| Anthrax |
| Description | Anthrax is a bacterial infection caused by the organism Bacillus anthracis. The disease occurs most often in wild and domestic animals in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe; humans are rarely infected. Cutaneous anthrax is generally transmitted via direct contact with the skins or tissues of infected animals, whilst inhalation anthrax is transmitted through breathing in anthrax spores. Classically, both these forms of disease occurred in people having close contact with infected animals, or who processed animal hides, wool, hair or bones. In cutaneous (skin) anthrax, a lesion appears on the skin, often on the head, forearms or hands. Symptoms in inhalation anthrax begin with a flu-like illness followed by respiratory difficulties and shock after 2-6 days. At this stage, the disease often has a fatal outcome. Intestinal anthrax is a very rare form of food poisoning, and results in severe gut disease, fever and blood poisoning. There is a vaccine against anthrax but it is recommended only for those at risk from an occupational exposure. Anthrax can be treated effectively with a variety of antibiotics, but successful treatment depends on early recognition of the disease. |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links |
Information from Medline Plus in the USA
Information from Defra
|
| Arcobacter |
| Description | Arcobacter cause bacterial infections in man and animals and are associated with enteritis and abortions. Arcobacter spp. are a rare cause of human disease, however methods for isolation of Arcobacter spp. from clinical samples are not well established. The main sources of exposure for human infection are likely to be raw meats particularly poultry and pork and via contaminated water. There has been one recorded outbreak of human disease in schoolchildren where abdominal cramps rather than diarrhoea was the predominant symptom and person to person spread was thought to be a significant factor. |
| Source/Author | |
| Links |
A study published in Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2004
A project being undertaken at the University of Zurich |
| Avian Influenza |
| Description | Avian influenza does not usually affect humans, but certain strains may be pathogenic for man. In 2003, two people died in Hong Kong and a Dutch vet died in the outbreak in the Netherlands and others developed conjunctivitis. At present a huge outbreak in Asia is causing human deaths and this strain of the virus, H5A1, is now, Oct 2005, being found in Eurasian and European countries. |
| Source/Author | Defra |
| Links | http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm
Information from Defra on avian influenza
http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/avian_influenza/affected_species_chart.jsp
A list of species affected by H5N1. From the United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) website.
http://poultrymed.com/files/index.html
Updates on 2005-2006 outbreaks
http://www.oie.int/eng/AVIAN_INFLUENZA/home.htm
Information on Avian Influenza from OIE
http://www.hse.gov.uk/biosafety/diseases/avianflu.htm
Information from the Health and Safety Executuive
http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/lecture/lec13521/index.htm
A slide show lecture on Avian influenza from the University of Pittsburgh
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_avian.html
Information from FAO
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/biofacts/avflu_human.html#_Agent
A comprehensive reference document from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/influenza/avian/default.htm
Information from HPA
|
| Bovine tuberculosis |
| Description | Mycobacterium bovis, often referred to as the bovine tubercle bacillus, is a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex, a group of organisms with the capacity to cause disease in humans. Most animals are potential reservoirs of infection. Cattle, in particular, are susceptible to infection and subsequent tuberculous lung disease caused by M. bovis. |
| Source/Author | Health Protection Agency |
| Links | http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/index.htm
Information from Defra on tuberculosis
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/tb/mbovis/bovis_briefing.htm
Infromation from the Health Protection Agency on bovine TB
http://www.land-care.org.uk/tb/index.htm
TB home page from the organisation Land-care
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/Tuberculosis/mbovis.html
Information on bovine TB, and other forms of TB, from Wisconsin University
|
| Brucellosis |
| Description | Brucellosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria of the genus Brucella. These bacteria are primarily passed among animals, and they cause disease in many different vertebrates. Various Brucella species affect sheep, goats, cattle, deer, elk, pigs, dogs and several other animals. Humans become infected by coming in contact with animals or animal products that are contaminated with these bacteria. In humans, brucellosis can cause a range of symptoms that are similar to the flu and may include fever, sweats, headaches, back pains and physical weakness. Sever infections of the central nervous systems or lining of the heart may occur. Brucellosis can also cause long-lasting or chronic symptoms that include recurrent fevers, joint pain and fatigue. Humans are generally infected in one of three ways: eating or drinking something that is contaminated with Brucella, breathing in the organism (inhalation) or having the bacteria enter the body through skin wounds. The most common way to be infected is by eating or drinking contaminated milk products.
|
| Source/Author | CDC |
| Links |
Information from the World Health Organisation on brucellosis
A 2006 WHO publication entitled Brucellosis in Humans and Animals
Information from Defra about the B. abortus
Information from Defra about B. melitensis
http://www.moag.gov.il/brunet/Homepage of BruNet, a collaborative project between the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The site functions as a scientific forum, and disseminates information on brucellosis, focusing on infection with B. melitensis.
