Diseases From Animals: A Primer

A is for animals, Z is for zoonoses.

By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by !arlotte ". #rayson Mat!is, MD
WebMD Archive
$!ey %ome from &iant #ambian rats and fuzzy bunnies. $!ey %ome from 'u''ies and
'yt!ons. W!et!er t!e animal is friend or food or foe, it %an %arry dan&erous diseases.
$!ere are at least () im'ortant diseases 'eo'le %at%! dire%tly from animals. $!ere are at
least *+ im'ortant diseases 'eo'le &et from t!e bite of bu&s t!at bit an infe%ted animal.
And t!ere are at least *, im'ortant diseases t!at 'eo'le &et by in&estin& or !andlin& food
or water %ontaminated wit! animal fe%es.
Recommended Related to Healthy Seniors
7 Brain Boosters to Prevent Memory Loss
A&in& is a 'art of life, but t!ere are 'lenty of t!in&s you %an try to !el' -ee' your
memory s!ar'.
Read the 7 Brain Boosters to Prevent Memory Loss article > >
.ome are as old as memory/ rabies, buboni% 'la&ue, food 'oisonin&. 0t!ers !ave only
re%ently emer&ed/ mon-ey'o1, West Nile en%e'!alitis, 2e&ionnaires3 disease. And some,
su%! as !i&!ly let!al bird flu, we fear even t!ou&! t!ey !aven3t 44 yet 44 s'read in !umans.
5eo'le !ave lived wit! animals for eons. $!ere3s a reason for t!at. $!ey don3t 6ust ma-e
us feel better. $!ey a%tually %ontribute to our !ealt!. 5eo'le w!o -ee' 'ets tend to !ave
lower%!olesterol levels and lower blood 'ressure. $!ey tend to &et more e1er%ise and to
feel less lonely.
0n t!e ot!er !and, 'ets and ot!er animals %an &et si%-. And some of t!ese illnesses %an be
7uite dan&erous. $!is arti%le offers an overview of t!ese diseases 44 and !ow to avoid
t!em.
Why Animal-Borne Diseases Matter
Diseases 'assed to !umans from animals are %alled zoonoses. W!at ma-es one of t!ese
diseases im'ortant8 $wo t!in&s, says zoonosis e1'ert 2awren%e $. #li%-man, 9MD,
Dr5:, 'rofessor of veterinary e'idemiolo&y and environmental !ealt! at 5urdue
;niversity .%!ool of 9eterinary Medi%ine, West 2afayette, <nd.
=<f you as- Ameri%ans in &eneral w!at is t!e most im'ortant zoonosis, most would say
rabies,= #li%-man tells WebMD. =<t is somet!in& t!ey fear, it is in t!e news. But in terms
of ris-, t!ere are only zero to two !uman %ases a year in t!e ;... <t3s one of t!ose
zoonoses t!at are im'ortant be%ause of t!eir seriousness, but not t!eir fre7uen%y/ rabies,
tularemia, 'la&ue, mon-ey'o1, listeria, ant!ra1. $!ese are diseases t!at are very serious if
one &ets t!em but w!i%! are relatively un%ommon.=
0n t!e fli' side, #li%-man notes, are animal4borne diseases t!at are im'ortant be%ause
t!ey are fairly %ommon even if not often fatal. at4s%rat%! fever, for e1am'le, infe%ts as
many as ,>,>>> Ameri%ans a year. And an estimated *?4,>? of ;... -ids &et
roundworm from do&s and %ats.
="ven t!ese diseases %an be 7uite serious,= #li%-man says. :ere3s a roundu' of a few
im'ortant zoonoses/
Toxoplasmosis
ats allowed to roam outdoors often 'i%- u' a 'arasite -nown asToxoplasma gondii.
Most of t!e time, t!e %at will fi&!t off t!e infe%tion before it be%omes %onta&ious.
:owever, sometimes %ats s!ed e&&4li-e forms of t!e 'arasite in t!eir fe%es. $!at3s w!y
're&nant women, small %!ildren, 'eo'le wit! dama&ed immune systems, and 'eo'le on
%an%er %!emot!era'y s!ould avoid %leanin& %at litter bo1es.
