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Pet-Borne Infection

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Pet-Borne Infection, Pet-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses, Pet Borne Disease, Pet Borne Zoonoses, Zoonoses, Zoonotic Pathogen, Zoonosis

  • See Also
  1. Vector Borne Disease
  • Definitions
  1. Zoonosis
    1. Animal borne-disease that may be naturally transmitted to humans on close contact (e.g. animal handlers)
  • Transmission
  • Skin Contact with contaminated soil or water (or skin-to-skin contact)
  1. Cutaneous Larva Migrans (Hookworm from dog or cat feces exposure)
  2. Mycobacterium Marinum (fish tanks)
  3. Tinea Corporis (Ringworm, esp. microsporum canis)
  • Transmission
  • Fecal-oral route - ingestion of contaminated soil or feces
  1. Echinococcosis (Tapeworm from dogs)
  2. Toxoplasmosis (Cat litter)
  3. Cryptosporidium (Cats and dogs)
  4. Giardiasis (Cats and dogs)
  5. Campylobacter (Cats and dogs)
  6. Salmonella (Cats, dogs, chickens and reptiles)
  7. Leptospirosis (Dogs, rodents) - from infected urine exposure
  8. Toxocariasis (Roundworm from dogs and cats)
    1. Visceral Larva Migrans
    2. Ocular Larva Migrans
  1. Pasteurella (dogs and cats)
  2. Cat-Scratch Disease (cats acquire Bartonellosis via cat fleas)
  3. Rabies
  • Transmission
  • Inhalation of urine, fecal material or secretions
  1. Psittacosis (pet birds)
  2. Leptospirosis (dogs)
  3. Plague (Cats exposed to wildlife)
    1. Gage (2000) Clin Infect Dis 30:893-900 [PubMed]
  4. Tularemia (Cats exposed to wildlife)
    1. (1982) MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 31:39-41 [PubMed]
  5. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (Hamsters, guinea pigs, mice)
    1. (2005) MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 54:799-801 [PubMed]
  6. Monkeypox (Prairie dogs)
    1. Reed (2004) N Engl J Med 350:342-50 [PubMed]
  • Transmission
  • Insects and infections on skin of cat or dog
  1. See Vector Borne Disease
  2. Lyme Disease
  3. Scabies Mite
    1. Primarily acquired from dogs (Sarcoptes scabei), rarely from cats
    2. Most human Scabies (scabiei var hominis) is transmitted from other humans, not pets
  4. Fleas (Dipylidiasis from flea ingestion)
  5. Tinea Corporis or Tinea Capitis
  • Transmission
  • Backyard poultry infection risks
  1. Organisms
    1. Salmonellosis
    2. Campylobacter
    3. Chlamydia species
    4. Mycobacterium species
    5. Influenza Virus
    6. Equine Encephalitis virus
    7. West Nile Virus
  2. Prevention
    1. Isolate backyard poultry from wild birds
    2. Disinfect food and water containers regularly and systematically clean pen and coop
    3. Control health of poultry flock (Parasite control, health monitoring)
    4. Immediately quarantine ill appearing live poultry
    5. Wash hands with soap and water after contact with the live poultry or their environment
    6. Children under age 5 years, older adult, Immunocompromised should avoid live poultry contact
    7. Keep live poultry out of the house
    8. Do not clean poultry cages or food/water containers inside the house
    9. Avoid touching mouth or eating/drinking while caring for live poultry
  • Transmission
  • Reptile or Amphibian infection risks
  1. Organisms
    1. Salmonellosis
  2. Prevention
    1. Children <5 years, older adult, Immunocompromised should avoid reptile/amphibian contact
    2. Wash hands with soap and water after contact with the reptile/amphibian or their environment
    3. Keep reptile/amphibians (and their equipment) out of the kitchen and other food preparation areas
    4. Try to clean cages outside the house (and disinfect area well if cleaned within home)
    5. Treat reptile/amphibian food and water as if it is contaminated with Salmonella
    6. Do not kiss reptile/amphibians
  • Transmission
  • Other infestations that are NOT transmitted from pets
  1. Head Lice
    1. Head Lice do not transmit from pets to people or vice versa
  2. Human Pinworms
    1. Human Pinworms are specific to humans and are not transmitted from pets
  3. Tick-borne illness
    1. Pets and humans are both susceptible to tick-borne infection, but they do not transmit these to each other
    2. Pets may however carry ticks into the home where humans are then bit by the tick
  • Resources
  1. CDC Healthy Pets
    1. http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/
  • References
  1. Day (2016) Am Fam Physician 94(10): 794-802 [PubMed]
  2. Grant (1999) Emerg Infect Dis 5:159-63 [PubMed]
  3. Rabinowitz (2007) Am Fam Physician 76(9):1314-22 [PubMed]
  4. Wong (1999) J Am Vet Med Assoc 215:335-8 [PubMed]