Based in Michigan, USA, this website is dedicated to becoming a bioinformatics resource portal for the Brucella research community
A practical guide to diagnosing and managing human patients with brucellosis in primary care settings
Information from the Health Protection Agency
Information on B. melitensis from the Virginian Bioinformatics Institute.
|
| Campylobacteriosis |
| Description | Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. Most people who become ill with campylobacteriosis get diarrhoea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever within 2 to 5 days after exposure to the organism. The diarrhoea may be bloody and can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The illness typically lasts 1 week. Some people who are infected with Campylobacter don't have any symptoms at all. In people with compromised immune systems, Campylobacter occasionally spreads to the bloodstream and causes a serious life-threatening infection. Campylobacteriosis usually occurs in single, sporadic cases, but it can also occur in outbreaks, when a number of people become ill at one time. Most cases of campylobacteriosis are associated with handling raw poultry or eating raw or undercooked poultry meat. A very small number of Campylobacter organisms (fewer than 500) can cause illness in humans. The organism is not usually spread from person to person, but this can happen if the infected person is a small child or is producing a large volume of diarrhoea. Larger outbreaks due to Campylobacter are not usually associated with raw poultry but are usually related to drinking unpasteurized milk or contaminated water. Animals can also be infected, and some people have acquired their infection from contact with the infected stool of an ill dog or cat. |
| Source/Author | CDC |
| Links |
Information from Defra |
| Cryptosporidiosis |
| Description | Cryptosporidiosis is a parasitic infection caused by the protozoa Cryptosporidium parvum. Common clinical features are watery or mucoid diarrhoea and abdominal pain with 'flu-like symptoms. The disease is self-limiting in most instances but in certain immunocompromised patients, the infection can be very severe and potentially fatal. Transmission is via the faecal-oral route and includes contact with infected persons (particularly in households and nurseries) and animals. Outbreaks have been associated with public water supplies and contaminated food. Seasonal outbreaks are associated with farm visits to feed and handle lambs. Infection through swimming pools has also been reported.
ALSO, SEE POSTERS IN PUBLICATIONS SECTION for recent (2007) work on this parasite. |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links |
|
| E. coli |
| Description | Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium found naturally in the gut of people and animals. Most strains of the organism do not cause illness in people but some can release toxins called verocytotoxins and are called verocytotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC). E. coli O157 is the most common VTEC in the United Kingdom. Infection is transmitted via indirect or direct contact with infected cattle (e.g. petting on farms by children), unpasteurised milk, cheese or other dairy products, undercooked meat and meat products (particularly mince and burgers) and person-to-person transmission following inadequate hygienic practices such as no hand-washing. Symptoms include abdominal cramps followed by bloody diarrhoea, which can persist for several days to a few weeks. In up to 30% of cases, life-threatening complications can occur including colitis (inflammation and severe bleeding of the bowel), haemolytic uraemic syndrome and thrombotic thrombocytopaenic purpura. These complications can kill or produce long-term damage (e.g. kidney failure), especially in the very young and the elderly. Also see Report section for two posters on this subject |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links | http://www.cdc.gov/NCIDOD/DBMD/diseaseinfo/escherichiacoli_g.htm
Information from CDC in the USA
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/ecoli/O157/menu.htm
Information from the Health Protection Agency
http://www.hse.gov.uk/campaigns/farmsafe/ecoli.htm
Information from the Health and Safety Executive
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/vtec/index.htm
This site has the abstracts of papers presented at a conference on E. coli in Edinburgh on 28th June 2000
|
| Ehrlichiosis |
| Description | This exotic disease is included here because of the report from Defra that this is one of the zoonotic diseases that has been found in pets imported into Britain. However, is it is uncommon for humans to be infected with the strain carried by dogs. Whereas monocytic ehrlichiosis in dogs is most commonly due to infection with E. canis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME) is most commonly due to infection with E. chaffeensis. Clinical signs in humans include: fever and malaise headache and myalgia anorexia and nausea leukopenia and thrombocytopenia in more than 50% of cases Confirmed infections of people with E. canis are very limited and E. canis is not thought to pose a substantial zoonotic risk. |
| Source/Author | School of Veterinary Medicine, Wisconsin University |
| Links |
|
| Giardia |
| Description | Giardia are a group of flagellate protozoans which grow in the intestinal tracts of both vertebrates and invertebrates and cause diarrhoeal disease in humans. The disease can be transmitted by direct contact with infected animals and humans, or by consumption of water, food or beverages contaminated by the faeces of infected humans or animals. Many cases are associated with recent foreign travel. |
| Source/Author | Health Protection Agency |
| Links |
|
| Glanders - Farcy |
| Description | This disease, widespread in Great Britain in the nineteenth century, was finally eradicated from this country in 1928. It still survives in parts of Europe, Asia, Asia Minor and North Africa. It is a serious bacterial disease of the respiratory tract and skin, affecting mainly equids. It is also an important zoonosis. There are two forms of the disease, both caused by the bacterium Burkholderia mallei. The disease is called 'Glanders' when the principal lesions are seen in the nostrils, submaxillary glands and lungs, but is called 'Farcy' when the lesions are located on the surface of limbs or body.