;sually, a 'erson w!o &ets to1o'lasmosis &ets very few sym'toms. But w!en a 'erson
does &et t!e disease, it %auses a flu4li-e illness and@or mus%le a%!es and 'ains lastin& for a
mont! or even lon&er. =A very sizeable 'ro'ortion of !umans 44 (>?4*>? 44 !ave been
infe%ted wit! to1o'lasmosis, usually by eatin& under%oo-ed meat,= #li%-man says. =Most
'eo'le never !ad a sym'tom or !ad very mild disease. But in 'eo'le Awit! wea-ened
immune systemsB it %an be fatal. And t!e worst infe%tions may be in 're&nant women.
$!e or&anism %an &o to t!e fetus and, if t!e baby doesn3t die, %ause lifetime illness.=
Diseases From Cats and Dos
By far t!ey3re our best friends. And t!at means %ats and do&s are %ommon sour%es of
disease.
ats often %arry a &erm %alled Bartonella henselae. .ome *>? of %ats are infe%ted at
least on%e in t!eir lives 44 usually w!en t!ey3re -ittens 44 but t!ey don3t loo- si%-. :umans
&et infe%ted only w!en t!ey are bitten or s%rat%!ed by an infe%ted animal 44 %at4s%rat%!
fever
0t!er ba%terial infe%tions !umans %an &et from %ats and do&s in%lude/
5la&ue. Rodents %arry t!e 'la&ue ba%teria. 9ery rarely, %ats &et fleas from infe%ted rodents
and 'ass t!e disease to !umans.
C fever. 5eo'le are mu%! more li-ely to &et C fever from barnyard animals t!an from
%ats. But it does !a''en. :alf of infe%ted 'eo'le &et sym'toms t!at in%lude fever,
!eada%!e, %!est or stoma%! 'ain, diarr!ea, and@or vomitin&. <t %an also %ause tem'orary
swellin& of t!e !eart 44 a dan&erous event for 'eo'le w!o already !ave !eart disease.
Campylobacter infe%tion. Found in animal fe%es, t!is &erm %auses &astrointestinal
sym'toms. <t3s usually not dan&erous, but %an %ause severe illness in 'eo'le wit!
wea-ened immune systems.
Leptospira infe%tion. :umans &et infe%ted via %onta%t wit! water, food, or soil %ontainin&
urine from infe%ted animals. 2eft untreated, le'tos'irosis %an be 7uite serious. <t %an lead
to liver failure, trouble breat!in&, -idney dama&e, brain and s'inal %ord infe%tion, and,
rarely, deat!. .ym'toms vary widely but %an in%lude !i&! fever, severe !eada%!e, %!ills,
mus%le a%!es, and vomitin&. $!ere may also be yellow s-in and eyes, red eyes,
abdominal 'ain, diarr!ea, or a ras!.
Salmonella infe%tion. 5eo'le &et t!is often4severe &astrointestinal infe%tion via %onta%t
wit! animal fe%es. <t %an %ause severe -idney dama&e to youn& %!ildren.
Bot! %ats and do&s sometimes &et 'arasites t!at infe%t !umans. 0ne of t!e most %ommon
is roundworm. 2eft untreated, nearly all 'u''ies and -ittens 'i%- u' t!is 'arasite. <ts e&&4
li-e form 44 t!e oo%yst 44 %an survive for years in soil.
W!en !umans in&est oo%ysts, tiny worms !at%! in t!e &ut and move t!rou&! t!e body.
.ym'toms in%lude fever, %ou&!in&, ast!ma, and@or 'neumonia. 0n%e in a w!ile, t!e tiny
worms enter t!e eye and s%ar t!e retina. $!is results in 'ermanent 'artial vision loss.
=.ome DE> to F,E>> -ids &o blind ea%! year wit! roundworm infe%tion Aof t!e eyesB
'assed from do&s t!rou&! fe%es to %!ildren, = #li%-man says.
0t!er 'arasites of %ats and do&s/
$o1o'lasmosis. .ee above.
$a'eworm. A 'erson &ets infe%ted by swallowin& an infe%ted flea 44 a relatively rare
event, but it !a''ens.
:oo-worm. :oo-worms are %ommon in tro'i%al and subtro'i%al areas. $!ey infest soil
%ontaminated by animal fe%es. :umans &et infe%ted by dire%t %onta%t, usually by wal-in&
on %ontaminated soil. :eavy infe%tions %an be serious.
ry'tos'oridiosis. $!is 'arasite %ause mild to severe intestinal sym'toms li-e diarr!ea.
