Infections that occur in animals and can be passed to humans are known as zoonotic diseases. Contact between humans and their pets results in millions of zoonotic infecti
Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common zoonoses (animal infection that can be passed to humans). Toxoplasmosis is a caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Zoonoses can also be caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Infection from Owner to Pet
- Patients with MRSA infection can pass infection to their dogs, cats or other pets through normal contact. Pets can then pass infection back to their owners through normal contact resulting in reinfection.
- Healthcare workers may pass MRSA back and forth with their pets.
Infection from Pet to Owner
Parasitic zoonotic infection:
- Toxoplasmosis gondii (most commonly contracted through direct contact with cat feces during litter box cleaning and gardening in feces contaminated soil)
- Toxcariasis (roundworm infection) caused by the roundworm (ascarid) Toxocara canis in dogs and Toxocara cati in cats (contracted by ingesting playground and sandbox soil contaminated with animal feces containing parasite eggs)
- Cutaneous larva migrans caused by dog and cat hookworms (Ancylostoma spp.) (contracted when hookworm eggs from fecal matter deposited on soil or sand hatch and release larvae that may penetrate the skin)
- Echinocococcosis (hydatid disease) caused by the tapeworms (cestodes) Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus multilocularis (contracted by ingesting eggs shed in dog feces)
- Tapeworm infection caused by the cat and dog tapeworm Dipylidium caninum (contracted by ingesting infected fleas)
- Miscellaneous parasitic infections: Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia lamblia
After parasitic infections, fungal skin infections are the most common pet-related disease.
Fungal zoonotic infection:
- Cutaneous dermatophytosis (ringworm) caused by a fungal skin infection of dogs and cats (contracted through direct contact with infected skin)
- Bacterial zoonotic infections:
- Campylobacteriosis and Salmonellosis caused by Campylobacter spp., and Salmonella spp. are the most common bacterial pet-related infections (contracted through fecal-oral contact)
- Cat-scratch disease caused by the bacteria Bartonella henselae found in infected fleas from cats (contracted through flea bites)
- Leptospirosis caused by the bacteria Leptospira spp. (contracted through contact with contaminated urine, body fluids other than saliva, water and soil)
- Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness transmitted by infected ticks (contracted through bites from infected ticks carried by pets)
- Pasteurella caused by different species of Pasteurella, bacteria found in the oral cavity of cats and dogs (contracted through animal bites, scratches and saliva)
- Psittacosis (Parrot fever) caused by Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) psittaci (contracted through exposure to feces or nasal secretions of infected birds)
- Brucellosis caused by the bovine pathogen Brucella abortus (contracted through consumption of unpasteurized dairy products or exposure to infected livestock)
- Fish tank granuloma caused by Mycobacterium marinum (contracted through cleaning and maintaining of fish aquariums)
- Miscellaneous bacterial zoonotic infections: plague and tularemia (contracted through infected cats who have been in contact with wildlife)
Viral zoonotic infection:
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis caused by a virus that infects pet hamsters, guinea pigs, mice and other rodents (contracted through direct contact with pet)
- Rabies caused by the Lyssavirus from the Rhabdoviridae family of viruses found in wildlife and unvaccinated pets (contracted through animal bite)
- Monkeypox caused by the orthopox virus (contracted through infected pet prairie dogs and other animals from the wild sold as pets)
Athropod infection:
Scabies caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabei (contracted through dogs infected with S. scabiei canis)
Measures to reduce the risk of pet-related infections:
- thorough and regular handwashing
- proper disposal of animal waste
- treatment of pet infectionspregnant women should not change litter box or handle stray cats
- thoroughly cook meats used as pet food
Note: Immunocompromised patients, infants and young children, pregnant women and older adults should avoid reptiles, chicks, ducklings, kittens, puppies and animals with diarrhea, as well as contact with animals at petting zoos.
Source:
The copyright of the article Pet-Related Infections in Microbiology is owned by Judy Arbique. Permission to republish Pet-Related Infections in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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