|
| Source/Author | Defra |
| Links |
Information from HPA |
| Hantaviruses |
| Description | These are viruses (not found in the UK) that are carried by rodents and transmitted to humans when they inhale vapours from contaminated rodent urine, saliva, or feces. There are many strains of hantavirus. The first to be isolated (1976) was the Hantaan virus (from the Han River in South Korea, which also gives the species its name). Hantaan virus and its related strains, Seoul virus and Puulmala virus, cause Korean hemorrhagic fever (more correctly, "hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome"), a condition in which the capillaries of the circulatory system begin to leak blood. Although some people with the disease are nearly asymptomatic, in others it can lead to shock, acute kidney failure, and, in 10% of cases, death. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, was identified in the United States in 1993 and is caused by at least three strains of the virus. It is known to be carried by deer mice, white-footed mice, and cotton rats. This disease is much more deadly, causing flulike symptoms that can lead to fluid accumulation in the lungs and death. There is no vaccination for pulmonary hantavirus. Treatment includes respiratory and hemodynamic support; the antiviral drug ribavirin has been effective in some cases |
| Source/Author | |
| Links | http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/hpsslideset/hpsslides1-12.htm
A power point slide show from CDC in the USA
http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/bss/factsheets/hantaviruses.aspx?tbID=fs
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3402.htm
|
| Hendra virus |
| Description | Hendra virus (formerly called equine morbillivirus) is a newly recognised zoonotic virus of the Paramyxoviridae family that has caused disease in animals and, via contact with infectious animals, in humans. Hendra virus was first isolated in horses and humans in Australia in 1994. Of the human cases reported to date, clinical symptoms have ranged in severity from mild to fatal. Onset of the disease is usually flu-like with high fever and myalgia. Sore throat, dizziness, drowsiness and disorientation have also been described. The case fatality rate is about 50% and sub-clinical infections may be common. Fruit bats are thought to be the natural host and infection is widespread in these animals. It is unlikely that this viruses is easily transmitted to man. Experimental studies have confirmed the possibility of transmission via close contact with infected body fluids (through cuts and abrasions). Those in close contact with animals from an endemic area should wear appropriate personal protective equipment. |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links | http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/pdfs/hendra_nipah.pdf#search=%22Hendra%20virus%22
Information from the Department of Health
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/Hendra/hendraindex.html
Information from the School of Veterinary Medecine, University of Wisconsin
http://www.csiro.au/science/ps1o5.html
Information from CSIRO in Australia
|
| Hydatid disease |
| Description | Echinococcus granulosis, a tapeworm, is the causative agent of hydatid disease in man and many other mammals. Echinococcosis in humans is a complex of parasitic diseases, caused by larval stages of four species of the cestode genus Echinococcus, which are perpetuated in life-cycles, involving domestic and wild carnivores as definitive hosts and a wide range of mammals (livestock animals, rodents, etc.) as intermediate hosts. Echinococcosis is not only one of the most devastating parasitic diseases of humans, but is also very difficult and costly to treat, control and prevent.
