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Zoonosis
What is Zoonosis?
Some Zoonotic Diseases
Control of Zoonotic Diseases
| | Zoonosis is a disease of animals that is transmissible to humans. Any person with any signs suspicious of any of the following diseases should contact their medical doctor. If your pet exhibits any of the signs of disease described below (or any signs of illness, even if not mentioned here), we recommend bringing them into NorthPointe to be seen by the veterinarian. | |
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| | Kids are probably most at risk of getting a disease from the family pet, because they are curious and just don't understand why it’s not a good idea to kiss the dog, but adults are susceptible also. NorthPointe Animal Hospital can assist your family in maintaining adequate preventative health care for all your pets and decrease the chance of contracting one of these diseases.
We can also perform diagnostic laboratory testing for most zoonotic diseases of your pet. |  Try not to let your pets lick your kids -- and vice-versa! |
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| | EXTERNAL PARASITES:
Ringworm is a fungal infection of the skin, hair or nails. All domestic animals are susceptible. It can cause patchy hair loss with or without an accompanying lesion on the skin beneath. It is spread through contact with an infected animal or even from contaminated soil. It can survive in the environment as a spore for an extended period of time. Infected humans may show signs of reddened, circular lesions.
Sarcoptic Mange (Scabies) is a skin disease caused by mites which burrow under the skin. Transmission is by direct exposure to an infected animal. Symptoms include sudden onset of severe itching, skin irritation and hair loss. Humans may show chigger-like bites and itching
INTERNAL PARASITES:
Hookworms are intestinal parasites that infect dogs more frequently than cats, as hookworm is most usually contracted from infected soil. Some hookworm larvae have the ability to penetrate human skin, generally when the person walks barefoot in infected soil. Hookworms can cause severe itching and dermatitis in humans, but this is easily treated. Hookworms are mostly seen in tropical climates and in the southeastern USA. We recommend deworming female dogs prior to pregnancy and all neonatal pups, some as early as 3 weeks of age, as hookworm can be fatal for young puppies. Many heartworm preventions will help prevent or even eliminate hookworm, if given on a regular basis. Contact NorthPointe to discuss how we can develop a plan to help keep your pet parasite-free.
Roundworms are intestinal parasites that can often be found in young puppies and kittens, who can be born with roundworms or can take in the roundworm larvae with their mother's milk. Adults become infected by ingesting infected rodents or material contaminated by feces. The larvae hatch, penetrate the intestinal mucosa and migrate to the liver, lungs, muscles, kidneys and other tissues. Most infections are asymptomatic, but there can be a fever, liver problems and sometimes pulmonary involvement. Rarely, a larva may settle in the retina, causing impaired vision. To reduce the chance of transmitting roundworms to humans, we recommend good personal hygiene after handling pets. Children are most at risk because they may put their hands into their mouths after touching infected feces. Because of this risk to children, routine pet stool exams and treatments are a must. Sandboxes should be covered when not in use to prevent children from contacting contaminated feces. Roundworm symptoms in humans can include fever, cough, loss of appetite, weakness and lung congestion.
Tapeworms are common parasites that live in the small intestines of animals. The most common tapeworm of dogs and cats is contracted by eating infected fleas, so good flea prevention is important in avoiding tapeworms in your pets. At NorthPointe, we can help you choose the most effective flea prevention routine for your pet. A second type of tapeworm is transmitted by rabbits and rodents, so it is important to keep your pet away from these animals. Signs of tapeworm in pets include "scooting" and varying degrees of gastroenteritis and malnutrition. Medication that kills the adult worm is available for treating tapeworm infection. To prevent transmission of tapeworms to humans, good hygiene is important after handling pets.
Whipworms are small thread-like parasites that infect the large intestine. They are unusual in cats but common in dogs. Symptoms range from slight diarrhea to massive rectal bleeding. Diagnosis is by microscopic observation of a stool sample. Medication is available for the treatment of whipworm infection.
RABIES
Rabies is an incurable, fatal viral disease that attacks the nervous system of its host. Transmission to other animals and to people can occur via bite wounds and through contamination of open wounds or sores. It is very important to have all pet dogs and cats vaccinated for rabies regularly. NorthPointe can recommend appropriate vaccine schedule to help keep your pet healthy.
ANIMAL BITE AND SCRATCH WOUNDS:
Cat Scratch Fever is an infection caused by bacteria in cat saliva. It can be transmitted by a scratch or bite from an infected cat. It causes fever and swollen, painful lymph nodes, but is not a severe illness in healthy people. Any bites or scratches should be promptly washed with antiseptic soap and water. If you are scratched by a cat and symptoms of Cat Scratch Fever appear, contact your physician. If a dog or cat bites you, get medical attention immediately. If your cat tends to scratch frequently, talk to us about behavior modification or nail caps for cats to help minimize scratches.
INFECTIOUS DIARRHEA:
Campylobacter, salmonella and giardia all cause diarrhea in dogs, cats and people, transmitted via infected feces. Symptoms include cramping, nausea and diarrhea. Good hygiene is essential to prevent diarrheal infection. Always get veterinary care for pets with diarrhea.
Salmonella is isolated from clinically normal turtles. For reptiles, good hygiene is a must, and we recommend that you keep antibacterial hand cleaner next to your exotic pet's cage or habitat. We also recommend waiting until your children are 5 years of age or older before getting a reptile as a pet.
ORGANISMS:
Toxoplasmosis is a common disease in the U.S., but neither animals nor humans generally develop symptoms. The biggest danger is to pregnant women, because the organism that causes the disease can cross the placenta and infect the fetus. Many animals can develop toxoplasmosis, but the cat is the usual host. The organism is shed in cat feces, so pregnant women should not clean the cat litter box or work with soil or sand that may have served as a litter box. Vegetables should be washed very well and meat should not be eaten raw. Contact a medical doctor or obstetrician for more information on toxoplasmosis.
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by an organism that infects animals, especially dogs, and can also infect humans. Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rash and anemia. Untreated, it can damage the kidneys, eyes, lungs and brain. Symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions; leptospirosis is confirmed by lab testing of blood or urine. It is transmitted primarily via exposure to water, food or soil contaminated with the urine of infected animals. It is not spread from person to person. The best prevention is to keep up to date on pet vaccinations and limit exposure to standing water. | |
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| | For more information, please visit our 'Encyclo-PET-ia' section on medical and pet-related topics. | |
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| | | » | Always wash hands after handling pets and especially before eating. | | | » | Don't kiss pets. | | | » | Keep children's sandbox covered when not in use and keep their play area clean. | | | » | Keep sick pets away from kids. | | | » | Clean up pet waste daily. | | | » | Schedule regular veterinary checkups: | | | | » vaccinations | | | | » intestinal parasite checks | | | | » deworming | | | | » heartworm prevention | | | | » flea/tick prevention | |
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