Parkway Veterinary Hospital
As every pet owner knows, the Veterinary profession has the privilege of safeguarding our pets health. What most pet owners don't think of is the important role the Veterinary profession has in safeguarding the health of both the owners of companion animals and the population in general .
Zoonotic diseases are diseases shared by animals and humans which sometimes can be transported from one to the other, usually from animals to people. Fortunately, most of this transmission is prevented by procedures most of you are doing already.
Rabies is a viral infection transmitted from an infected animal to a person via the saliva, usually from a bite wound. We still have rabies out there, but vaccination programs have limited the disease. I recommend both dogs and cats be vaccinated, both indoor and outdoor. Several indoor animals have been exposed to rabies in our county by exposure to bats or other wild animals (raccoons) entering houses.
Intestinal parasites can be shared and transmitted from our pets to their owners. Some examples are:
Roundworms- usually roundworms can be ingested, most commonly in young children who may handle pet fecal material and then put their hands in their mouths. The worms may migrate in their unfamiliar host and end up in one of several organs. Prevention is to regularly worm your pet and cleaning stools in the environment, as well as good hygiene with children.
Hookworms - again , transmitted through the pets stool, hookworm larva are in the environment. If the parasite comes in contact with a person's skin, it may tunnel into the skin causing a local reaction. Again, keeping the environment clean and worming your pet will reduce the hookworm population in the environment.
Some other parasites which can be spread via stools are Giardia and Cryptosporidosis, Preventions is the same as above as well as having your pet checked out if they have diarrhea.
Leptospirosis - lepto is a bacterial disease most commonly spread in the urine of wild animals such as skunks, raccoons, and rodents. Both pets (dogs) and people can be infected. Contaminated water is most commonly the source of infection although direct exposure to infected urine also occurs. Lepto is a vaccine normally given to dogs in endemic areas such as South Jersey. Also, good hygiene plays a major role in prevention.
Toxoplasmosis -a parasite most commonly transmitted from cat feces, toxo is a risk to unborn children and in cases when I have a pregnant owner, I recommend that the pregnant owner does not handle the cat's litter box, but have another person in the household clean the litter. Also, eating raw or undercooked meats is a more common method of exposure for people.
Bartonellosis - most commonly known as Cat Scratch fever, bartonella is a bacteria spread most commonly via a cat scratch. The disease may cause enlarged lymph nodes in the infected person. Fleas may spread the disease in the animal population- this is one of the reasons we stress good flea control and most expert recommend this YEARROUND.
These are some of the most common Zoonotic disease which we need to be concerned about preventing. Good hygiene and parasite control go a long way to preventing the spread of a number of diseases from pet to pet as well as pet to human. Many modern heartworm preventions also control other parasites such as roundworms and hookworms. Some newer flea control products also are anti parasitic and also heartworm preventatives. Discuss your questions with you veterinary professional. Make sure you are on a good preventative program- this safeguards the health of not only the pets you love, but also YOU AND YOUR FAMILY.
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