Please
note: This is an informative page only. It is not meant to recommend treatment
for either animal or human disease. If you have health concerns for your pet
contact your Veterinarian. If you have health concerns for yourself contact your
physician.
Much of the information
on this site is based on text modified from a document created by Michael S.
Rand DVM, ACLAM
(Roundworm infection, ascaridiasis) A common, but
usually mild, roundworm infection of both
humans and animals, occurring
worldwide. There is doubt whether the worms cross between species. The
causative agent in humans is usually Ascaris lumbricoides. Ascaris suum
in pigs is considered occasionally a zoonotic infection (Nematoda).
There is no vaccine.
RESERVOIR AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
A. lumbricoides has its reservoir in humans and in
contaminated soil. A. suum occurs in pigs. Eggs are passed in feces and
become infective after two weeks. Infection is by the ingestion of eggs
in soil or undercooked food. Eggs hatch in the gut, penetrate its wall
and reach the lungs via the bloodstream. Larvae develop in the lungs,
ascend the trachea and are swallowed and mature in the gut. Egg-laying
begins 45-60 days after initial infection.
INCUBATION PERIOD:
Humans. About two months. Animals. Development of
A. suum in the pig is said to be quicker than in the human.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Humans. The condition is usually asymptomatic but
there may be fever with asthma, spasmodic coughing and possibly
pneumonitis. Abdominal pain, and even bowel or bile duct obstruction, is
possible. Occasionally migrating larvae cause symptoms referable to the
brain, eyes, kidneys and liver. Animals. Migrating larvae cause
irregular breathing and coughing. Heavy infection gives abdominal pain
with diarrhoea. Suckling pigs are most affected.
PATHOLOGY:
Humans. Eosinophilia and pulmonary eosinophilic
infiltration occur. Liver abscesses and cholangitis are sometimes seen.
Animals. Larvae migrating through the lung cause pneumonia. Worms in the
intestine give enteritis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Humans. Identify eggs or adult worms in feces.
Larvae in sputum or gastric washings are diagnostic. Animals. Examine
feces for eggs, or monitor worms passed rectally or via mouth and nose.
An egg count of more than 1OOO/g of feces indicates clinical disease.
PROGNOSIS:
: Humans. The condition is rarely fatal. Aberrant
larvae in brain, eyes and kidney can give severe symptoms.
Animals.Rarely fatal.
PREVENTION:
Humans. Sanitary disposal of feces coupled with
good personal and food hygiene are essential. Animals. Worm and wash
sows before farrowing. Rear pigs on concrete or avoid close confinement
on soil.
TREATMENT:
Humans and animals. Pyrantel pamoate is the
treatment of choice. Stools should be rechecked at 2 weeks and patients
retreated until all ascarids are removed.
Actinobacillus lignieresii, Actinobacillus equuli, and
Actinobacillus suis
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE:
These bacteria belong to the oropharyngeal resident microbiota
of horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs. Persons at risk are butchers and individuals
having intensive contact with farm animals.
TRANSMISSION:
Human infections are mostly due to animal bites but
may result from direct contact (skin lesions) with the animals mentioned
above.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Wound infections with abscess formation are observed mainly on
the hands and forearms. Septicemia may occur.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is performed by culture and biochemical reactions.
DIFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS:
Other bacterial agents causing purulent infections such as
Staphylococci, Streptococci, Pasteurella, Streptobacillus moniliformis, and
Capnocytophaga spp. must be ruled out.
THERAPY:
β-Lactam antibiotics or fluoroquinolones are
recommended.
Many wild and domestic animals harbor infection. In
Gambian trypanosomiasis, humans are the main reservoir and source of
infection for the vector tsetse fly (Glossina palpalis, tachinoides, or
fuscipes). In Rhodesian trypanosomiasis, animals, especially domestic
cattle and pigs, play an important role as reservoirs.
TRANSMISSION:
The tsetse fly is infected when it bites during the
parasitemic phases and the trypanosome develops in the vector,
culminating in infection of its saliva. Transmission is by the tsetse
fly bite. In humans, intrauterine infection has been recorded.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Occasionally mild disease occurs in domestic
animals with chronic nervous sequela in T. gambiense infection.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
The trypanosomal chancre: This a local pruritic,
painful inflammatory reaction with regional lymphadenopathy that appears
about 48 hours after the tsetse bite and lasts 2-4 weeks. The
hemolymphatic stage: Usually absent or unnoticed in T. b. gambiense
infections. Irregular fevers, headaches, joint pains, malaise, pruritus,
papular skin rash, edemas. Patients may succumb to myocarditis before
signs of central nervous system invasion appear. The meningoencephalitic
stage: Insomnia, motor and sensory disorders, abnormal reflexes,
somnolence to coma. Trypanosomes and increased white cells and protein
in cerebrospinal fluid.