<t3s not usually a dan&erous infe%tion, e1%e't to 'eo'le wit! wea-ened immune systems.
Rin&worm isn3t a 'arasite, but a fun&al infe%tion t!at forms a rin&4s!a'ed ras! on t!e s-in
or a bald 'at%! on t!e s%al'. 5eo'le %an &et it from dire%t %onta%t wit! an infe%ted animal.
ats and do&s &et viruses, too. Rabies is t!e most dan&erous one. Be sure to -ee' u' wit!
your 'et3s rabies va%%ination.
$o 'rote%t yourself from diseases %arried by !ouse 'ets/
Was! your !ands wit! soa' and runnin& water after tou%!in& fe%es.
$a-e your 'et to t!e vet on a re&ular basis and -ee' u' wit! all va%%inations
re%ommended for your area.
Avoid rou&! 'lay wit! %ats.
<f your %at or do& bites you, was! t!e area wit! soa' and water ri&!t away.
Was! your !ands after !andlin& your 'et 44 es'e%ially before eatin& or 're'arin& food.
5eo'le wit! wea-ened immune systems s!ould ta-e s'e%ial 're%autions. $!ese in%lude
never lettin& 'ets li%- t!em on t!e fa%e or on an o'en %ut or wound, never tou%!in&
animal fe%es, and never !andlin& an animal t!at !as diarr!ea.
Don3t let your 'et drin- from toilet bowls or eat fe%es.
!ther Pets" !ther Diseases
We !umans !ave ot!er friends besides %ats and do&s. And wit! t!ese ot!er friends %ome
ot!er diseases/
Birds. 5et birds, in%ludin& 'arrots and 'ara-eets, %an s'read 'sitta%osis. <t3s a relatively
rare disease, wit! about E> ;... %ases ea%! year. .ym'toms in%lude fever, %!ills,
!eada%!e, mus%le a%!es, and a dry %ou&!. $!ere3s often 'neumonia, w!i%! %an be 7uite
serious and even fatal. ;ntreated infe%tions %an lead to serious !eart, liver, and nerve
'roblems.
Reptiles and amphibians. .na-es, turtles, lizards, fro&s, toads, and salamanders 44 li-e
ot!er animals 44 %an %arry Salmonella ba%teria. Was! your !ands after !andlin& t!em.
Gee' t!em in t!eir !abitatH don3t let t!em wander your room. Gee' re'tiles and t!eir
e7ui'ment away from t!e -it%!en. Don3t %lean re'tile %a&es in sin-s or tubs used by
'eo'le. Don3t -iss your re'tile 44 it won3t li-e it, anyway. And -ee' re'tiles and
am'!ibians away from %!ildren youn&er t!an F and 'eo'le wit! wea-ened immune
systems.
Exotic animals. Ies, some 'eo'le ma-e 'ets of animals li-e Afri%an 'y&my !ed&e!o&s.
$!ese tiny, antiso%ial animals t!at roll u' into s'i-y balls were a fad not too lon& a&o.
And t!ey %ame wit! salmonella. More re%ently, 'et #ambian &iant rats brou&!t
mon-ey'o1 into t!e ;... .imilar to small'o1 44 but fortunately milder and not as
%onta&ious 44 mon-ey'o1 lur-s in small mammals in t!e Afri%an rainforest.
#eor&e A. 5an-ey, MD, dire%tor of infe%tious disease resear%! at New 0rleans3 0%!sner
lini% Foundation, t!in-s t!e trend toward e1oti% animals !as &one too far. :e 'oints out
t!at we3ve evolved alon& wit! more %ommon domesti% animals, so t!at t!ey %arry
relatively few diseases we %an3t !andle. W!o -nows w!at bizarre disease mi&!t lur- in
t!e ne1t fad 'et8
Wild Animals
Wild animals s!ould stay t!at way. "n6oy t!em from a distan%e. "ven so, t!ey3re a ri%!
sour%e of !uman disease. :ere are a few/
Raccoon roundorm! $!is is t!e best reason not to feed wild ra%%oons. $!e fe%es of an
infe%ted ra%%oon %arry millions of roundworm e&&s. $!ese e&&s be%ome infe%tious in two
to four wee-s and %an survive for years in t!e environment. $!ey are very diffi%ult to -ill
44 t!e D re%ommends %leanin& %ontaminated de%-s or 'or%!es wit! boilin& water or a
'ro'ane flame &un Jwit! 'ro'er %aution, of %ourseK.
