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Common Zoonotic Diseases Affecting Pets and People: Kristen Hammett, DVM

Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can be passed from animals to humans. This document discusses several common zoonotic diseases transmitted from pets including hookworms, roundworms, toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, and bartonellosis. Hookworms and roundworms are transmitted through contaminated soil and can cause cutaneous larval migrans or visceral larval migrans in humans. Toxoplasmosis is spread through contact with infected cat feces and can cause subclinical or congenital infections. Leptospirosis is carried by many species and transmitted through urine, posing risks during flooding. Bartonellosis is transmitted by arthropod bites and fleas and can lead

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89 views22 pages

Common Zoonotic Diseases Affecting Pets and People: Kristen Hammett, DVM

Zoonotic diseases are illnesses that can be passed from animals to humans. This document discusses several common zoonotic diseases transmitted from pets including hookworms, roundworms, toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, and bartonellosis. Hookworms and roundworms are transmitted through contaminated soil and can cause cutaneous larval migrans or visceral larval migrans in humans. Toxoplasmosis is spread through contact with infected cat feces and can cause subclinical or congenital infections. Leptospirosis is carried by many species and transmitted through urine, posing risks during flooding. Bartonellosis is transmitted by arthropod bites and fleas and can lead

Uploaded by

Sandrea Salazar
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Common Zoonotic Diseases affecting Pets and People

Kristen Hammett, DVM

Zoonosis
Definition:

zoonosis or a zoonotic disease is a disease that can be passed directly or indirectly from animals, whether wild or domestic, to humans. These may be passed directly (rabies) or via vectors (plague).

Some Prominent Examples


Rabies Ringworm Scabies Giardiasis Tuberculosis Salmonella Plague Lyme disease Malaria Influenza Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever E Coli gastroenteritis Anthrax Equine Viral Encephalitides

Tonight's Focus
Hookworms (Ancyclostomiasis) Roundworms (Ascariasis) Toxoplasmosis Leptospirosis Bartonellosis

Hookworms (Ancyclostomiasis)
Nationwide nearly 20% of all dogs were found to have hookworms (higher in the Southeast). A female hookworm can produce 20,000 eggs per day which may last in soil for several years. Transmitted via contaminated soil and fomites. May hatch in warm damp soil and can penetrate bare skin.

Hookworms
Canine hookworms do not mature in humans. Larval stages wander between layers of skin causing cutaneous larval migrans.

Roundworms (Ascariasis)
Roundworms infect over 90% of puppies under 3 months of age. Females can lay up to 100,000 eggs per day, which survive in soil up to 10 years. Transplacental transmission occurs prior to birth of puppies. Roundworm eggs are found in 15% of all dogs in the US.

Roundworms
Dog and cat roundworms do not mature into adult stages in humans Ingested ova hatch into larvae which migrate in the body. May result in visceral larval migrans or ocular larval migrans

Roundworm infection is the sixth most common reportable disease in the US. 10,000+ cases per year reported to CDC in the United States

Ocular Larval migrans


Occurs when larvae migrate to the eye Impairs vision and may cause blindness 700 cases/yr reported to CDC

Visceral Larval Migrans


Larvae migrating through organs may be asymptomatic or subclinical May cause abdominal pain, leucocytosis, hepatomegaly, eosinophilia, fever

Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Only definitive host is the cat genus felidae Spread thru ingestion of undercooked meat, fomites contaminated with infective oocysts, or transplacentally

Toxoplasmosis
30-40% of people in the US have antibodies to T. gondii Most human cases are subclinical Once humans are exposed and develop antibodies, they are immune to reinfection If infected during pregnancy, there is a 2050% chance of transplacental infection of the fetus

Pregnancy and Toxoplasmosis Pregnant women do NOT need to get rid of their cats

Pregnancy and Toxoplasmosis


Avoid eating raw or undercooked meat, and wash thoroughly hands and utensils that are used handling such meat Garden with gloves, and wash hands afterward Clean litter box daily, or have another family member do it

Leptospirosis
Once excreted in urine, Leptospires can survive in moist environments for months to years Animals that survive acute infection can shed the organism in urine for months to years While 90% of human infections are the mild form, 10% are the severe form which has a mortality rate of 10-15%

Leptospirosis

Carried by dogs, rodents, cattle, coyotes, raccoons, opossum, foxes Several strains Dogs should be vaccinated annually Eliminate rodents

Bartonellosis
Gram negative intracellular bacilli Carried by blood sucking arthropods such as lice, flies, ticks and fleas Discovered in late 1980s, in 1990 were 2 species known, now there are 26. Vastly under-recognized and underdiagnosed disease

Cat Scratch Disease


Now, a misnomer Bartonella henselae infects cats who may serve as a reservoir host High percentage of cats carriers (25-40%) Flea feces in cat coat is source of infection

Bartonellosis Human Syndromes


Bacillary angiomatosis Bacillary peliosis hepatitis Relapsing fever/bacteremia Endocarditis Retinitis Granulomatous lymphadenitis Granulomatous pneumonia Granulomatous hepato-splenic syndrome Others???

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