|
| Source/Author | |
| Links |
|
| Japanese Encephalitis |
| Description | Japanese encephalitis is a viral disease, transmitted by mosquito bites. It causes serious inflammation of the brain, which may lead to permanent brain damage, and has a high mortality rate. However, the great majority of cases only produce a mild, influenza-like illness with no effect on the brain. The disease is prevalent in large areas of Asia. However, it is uncommon among tourists and short-term visitors in the areas affected. |
| Source/Author | Dr Charlie Easmon |
| Links | http://www.hpazoonosesconference.org.uk/presentations/JEV_TS.pdf
The powerpoint presentation given by Dr Tom Solomon at the International Zoonoses Conference held in Liverpool on 15th-17th June 2005
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/diseases/japanese_encephalitis.htm
Information about Japanese encephalitis
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/jencephalitis/qa.htm
Information from CDC in the USA
http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/diseases/encephalitis/en/
Information from the World Health Organisation
|
| Leishmaniasis |
| Description | This exotic disease is included here because of the report from Defra that this is one of the zoonotic diseases that has been found in pets imported into Britain. Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease spread by the bite of infected sand flies. Sand flies become infected by biting an infected animal (for example, a rodent or dog) or person. There are several different forms of leishmaniasis. The most common forms are cutaneous leishmaniasis, which causes skin sores, and visceral leishmaniasis, which affects some of the internal organs of the body (for example, spleen, liver, bone marrow). |
| Source/Author | CDC |
| Links | http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/leishmania/factsht_leishmania.htm
Information from CDC in the USA
http://www.petplanet.co.uk/petplanet/travel/travel_bugs.htm
Information about health risks to dogs when travelling abroad
http://www.leishmaniasis.info
A canine leishmaniasis website
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/IVM/ENG/EZD/scen04/agent04.htm
Information from Pat London, Class of 2003, The University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine. Links back to a tutorial for vets on other zoonotic diseases.
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/NSEP/Brazil2002/leishmania/Eng/index.htm
This site provides information about the disease in dogs
|
| Leptospirosis |
| Description | Leptospirosis is an acute bacterial infection, which affects humans and a many different species of animals. A wide range of symptoms may accompany fever, including vomiting, headache, muscular pains, conjunctivitis, jaundice, depression, haemolytic anaemia, meningitis, pneumonia and inflammation of the kidneys. In those cases where jaundice occurs, the illness is known as Weil's disease, which is a serious and sometimes fatal infection. Animal hosts include rats and cattle. Infection occurs through direct or indirect contact with infected animal urine or, less frequently, from animal bites, handling infected animal tissues, or swallowing contaminated food or water. Person to person spread is exceptionally rare. No vaccine for human use is available in this country although an effective vaccine is licensed for veterinary use. Antibiotic treatment is available. Simple precautions can significantly reduce the risk of infection.
|
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links | http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/leptospirosis/menu.htm
Information from the Health Protection Agency
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/IVM/ENG/EZD/scen05/agent05.htm
Information from Pat London, Class of 2003, The University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine. Links back to a tutorial for vets on other zoonotic diseases.
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=230
Information from NHS Direct
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/51200.htm
Information from the Merk Veterinary Manual
http://www.amm.co.uk/files/factsabout/fa_lept.htm
Information from the Association of Medical Microbiologists
|
| Listeriosis |
| Description | Listeriosis, a serious infection caused by eating food contaminated with the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes, has recently been recognized as an important public health problem. The disease affects primarily pregnant women, newborns and adults with weakened immune systems. It can be avoided by following a few simple recommendations. A person with listeriosis has fever, muscle aches, and sometimes gastrintestinal symptoms such as nausea or diarrhoea. If infection spreads to the nervous system, symptoms such as headache, stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance, or convulsions can occur. Infected pregnant women may experience only a mild, flu-like illness; however, infections during pregnancy can lead to miscarraige or stillbirth, premature delivery, or infection of the newborn. Listeria monocytogenes is found in soil and water. Vegetables can become contaminated from the soil or from manure used as fertilizer. Animals can carry the bacterium without appearing ill and can contaminate foods of animal origin such as meats and dairy products. The bacterium has been found in a variety of raw foods, such as uncooked meats and vegetables, as well as in processed foods that become contaminated after processing, such as soft cheeses and cold cuts of meat. Unpasteurized (raw) milk or foods made from unpasteurized milk may contain the bacterium. Listeria is killed by pasteurization, and heating procedures used to prepare ready-to-eat processed meats should be sufficient to kill the bacterium; however, unless good manufacturing practices are followed, contamination can occur after processing. See report on Listeriosis in the North West in the report section |
| Source/Author | CDC |
| Links |
|
| Lyme disease |
| Description | Lyme disease is a zoonotic disease caused by the spirochaete (spiral shaped bacterium) Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans through exposure to an infected tick (Ixodes ricinus). Lyme disease is a multi-system disorder with considerable variation of symptoms in different patients (many infected people are asymptomatic). It is characterised by a distinctive skin lesion, systemic symptoms and neurological, rheumatologic and cardiac involvement that occur in varying combinations over a period of months to years. Antibiotic treatment is available to hasten resolution and prevent disease progression. Control of this disease relies upon education and prevention e.g. the use of protective clothing and insect repellents. |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links | http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/index.htm
Information from CDC in USA
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol10no3/03-0686.htm
This is a book review of Lyme Borreliosis–Biology, Epidemiology and Control by J.S. Gray, O. Kahl, R.S. Lane and G. Stanek, CABI Publishing, Wallingford, Oxfordshire, UK, ISBN: 0851996329, 347 pp.