.ym'toms de'end on w!ere t!e roundworms travel in t!e body. $!ey %an in%lude nausea,
fati&ue, enlar&ed liver, and sym'toms of brain infe%tion J'oor %oordination, inattention to
one3s surroundin&s, loss of mus%le %ontrol, %oma, and@or blindnessK. .ome infe%tions !ave
been fatal. Dia&nosis is diffi%ult. <f you are !avin& sym'toms after %onta%t wit! ra%%oons,
be sure to tell your do%tor. $!ere is no s'e%ifi% %ure, but early treatment %an limit t!e
e1tent of disease.
Giardia in"ection! $!is mi%ros%o'i% 'arasite is t!e !i-er3s bane. <t3s one of t!e main
reasons w!y you s!ould always 'urify water ta-en from a stream, no matter !ow far from
%ivilization you3re %am'in&. An infe%ted animal s!eds Giardia in its fe%es. <t %an survive
for a lon& time in water and in soil.
.ym'toms in%lude loose or watery diarr!ea, stoma%! %ram's, and stoma%! u'set. 5eo'le
wit! Giardia infe%tion are %onta&ious and easily s'read t!e 'arasite to ot!ers. Fortunately,
t!ere are e1%ellent %urative treatments.
#antavirus! $!is deadly virus is %arried by some strains of mi%e, es'e%ially deer mi%e.
5eo'le &et t!e infe%tion by breat!in& dust %ontaminated wit! mouse dro''in&s. <f you
need to %lean an area t!at3s been infested wit! mi%e, D0N3$ swee' it u' in a bi& %loud of
dust. <nstead, 'ut on late1 &loves, wet t!e area wit! deter&ent or diluted blea%!, wi'e wit!
dam' towels, and t!en mo'. Burn all %ontaminated materials. And be sure t!e mi%e are
&one 44 %all an e1terminator.
Lymphocytic choriomenin$itis %L&M'! $!is is a virus s'read by t!e %ommon !ouse
mouse. $!e virus %an infe%t t!e linin&s of t!e brain and s'inal %ord. <t3s a serious disease,
alt!ou&! many 'eo'le &et only mild infe%tions. Mi%e s!ed t!e virus in t!eir urine, saliva,
and fe%es. 5eo'le &et infe%ted by eatin& %ontaminated food or by in!alin& aerosolized
mouse urine or fe%es. 2M !as two '!ases. $!e first lasts about a wee- and be&ins wit!
fever, loss of a''etite, !ead and mus%le a%!es, nausea, and@or vomitin&. $!ere may be
ot!er sym'toms as well.
$!e se%ond '!ase !a''ens 6ust as t!e first one &ets better. <t may be&in wit! sym'toms of
menin&itis/ fever, !eada%!e, and stiff ne%-. <t may also be&in wit! sym'toms of
en%e'!alitis/ slee'iness, %onfusion, and movement 'roblems. $!ere3s no %ure, but most
'eo'le re%over %om'letely wit! su''ortive treatment. :owever, some 'eo'le are left wit!
'ermanent nerve or brain dama&e. About F? of 'eo'le wit! 2M die.
(ularemia %rabbit "ever'! 5eo'le usually &et tularemia from dire%t %onta%t wit! rabbits.
A 'erson %an also &et it via t!e bite of an infe%ted ti%- or deerfly, by eatin& %ontaminated
food, by drin-in& %ontaminated water, or by breat!in& in F. tularensis, t!e ba%teria t!at
%auses rabbit fever. <t3s very infe%tious/ Fewer t!an F> mi%ros%o'i% &erms %an %ause a
let!al infe%tion. $!is is w!y tularemia was studied durin& World War << as a &erm warfare
a&ent.
$!e -ind of disease one &ets de'ends on !ow one is infe%ted. $!e in!aled form is most
severe, wit! a (>?4L>? fatality rate in untreated %ases. <t %auses 'neumonia wit! sudden
fever, %!ills, mus%le and 6oint a%!es, dry %ou&!, and 'ro&ressive wea-ness. <n severe
%ases t!ere is bloody s'it wit! diffi%ulty breat!in&.
