Zoonotic Diseases

Question 1

Zoonotic Diseases

Answer 1

Diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans

Question 2

Rabies

Answer 2

• Viral Disease
• Transmitted in saliva
• Found world-wide (exceptions)
• Large problem:
• • 1 new human infection every 10 mins
• • Kills more than 55,000 ppl per year (world)
• Generally fatal without treatment

Question 3

Rabies: Important Problems

Answer 3

• Can’t wait to see if you get rabies or not
• Once symptoms appear, nearly always fatal
• So treat prophylactically, just in case
• • before onset of symptoms
• Treatment given to 40% of children in Africa and Asia

Question 4

Rabies in WI

Answer 4

Most commonly found in WI in:
* bats
* skunks
* cattle
* racoons

Can affect all mammals, though some more commonly affected than others

Question 5

Rabies mode of infection

Answer 5

• virus enters muscle tissue
• gets to nervous tissue - where it likes to multiply
• replicates and travels to spinal cord and brain
• causes encephalitis
• virus travels back out nerves
• gets in saliva (elsewhere, too)
• bites or saliva in open cuts transmits rabies

Question 5

Dog Stage 1: Prodromal - incubation stage (2-3 days)

Answer 5

may see subtle temperament changes

Question 5

Dog Stage 2: Excitative (Furious) stage (1-7 days)

Answer 5

• animal is vicious
• bites are common
• animal may chew on things
• may drool

Question 6

Dog Stage 3: Paralytic (dumb) stage (2-4 days)

Answer 6

• dropped jaw (muscles are paralyzed)
• heavy drooling
• incoordination
• lack of fear of humans
• typically die after this - often from diaphragm muscle being paralyzed and can’t breathe anymore

Question 7

Rabies Human Symptoms

Answer 7

• itching around bite and flu-like symptoms first
• muscle aches, dilated pupils
• hypersensitivity to light, sound, etc
• spasms, convulsions, inability to swallow (usually too late at this point)
• gradual paralysis until death from respiratory failure

Question 8

Rabies Symptoms Onset

Answer 8

• Usually takes about 30-60 days in humans - huge advantage because you can watch the dog for 2 weeks to see if it has rabies, and you still have time to treat yourself
• Dogs - rarely more than 2 weeks before you see symptoms (but can go to 6 months)

Question 9

Prevention when bitten

Answer 9

• If you are bitten, WASH well with soap and hot water (for 30-40 sec)
• Virus is very fragile and destroyed fairly easily
• Seek medical assistance
• Take note of what animal looked like - trap it if safely possible

Question 10

Rabies testing in brain

Answer 10

• Test for it by removing brain - test for antibodies
• Don’t shoot animal in head bc you need it intact for testing

Question 11

Laws and Rabies

Answer 11

• Must have dogs, cats, (ferrets) vaccinated
• No approved vaccine for wolf hybrids: can still vaccinate, but if it bites, it will be considered an unvaccinated animal
• Only vaccination by vet is accepted

Question 12

Law: If bitten by vaccinated dog

Answer 12

• dog is quarantined for 10 days
• may be in home, if able to keep isolated
• vet must check on day 1 and day 10

Question 13

Law: If bitten by unvaccinated dog

Answer 13

• dog must be quarantined in a clinic for the 10 days or destroyed

Question 14

Rabies cases

Answer 14

• in US 2021, 5 cases of rabies (all deaths) - at least 3 of them had been exposed to bats and ignored it
• 29 animal cases in WI in 2017

Question 15

A Rabies Survivor

Answer 15

• 2004
• Girl from Fond du Lac
• Bitten by a bat
• Month later, started showing signs
• First person to survive without treatment prior to onset

Question 16

Rabies Exposure from Cows

Answer 16

Common exposure from cows
* cows bellow and appear to be choking
* first response of many farmers, vets is to reach in and check
* saliva is transferred into cuts, or they may scratch on teeth - wear gloves

Question 17

Lyme Disease

Answer 17

Relatively new disease
* A bacterial disease (spirochete bacteria)
* Can cause arthritis, heart muscle inflammation, fever, shifting-leg lameness
* Also a problem in humans
* Vaccines are available (for dogs)
* Treatable with antibiotics, but difficult

Question 18

Lyme Disease: Human stages

Answer 18

1. Bulls eye shaped lesion (70-80%), flu-like symptoms, headaches, bodyaches
2. Secondary lesions, facial palsy, disruption of heartbeat
3. Centra; nervous disorder

Question 19

Lyme Disease: deer tick

Answer 19

• most common vector is deer tick
• ticks often get it from small rodents

Question 20

Pre-exposure prophylaxis

Answer 20

• antibodies made by bacteria
• hopes that it will last for a season
• still being worked on

Question 21

Baylis ascaris (Roundworm)

Answer 21

• Roundworm found in raccoons
• Aberrant migration in humans - burrows into you
• Can travel to brain and eventually cause death
• Good to avoid raccoons and droppings as well

Question 22

Baylis ascaris in WI

Answer 22

• About half of raccoons in WI are infected
• More common in southern WI than in north

Question 23

West Nile Virus

Answer 23

• Fairly new to US - about 1999
• Transmitted by mosquitoes
• Less than 1% of people show severe symptoms
• About 20% show some symptoms

Question 24

Where do mosquitoes get West Nile Virus?

Answer 24

From birds

Question 25

How do you avoid West Nile Virus

Answer 25

Wear mosquito repellent

Question 26

Psittacosis

Answer 26

• Bacterial, can usually treat it
• Birds

Question 27

Tuberculosis

Answer 27

• Bacterial
• Antibiotic treatment - although there are some antibiotic resistant forms

Question 28

Colibacillosis

Answer 28

• E. coli
• diarrhea, from food sources

Question 29

Brucellosis (undulant fever)

Answer 29

• Can cause spontaneous abortions in animals
• In humans, causes sweating, fever, fatigue
• Usually contracted from consuiming unpasteurized or raw products of infected animal

Question 30

Salmonellosis

Answer 30

• Food poisoning
• Eliminate problem by cooking

Question 31

Avian/Swine Influenza

Answer 31

• Not typically zoonotic, but humans can get sick from these