http://meduni09.edis.at/eucalb/cms/index.php?lang=en
This website provides information on the activities of the European Concerted Action on Lyme Borreliosis (EUCALB).
http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/CID/journal/issues/v35n4/020270/020270.html
An article entitled 'Effective retrieval of Lyme disease information on the web'
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/50600.htm
Information from The Merk Veterinary Manual
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/default.htm
Information from the HPA in the UK
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/Lyme_disease/lymeindex.html
Details from the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
|
| Nipah virus |
| Description | Nipah virus is a newly recognised zoonotic virus of the Paramyxoviridae family that has caused disease in animals and, via contact with infectious animals, in humans. Nipah virus was first isolated in 1999 in Malaysia during an outbreak involving pigs and humans. Of the human cases reported to date, clinical symptoms have ranged in severity from mild to fatal. Onset of the disease is usually flu-like with high fever and myalgia. Sore throat, dizziness, drowsiness and disorientation have also been described. The case fatality rate is about 50% and sub-clinical infections may be common. Fruit bats are thought to be the natural host and infection is widespread in these animals. It is unlikely that this virus is easily transmitted to man. Experimental studies have confirmed the possibility of transmission via close contact with infected body fluids (through cuts and abrasions). Those in close contact with animals from an endemic area should wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
|
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links |
|
| Orf |
| Description | Contagious Ecthyma (CE), also known as orf, contagious pustular dermatitis, or sore mouth, is a commonly encountered skin disease in sheep and goats. This disease is seen in virtually every place in the world that raises these animals. Every breed and age are susceptible, although young animals are more easily infected. In addition to causing disease in sheep and goats it also has the ability to spread to the hands and arms of people handling infected animals. |
| Source/Author | Newfoundland and Labrador Agriculture |
| Links |
|
| Pasteurellosis |
| Description | Human infection most commonly presents as a painful cellulitis following animal bites or scratches, usually from cats and dogs. Over 50% of these pets are said to have the organism in their mouths and show no clinical signs. Pasteurella multocida is the most commonly reported infection. |
| Source/Author | |
| Links |
Information from the Public Haelth Agency of Canada
|
| Plague |
| Description | Plague is an acutebacterial infection caused by the organism Yersinia pestis. There are 5 forms of plague, all of which are uncommon and 3 of which are very rare. Usually, plague takes the form known as bubonic plague. The bacteria invade the body and cause fever and lymph nodes to swell up (bubo) and become very painful. The buboes can range in size from 1-10cm in length. Less frequently, the organism causes pneumonic plague, a form of pneumonia with severe respiratory symptoms, rapidly developing cough and difficulty in breathing. The other very rare presentations of plague include meningitis, septicaemic and pharyngeal plague. Plague can be very effectively treated with antibiotics, meaning that in treated cases deaths occur in fewer than 5% of cases. If left untreated the infection can result in death in 90% or more of cases. The natural hosts are small animals such as wild rats; man is an incidental host. In certain parts of the world the organism is known to circulate in animals. Plague is still reported consistently from several countries in Africa, Asia, South America and rural parts of the USA. Over 5000 human cases were reported by WHO in 1997. The organism is usually passed to humans through the bite of a flea that has previously fed on an infected animal. In other words, the flea acts as a "vector" which passes the organism from animals to man. Bubonic plague is generally not spread from person to person, except through direct contact with any fluids from the swellings. Pneumonic plague can be passed from person to person through the inhalation of droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected individual.
|
| Source/Author | Health Protection Agency |
| Links | http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/plague/menu.htm
Information from the Health Protection Agency
http://www.vet.uga.edu/vpp/IVM/ENG/EZD/scen07/agent07.htm
Information from Pat London, Class of 2003, The University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine. Links back to a tutorial for vets on other zoonotic diseases.
