Avoiding animal-associated illness

While Americans brace for the height of cold and flu season, concern about another type of virus has gripped Asia and Africa. After a two-year decline, outbreaks of the bird flu were recently reported in China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia and Cambodia.

Avian flu is one of the many zoonotic diseases, illnesses that are transferred from animals to humans. The National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne and Enteric Diseases estimates 60% of the bacteria and viruses that sicken humans are zoonotic. Additionally, 75% of recently emerging infectious diseases that affect humans are of animal origin.

For example, scientists have traced the origin of Ebola and AIDS—the most vicious viruses in recent history––to African monkeys.

Once the species-hopping diseases relocate from an animal to a human host, they may spread rapidly and rampantly from person to person before being identified as a public health risk. The very young and old, HIV, joint replacement, cancer patients and other people with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable to infection after exposure. Symptoms range from fever and mild gastric upset to neurological damage and life-threatening, uncontrolled hemorrhaging.

While Americans have largely been spared from the ravages of zoonotic epidemics, the possibility of contamination is as close as their own kitchens and backyards. And pet owners are not the only ones at risk. Tainted drinking water, meat or garden soil can harbor the very same parasites, bacteria and viruses that breed in pets or wildlife.

Because the risks exist everywhere, the American Veterinary Medical Association encourages Americans to remain vigilant for signs of these common zoonotic diseases.

Rabies and cat scratch fever are transmitted to humans by animal bites and scratches. While cat scratch fever results in bumps at the bite/scratch site and swollen lymph nodes, rabies is invariably fatal if not promptly treated.

When animals or humans ingest giardia, the aquatic parasite wreaks havoc on the digestive system and often produces diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea. Owners may become exposed by contact with undiagnosed pets or their droppings.

While salmonella is usually contracted by eating contaminated food, the diarrhea-inducing bacteria may also be acquired by contact with chicks, turtles, lizards, snakes and other reptiles.

Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and ehrlichiosis are transmitted by ticks. In dogs and humans, Lyme disease can yield arthritis and kidney damage. Left untreated, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be fatal. Symptoms include high fever, headache and muscle pain followed by a rash. A severe bacterial infection, ehrlichiosis is characterized by fever, muscle aches, vomiting or other symptoms that frequently require hospitalization.

Despite its name, ringworm is actually a fungal infection transmitted by contact with the skin or fur of an infected dog or cat. In humans, the condition appears as a bald patch of scaly skin on the scalp, or a ring-shaped, itchy rash on the skin.

Toxoplasmosis and leptospirosis spread by contact with infected animal urine or feces. While toxoplasmosis can be acquired from contaminated meat, toxoplasmosis most commonly spread through tainted cat feces or litter. While most healthy people can shed the parasite, it poses special risks to pregnant women. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can produce high fever, severe headache, vomiting, kidney damage or liver failure.

Protecting your family

Fortunately, some of the best tools to prevent zoonotic diseases are education regarding the early warning signs of the illnesses and responsible pet ownership.

To prevent infection by species-hopping bacteria, viruses and parasites that may live on animals:

• Keep your family healthy. Even if the pet becomes infected, family members with strong immune systems are better able to combat any illness or disease.

• Follow proper food-handling procedures to reduce the risk of transmission from contaminated food.

• Wash your hands with soap and water after touching, playing with or caring for pets.

• Discourage your pet from licking anyone’s face.

• Check your pet and your family regularly for ticks. If you find a tick, pull it out slowly with tweezers, immerse the tick in rubbing alcohol, apply antiseptic to the area and wash your hands.

• If you are pregnant, ask someone else to clean the cat litter box.

• Wash your hands after gardening or working in soil where pets or wildlife may relieve themselves.

• If you are scratched or bitten, wash the area with soap and water right away and contact your physician.

• Take your pet to the veterinarian for regular check-ups, deworming and rabies, giardia and Lyme disease vaccinations among others. Healthy pets are much less likely to carry diseases that can infect your family.

• Avoid adopting a pet that looks ill or unhealthy.

• Provide flea and tick control. If fleas and ticks never infest your pet or household, they cannot expose your family to the diseases the pests harbor.

• Discourage your pet from drinking standing water outdoors.

• Discourage your pet from coming into contact with feces or urine of other animals.

• Remove food, garbage or nesting materials that may attract wildlife.

• Keep your cat’s litter box clean, and keep your yard free of dog waste.

• Wear disposable gloves to clean the cat’s litter box and use a scooper to cover your hand when picking up after your dog.

• Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before eating—particularly after handling your pets, or their food or bedding, or cleaning up after your pet (even if you were wearing gloves).

• Make sure children wash their hands after contact with any animal.

• Discourage your pets or children from coming into contact with stray or wild animals, that are likely to have infectious diseases.

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