DIAGNOSIS:
Definitive diagnosis requires identifying the
organism in the bite lesion, blood, lymph node aspirate, or CSF.
Serologic tests become positive after 12 days.
TREATMENT:
Hemolymphatic stage: Suramin, eflornithine or
pentamidine. Late disease: melarsoprol or eflornithine or tryparsamide
plus suramin.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Wear long sleeves and trousers in endemic areas.
Avoid wearing dark-colored clothing, and use mosquito nets while
sleeping. Repellents do not work on tsetse flies. Pentamidine is used as
a chemoprophylaxis against the Gambian type.
(Chagas's Disease, Chagas-Mazza Disease, South
American Trypanosomiasis)
AGENT:
Trypanosoma cruzi
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Dogs, cats, and guinea pigs are the main reservoirs
for human infection. T. cruzi occurs only in the Americas; it is found
from southern South America to northern Mexico, Texas, and the
southwestern U.S. An estimated 12 million people are infected, mostly in
rural areas, resulting in about 60,000 deaths yearly.
TRANSMISSION:
Humans are infected when the insect's feces become
rubbed into the wound caused by the bite of an infected bloodsucking
insect (triatomid) or when the conjunctiva, mucous membranes or
abrasions become contaminated. After invading local reticuloendothelial
cells, the trypanosome multiplies in the blood. Adaption of triatomid
vector to the human domestic environment allows transfer of infection
between animals, from animals to humans or from human to human.
Transmission by blood transfusions from infected persons, congenital
infection, breast milk and laboratory accidents are possible.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Acute and inapparent infection occur in wild
animals and chronic disease is seen in dogs. The acute form, which
includes fever, enlarged liver and lymph nodes and heart irregularities,
lasts 10-30 days before becoming chronic without further clinical signs,
though sometimes myocarditis occurs. Lesions in dogs resemble those in
humans.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Acute illness usually occurs in children with a
furuncle at the site of infection. Signs include fever, malaise,
enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen. If the primary site of infection
is the eye there is unilateral edema of eyelids and conjunctivitis.
Rarely myocarditis and meningoencephalitis occur. Chronic symptoms in
adults result from arrhythmias and dilation of the heart, esophagus and
colon. Furuncles (chagoma) appear at the point of entry of the
infection. Enlarged liver and spleen, myocarditis, grossly dilated
heart, intestines, esophagus, ureter and bladder and meningoencephalitis
occur.
DIAGNOSIS:
Several serologic tests are available and are of
presumptive value; when possible, more than one test should be used. In
the acute stage, trypanosomes should be looked for by examination of
anticoagulated fresh blood for motile organisms. In the chronic stage,
the parasite can only be detected by culture or xenodiagnosis.
TREATMENT:
Therapy is unsatisfactory; the drugs are toxic and
often ineffective. In the acute phase, however, cure is usually
possible. In the chronic phase, although parasitemia and xenodiagnosis
become negative, treatment does not alter the serologic reaction,
cardiac function, or progression of the disease. Nifurtimox or
benznidazole is used. Ketoconazole shows promise also.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Destroy the vector by insecticides. Use insect nets
to prevent bites. Screen blood donors.
Allergic skin and respiratory reactions are quite
common in personnel working with laboratory animals. Many animals are
implicated including the cat, dog, horse, rabbit, rat, mouse, hamster,
gerbil, guinea pig, and NHP. Up to 8% of clients with budgies are
affected. Hypersensitivity reactions include: 1. Nasal congestion 2.
Runny nose 3. Sneezing 4. Itching of eyes 5. Angioedema 6. Asthma 7. A
variety of skin manifestations (localized urticaria and eczema) Maximal
allergenic activity in humans resulted from the albumin fraction of pelt
extracts from rats, mice, and rabbits. The fraction of G. pig extract
with maximum allergic activity seems to be a prealbumin. Two major
allergens in mouse serum, skin, and urine have been identified. *THE
MAJOR URINARY PROTEIN COMPLEX IS ONE OF THE MOST RECENT ALLERGENS TO BE
IDENTIFIED FROM MOUSE PELTS AND SKIN. Suggests that a possible cause of
sensitization in lab personnel is dispersal of urinary protein from
litter in mouse cages.