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/51900.htm
Information from The Merk Veterinary Manual |
| Q Fever |
| Description | Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by Coxiella burnetii, a species of bacteria that is distributed globally. In 1999, Q fever became a notifiable disease in the United States but reporting is not required in many other countries. Because the disease is underreported, scientists cannot reliably assess how many cases of Q fever have actually occurred worldwide. Many human infections are inapparent. Cattle, sheep, and goats are the primary reservoirs of C. burnetii. Infection has been noted in a wide variety of other animals, including other breeds of livestock and in domesticated pets. Coxiella burnetii does not usually cause clinical disease in these animals, although abortion in goats and sheep has been linked to C. burnetii infection. Organisms are excreted in milk, urine, and faeces of infected animals. Most importantly, during birthing the organisms are shed in high numbers within the amniotic fluids and the placenta. The organisms are resistant to heat, drying and many common disinfectants. These features enable the bacteria to survive for long periods in the environment. Infection of humans usually occurs by inhalation of these organisms from air that contains airborne barnyard dust contaminated by dried placental material, birth fluids and excreta of infected herd animals. Humans are often very susceptible to the disease, and very few organisms may be required to cause infection. Ingestion of contaminated milk, followed by regurgitation and inspiration of the contaminated food, is a less common mode of transmission. Other modes of transmission to humans, including tick bites and human to human transmission, are rare. |
| Source/Author | CDC |
| Links | http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/qfever/index.htm
Information from CDC (USA)
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001337.htm#visualContent
Information from MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia (USA)
http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/Q_fever/qfvrindx.html
Information from the School of Veterinary Medecine, University of Wisconsin
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/52000.htm
Information from The Merk Veterinary Manual
|
| Rabies - classic |
| Description | Rabies is an acute viral infection of the central nervous system. Although post-exposure treatment is available, once symptoms develop the condition is invariably fatal. In endemic areas, the infection is maintained in animal populations and transmitted to people primarily via the bite of an infected animal or, rarely, through contamination of broken skin or mucous membranes. Dog and cat bites are the main source of infection in humans. Early symptoms may include paraesthesia around the bitten area often with fever, headache, nausea and a sense of apprehension. Excitability and aerophobia are frequent symptoms. The disease progresses to paresis or paralysis; hydrophobia, delirium and convulsions follow. Death resulting from respiratory and bulbar paralysis is almost inevitable once clinical symptoms have appeared. Prevention of rabies after animal bites consists of treatment of the bite wound, specific immunologic protection and vaccine. Pre-exposure immunisation is also available for those considered at risk. |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links | http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/diseases/rabies.htm
Information about rabies and health
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/rabies/menu.htm
Information from the Health Protection Agency
http://www.amm.co.uk/files/factsabout/fa_rabies.htm
Information from the Association of Medical Microbiologists
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/vetsurveillance/az_index.htm#rabies
Information from Defra
|
| Rabies - in bats |
| Description | In 2003 it was recognised that UK bats may carry a rabies-like virus, European Bat Lyssavirus 2 (EBL2). A man who was a bat handler died from EBL2 infection probably acquired in Scotland. Also see Reports section of this website
|
| Source/Author | HPA |
| Links | http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3159188.stm
Information about bats carrying antibodies to the rabies virus
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2003/030424.asp#4
Report on the public health hazard from bat rabies
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ew/2003/030703.asp#4
A report on rabies in bats in Spain
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=14959767
Abstract the article: A. R. Fooks, S. M. Brookes, N. Johnson, L. M. McElhinney and A. M. Hutson (2003). European bat lyssaviruses: an emerging zoonosis. Epidemiology and Infection 131:1029-1039
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/svj/vol1302/svj-vol1302.pdf
Article in the State Veterinary Journal on European Bat Lyssavirus in Great Britain by Dr M. Lamont
http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/330/7490/491
Article in the British Medical Journal 5th March 2005,330:491-492 entitled 'Bat Rabies in the United Kingdom' by Alan Smith, Jill Morris and Natasha Crowcroft
http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2006/060726a.htm
Information from Defra
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| Ringworm |
| Description | Ringworm is a common skin disorder, most commonly found in children. Ringworm occurs when a particular type of fungus grows and multiplies anywhere on your skin, scalp, or nails. Ringworm is contagious. It can be passed from one person to the next by direct skin-to-skin contact or by contact with contaminated items such as combs, unwashed clothing and shower or pool surfaces. You can also catch ringworm from pets (cats are common carriers) that carry the fungus. |
| Source/Author | MEDLINEplus |