#$%ine #ncephalitis and West &ile 'ir%ses
$!e e7uine en%e'!alitis and West Nile viruses are transmitted from wild birds to !umans
44 and to !orses 44 by mos7uitoes. We read a lot about West Nile virus, be%ause of its
re%ent arrival in t!e ;... and its ra'id s'read a%ross t!e nation. <t %an %ause a very
dan&erous infe%tion of t!e brain and s'inal %ord. .o %an e7uine en%e'!alitis, w!i%! !as
lon& been firmly rooted in t!e ;... <n fa%t, eastern e7uine en%e'!alitis is %onsidered a
mu%! more serious disease. About (>? of 'eo'le w!o &et it die, and anot!er (>? !ave
lastin& nerve dama&e.
Most years t!ere are very few %ases of e7uine en%e'!alitis. But some years are mu%!
worse t!an ot!ers 44 and t!ere3s no way to 'redi%t in advan%e w!en t!ere will be an
outbrea-. <t3s too soon to -now w!et!er West Nile virus will be t!e same every year or
%ome in %y%les in t!e ;...
#(ola 'ir%s
<t3s !ard to t!in- of a more !orrible disease t!an "bola !emorr!a&i% fever. "bola virus is
s'read by %onta%t wit! t!e blood or body fluids of an infe%ted 'erson. Does it %ome from
animals8 5robably. Mon-eys and &reat a'es &et it 44 and 'eo'le %an &et it from t!em
w!en t!ey but%!er t!em for food. But mon-eys die of "bola, so t!ey %an3t be t!e ultimate
!ost. Most resear%!ers t!in- t!ere3s an animal out t!ere !arborin& t!e virus. $!ey 6ust
!aven3t found it yet.
SARS
$!at .AR. emer&ed in !ina3s #uan&don& 'rovin%e seems sure. W!at3s not sure is
w!ere it %ame from. .AR. is a %oronavirus, but it3s not li-e any ot!er member of t!e
%oronavirus family. .ome resear%!ers t!in- it may !ave %ome from an endan&ered animal
-nown as a mas-ed 'alm %ivet 44 li-e most e1oti% animals, a %ulinary deli%a%y in 'arts of
!ina. 0t!ers find t!e eviden%e wea-. W!et!er .AR. evolved in animals or !umans
remains a matter of debate.
)n*l%en+a
0ne disease t!at3s definitely evolvin& in animals is influenza. And one 'la%e it3s evolvin&
is none ot!er t!an #uan&don&, !ina, w!ere animals are -e't in %lose 'ro1imity to one
anot!er. Flu viruses tend to arise in du%-s and &eese. $!ey s'read to %!i%-ens and to 'i&s.
5i&s %an also &et infe%ted wit! !uman flu viruses, so t!ey ma-e a &ood mi1in& 'ot for
new flu. W!en an animal or a 'erson is infe%ted wit! two different flu viruses, t!e viruses
li-e to swa' 'arts. 9oilMN A new virus emer&es.
<nfe%tious disease s'e%ialists don3t wonder w!et!er t!ere will be a new worldwide flu
e'idemi%. $!ey only wonder w!en it will !a''en. $!ere !ave been two re%ent %lose %alls.
<n F))D, let!al bird flu arose in t!e 'oultry mar-ets of :on& Gon&. 5eo'le &ot infe%ted
and died, but t!e slau&!ter of millions of %!i%-ens sto''ed t!e virus before it learned !ow
to s'read from 'erson to 'erson. <n ,>>F and ,>>,, similarly bird flu viruses evolved in
:on& Gon& %!i%-ens. Fortunately, t!ey didn3t s'read to !umans.
)n*l%en+a contin%ed,,,
Robert #. Webster, 5!D, is dire%tor of t!e World :ealt! 0r&anization %ollaboratin&
%enter on influenza viruses in lower animals and birds.
=We don3t want t!is in !umans or t!e world will be in dee', dee' trouble,= Webster told
WebMD in a ,>>, interview. =W!at will you do if one of t!ese &ets away8 Iou !aven3t
&ot anyt!in& to do. Are we &oin& to be 're'ared for t!is8 <t is &oin& to !a''en sooner or
later.=