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Multisystem Zoonoses     Reading: pg. 401 – 412

Introduction

      Zoonoses: animal diseases that may be transmitted to humans

      animal is host reservoir

      human infection is incidental

      disease is usually not transmitted human to human

Arenaviruses

             transmitted to humans in rodent excreta

           Arenaviruses and the diseases they cause (fig. 28.2)

             diagnosed serologically, by viral isolation or molecular techniques

             Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCM)

           Cause sporadic infection in people

           Mild febrile illness, could lead to aseptic meningitis

             Lassa fever

          caused by exposure to infected rats or their urine

          rat to human disease usually mild

          human to human disease more severe

 

Arenaviruses

             transmitted to humans in rodent excreta

           Arenaviruses and the diseases they cause (fig. 28.2)

             diagnosed serologically, by viral isolation or molecular techniques

             Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCM)

           Cause sporadic infection in people

           Mild febrile illness, could lead to aseptic meningitis

             Lassa fever

          caused by exposure to infected rats or their urine

          rat to human disease usually mild

          human to human disease more severe

 

Korean hemorrhagic fever

             Cause Hantaan virus

             bunyavirus

             transmitted to humans in rodent urine

           Causes harmless infection in mice and rats

           In human - Febrile illness, with hypotension, hemorrhage, and renal syndrome

 

Marburg and Ebola hemorrhagic fevers

             Cause filoviruses

           Symptoms: fever, hemorrhage, rash, disseminated intravascular coagulation

             reservoirs of origin unknown for both viruses

             no treatment

             no vaccine

             high mortality rate

           Marburg – can be transmitted by semen for months after recovery

           Ebola – transmitted person to person in hospitals

 

Q fever

           caused by Coxiella burnetti, a rickettsia

           infects livestock

           carried by arthropods but actually transmitted to humans by inhalation

          Transmitted via placenta of infected animals, unpasteurized milk and tissue fluids

           diagnosed serologically – complement fixation

           treated with tetracylines in acute phase

           treated with rifampin and doxycycline or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in chronic cases

           killed by pasteurization

           vaccine available for those at risk

 

Anthrax

             caused by Bacillus anthracis

             primarily a disease of livestock (herbivores)

            Bacteria excreted in feces, urine, saliva

            Transmitted to humans by direct contact

            Enter body through skin, mucous membrane, respiratory tract

             forms a black eschar (fig. 28.4)

             fatal if untreated

            Septicemia à generalized toxic effects, edema and death

             diagnosed by gram stain and culture on blood agar

             treated with penicillin

            Or chloramphenicol and erythromycin

             mainly a disease of developing countries

            Due to vaccination of animals and humans who are at risk

 

Plague

           caused by Yersinia pestis, encapsulated

           rodents are the animal reservoir

           spread to humans by fleas (fig. 28.5)

           clinical features include buboes and pneumonia

           high mortality rate

          50% in untreated bubonic plague

          100% in pneumonic plague

           diagnosed by gram stain and culture

           treated with streptomycin and/or tetracycline

           plague prevention

          Quarantine measures, rodent control, chemoprophylaxis

           vaccine available

 

Yersinia enterocolitica

      Causes diarrheal disease

      rodents, rabbits, pigs and other livestock are reservoirs

 

Tularemia

             caused by Francisella tularensis, Gram negative rods

             spread among animals by arthropod vectors

             human infection from contact with animal carcass (skinning of infected animals) or bite of arthropod vectors

            Clinical features: swollen lymph nodes, febrile illness

            Blood invasion à lungs, GI tract and liver

             diagnosed serologically

             not cultured because of high risk of laboratory infection

             treated with streptomycin, vaccine available for those at high risk

 

Pasteurella multocida

             Gram-negative, encapsulated rod

             normal flora of cats and dogs

             transmitted to human by animal bite and scratches

             diagnosed by microscopy and culture

             treated with penicillin

 

Leptospirosis

         caused by Leptospira interrogans (fig. 28.7)

         many wild and domesticated mammals are reservoirs

         Infection leads to chronic kidney infection à organism excreted in urine

         humans infected by contaminated water or food

         infection can also occur by body exposure to contaminated water or food

         Clinical features: kidney and liver failure, aseptic meningitis or conjunctival hemorrhage

         diagnosed by microscopy and serologic tests

         treatment is penicillin and tetracycline

         doxycycline effective in exposure prevention

 

Rat bite fever

             caused by:

           Spirillum minor – Gram-negative spiral

           Streptobacillus moniliformis – Gram-negative filamentous bacillus

             reservoir is rodents including laboratory rats

           Transmission to humans by bites

             diagnosed by microscopy and culture

             treated with penicillin or streptomycin

 

Brucellosis

             caused by Brucella melitensis which has four variants

            Gram-negative, coccobacilli

            4 strains:

          B. abortus – infects and causes abortions in cows

          B. mellitensis – infects goats and sheep

          B. suis – infects pigs

          B. canis – infects dogs

             infects livestock (fig. 28.9)

            Cows, pigs, and goats – causes abortions

            Humans – contact with infected animals and their products

             symptoms are immune-mediated

             diagnosed by serologic tests and culture (takes up to 4 weeks)

             treated with tetracycline, streptomycin or co-trimoxazole

 

Helminth infections

      Echinococcus

      Trichinella

      Strongyloides