| Links | http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001439.htm#Definition
Information from MEDLINEplus in the USA
http://www.provet.co.uk/Petfacts/healthtips/ringworm.htm
Information from provet |
| Salmonellosis |
| Description | Salmonellosis is a bacterial infection caused by numerous serotypes of Salmonella. It is mainly a food-borne disease - contaminated food being the most common mode of transmission. Members of the public are less likely to know that cold-blooded animals including tropical fish and reptiles ('exotic pets') are also a source of human salmonellosis. In these cases, infection in people occurs by ingestion of contaminated faeces of an infected animal or person. Babies, children below five years of age, pregnant women, the elderly and others with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk from infection. Salmonella infection usually causes a mild illness with symptoms such as fever, yet severe infection can occur which may lead to septicaemia, meningitis and death. Antibiotic treatment is available.
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| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links |
Information from Defra |
| Toxocariasis |
| Description | Toxocariasis is a zoonotic disease caused by parasitic roundworms (Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati) found in the intestines and faeces of some dogs and cats. In humans, disease is caused by the migration of larval forms of Toxocara in organs and tissues. Infection takes one of two forms - usually a mild illness (symptoms may include fever, coughing, asthma or pneumonia) or, rarely, an eye infection (endophthalmitis), which in a severe form may result in loss of vision. People become infected either directly through accidentally ingesting Toxocara eggs, usually from contaminated soil or indirectly by eating unwashed raw vegetables or undercooked meat. Antihelminthic treatment is available. Preventative measures rely on educating the public, especially pet owners, concerning the origin and sources of infection and about responsible pet ownership.
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| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links |
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| Toxoplasmosis |
| Description | Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection caused by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. It is one of the most frequent parasitic infections of humans and is acquired most commonly through the ingestion of undercooked meat and also via hand-to-mouth contact with the faeces of infected cats, contaminated soil, and poorly washed garden produce. The infection is usually asymptomatic or mild and self-limiting (persistent acute fever with enlarged lymph glands) but can be severe in immunocompromised individuals and unborn children. Control of this disease relies upon education and prevention. Toxoplasmosis does not require specific treatment when it occurs in normal, healthy people. Preventative measures rely on educating the public, especially pet owners, concerning the origin and sources of infection and about responsible pet ownership.
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| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links | http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=370
Information from NHS Direct
http://www.emedicine.com/EMERG/topic601.htm
Information from emedecine (USA) - includes link to images
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/toxo/toxoindx.html
Information from the school of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/toxoplasmosis/factsht_toxoplasmosis.htm
Information from CDC in the USA
http://www.tulane.edu/~wiser/protozoology/notes/api.html#toxo
Information from Tulane University (USA)
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/52200.htm
Information from the Merk Veterinary Manual
Information from Defra |
| Tularaemia |
| Description | Tularaemia is a zoonosis but can also be waterborne, airborne or contracted via insect bites. It is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, which can infect many animals, especially small rodents, rabbits and hares. Natural infection can result in a variety of symptoms including ulcers, sore throat, pharyngitis or tonsillitis, pneumonia and blood poisoning and acute flu-like illness. Tularaemia may be successfully treated with specific antibiotics. There is a vaccine but it does not appear to be protective against airborne disease. |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links |
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| Viral haemorrhagic fevers |
| Description | Viral haemorrhagic fevers are a group of illnesses (such as Lassa fever, Yellow fever and Ebola) that are caused by several distinct families of viruses: arenaviruses, filoviruses, bunyaviruses and flaviviruses. Some of these cause relatively mild illnesses, whilst others can cause severe, life-threatening disease. Humans are not the natural host for these viruses; they normally live in wild animals. Rodents are the main reservoirs of haemorrhagic fever viruses. Humans may acquire infection when they come into close contact with animal hosts, their carcasses during slaughtering, or their droppings. Some of the viruses, such as yellow and Crimean-Congo fever are transmitted between animal species, including humans, by the bites of tick or mosquito vectors. For some of the viruses, for example Ebola, the animal host is not known, but contact with nonhuman primates has been implicated in some cases of infection. Symptoms vary according to the type of virus, but initial symptoms generally include fever, fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches and weakness. Patients with severe disease may show signs of bleeding under the skin, from body orifices such as the mouth, eyes and ears, or into internal organs. Severely ill patients may also show signs of shock.
