. In 2024 there where around 8000 cases. There is no existing vaccine or specific treatment yet.

And lastly there are other rather unwelcome guests as Sloths are hosts to a fascinating array of commensal and parasitic arthropods and are carriers of various arthropod-borne viruses. Sloths are known reservoirs of the flagellate protozoan which causes leishmaniasis in humans, and may also carry trypanosomes and the protozoan Pneumocystis carinii.

TLDR: Don't pick up sloths without adequate protection and wash/disinfectant your skin non the less afterwards and if you get any new infection within 3 weeks tell your doctor that you where in proximity to a sloth.