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| Source/Author | Health Protection Agency |
| Links |
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| West Nile Fever |
| Description | West Nile fever is caused by West Nile virus (WNV), which was first isolated in 1937 in Uganda. The disease was first reported in the Northern Hemisphere in North America in the summer of 1999. Its continued and significant spread over the past five years indicates that it is permanently established in the Western Hemisphere. No human cases are so far known to have occurred in the UK. West Nile Fever virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Human infection is typically asymptomatic or a mild flu-like illness. However, a small proportion will develop severe infection, which may cause encephalitis and occasionally death. Most deaths have been reported in people aged over 50 years, who generally suffer more severe disease. |
| Source/Author | Department of Health |
| Links | http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4083548&chk=y9KHdK
A contingency plan from the Department of Health
http://www.sgm.ac.uk/JGVDirect/19341/19341a.htm
Article by A. Buckley et al in Journal of General Virology about birds in the UK carrying West Nile, and other, viruses
http://www.hse.gov.uk/aboutus/meetings/acdp/190303/p10.pdf
This paper is a consideration of current actions (2003) in developing a management and control strategy for West Nile virus in the United Kingdom.
http://www.cvm.uiuc.edu/czr/wnv.cfm
Information from the College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, USA
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/west_nile/default.htm
Information from the Health Protection Agency
http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/vetsurveillance/az_index.htm#wnv
Information from Defra
http://www.swzg.org/zoonosis.php?zoonosis_src=32
Information from the South Western Zoonosis Group
http://www.westnilefever.com/
A site from the USA about WNV
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/
Information from CDC (USA)
http://www.oie.int/eng/publicat/rt/2302/PDF/557-568glaser.pdf
A review of the North American experience with WNV.
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| Which Diseases from Which Animals? |
| Description | There are a number of useful sites from which this information can be found. Click on the 'Disease Website Links' here for some of these sites. |
| Source/Author | |
| Links | http://www.provet.co.uk/health/zoonoses/zoonoses.htm
This site provides considerable information on diseases from different species
http://www.anapsid.org/chomel.html
Diseases from House Pets This is an article by Bruno Chomel in Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal (1992)11:479-487 and concentrates on diseases found in house pets other than dogs, cats and birds (in the USA).
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/reptile/zoonoses.html
Diseases from Reptiles This USA site, written by M. Wissman and B. Parsons, contains information on diseases that can be transmitted from reptiles to humans.
http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/aboutp/pets/zoonoses.html
Diseases from Non-human Primates This 1987 article by D. Requist and R. Whitney Jr.reviews the most important infectious diseases found in pet non-human primates that present potential hazards to human beings
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/htmlgen.exe?DOCUMENT_PS019
Diseases from Birds, a report written by the University of Florida.
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| Yersiniosis |
| Description | Yersiniosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium of the genus Yersinia, most human illness is caused by Y. enterocolitica. Common symptoms in young children are fever, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, which is often bloody. Symptoms typically develop 4 to 7 days after exposure and may last 1 to 3 weeks or longer. In older children and adults, right-sided abdominal pain and fever may be the predominant symptoms, and may be confused with appendicitis. The major animal reservoir for Y. enterocolitica strains that cause human illness is pigs, but other strains are also found in many other animals including rodents, rabbits, sheep, cattle, horses, dogs and cats. Infection is most often acquired by eating contaminated food, especially raw or undercooked pork products. Drinking contaminated unpasteurized milk or untreated water can also transmit the infection.
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| Source/Author | CDC |
| Links |
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| Zoonotic Diseases |
| Description | A table of zoonotic diseases dispalying, for each disease, the causitive agent, the principal animals involved, the known distribution and the probable means of spread to man.
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| Source/Author | The Merk Veterinary Manual |
| Links | |