DIAGNOSIS:
History Physical Exam Pulmonary Function Tests Skin
Testing Laboratory Tests a. CBC b. Immunoglobulins and IgE antibody
specific to one allergen as measured by the RAST (Radioallergosorbent
Test) c. Nasal smears for eosinophilia d. Serum precipitants to specific
allergens
TREATMENT AND PREVENTION:
Pharmacologic treatment Allergen Immunotherapy
Complete avoidance of the antigen Reducing exposure to offending antigen
a. Reduction of direct animal contact time b. Increasing room
ventilation c. Exhaust hoods d. Filter caps on cages e. Protective
clothing, masks, and respirators
The reservoir of E. histolytica is man. The infections is
present worldwide but is most prevalent and severe in tropical areas, where
rates may exceed 40% under conditions of crowding, poor sanitation, and poor
nutrition. It is estimated that there are about 50 million case of invasive
amebiasis and 40,000-100,000 deaths annually worldwide. In temperate areas,
however, amebiasis tends to be asymptomatic or a mild, chronic infection that
often remains undiagnosed. In the USA, seropositive rates up to 2-5% have been
reported in some populations. Reported incidence of 0-31% in the feces of
clinically normal Rhesus monkeys, 2-67% in Chimps, and up to 30% in other NHP.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmission may be by ingestion of infective cysts,
contaminated water or food, by flies, or fomites. Exists as resistant cysts or
more fragile trophozoites CYSTS are the INFECTIOUS form found in the stool of
asymptomatic carriers or patients with mild disease. The cysts remain viable, if
moist and cool for 12 days. Remain viable for 30 days in water. Laboratory
animal personnel are usually infected from fecal matter transferred to the skin
or clothing.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
In dogs, infection by E. histolytica is generally
asymptomatic and frequently localized in the cecum. Occasionally, it can invade
tissues and cause acute or chronic amebiasis. Rhesus monkeys are generally
resistant and usually experience asymptomatic infection, but chronic, mild
colitis can occur. In chimpanzees, the infection can persist for a long time, in
most cases subclinically, but sometimes it invades the tissues causing
ulcerative colitis and hepatic abscesses. New World monkeys are considered more
susceptible to the disease than Asian or African monkeys. Wild rats can also
harbor E. histolytica; the protozoan can be found in the large intestine as a
commensal or it can invade the mucosa and cause amebic dysentery.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Mild to moderate colitis: recurrent diarrhea and abdominal
cramps, sometimes alternating with constipation; mucus may be present; blood is
usually absent. Severe colitis: semiformed to liquid stools streaked with blood
and mucus, fever, colic, prostration. In fulminant cases, ileus, perforation,
peritonitis, and hemorrhage occur. Hepatic amebiasis: fever, hepatomegaly, pain,
localized tenderness.
DIAGNOSIS:
Use fresh fecal specimen to identify cysts or trophozoites.
Sedimentation. Must measure to distinguish from other nonpathogenic amoebae.
Indirect HI For hepatic amebiasis, ultrasonography can locate the cyst and fine
needle aspiration is performed to find the organism.
TREATMENT:
May require the concurrent or sequential use of several
drugs. The tissue amebicides dehydroemetine and emetine act on organisms in the
bowel wall and in other tissue but not in gut lumen. Chloroquine is active
principally against amebas in the liver. The luminal amebicides diloxanide
furoate, iodoquinol, and paromomycin act on organisms in the bowel lumen but are
ineffective against amebas in the bowel wall or other tissue. Metronidazole is
unique in that it is effective both in the lumen and in the wall and in other
tissue. However, when used alone, it only cures 50% of the cases.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Strict sanitation & personal hygiene, protective clothing
and gloves. Fecal screening of NHP. Protect water supply from fecal
contamination. Usual chlorine levels don't destroy cysts. *10ppm chlorine
residual necessary to destroy cysts Heat to 50oC (122oF) kills cysts. Adequate
cooking to destroy cysts. Protect food from fly contamination.
The causative agents are mainly Necator americanus and
Ancylostoma duodenale; occasionally A. ceylanicum and A. caninum.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
A common worm infection of humans and domestic dogs and
cats in various tropical and subtropical countries where disposal of human feces
is inadequate. The reservoirs are humans, dogs, and cats.
TRANSMISSION:
Adult worms, living in the small intestines of humans,
produce eggs which pass on to the ground in feces. The eggs hatch and go through
three larval stages. Human infection results from the third-stage larvae which
survive in soil for several weeks in moist and warm conditions. Animals and man
become infected by contact with infected soil, the larvae penetrating through
skin or mucosa of the digestive tract. The parasites then migrate through the
blood capillaries to the lung, eventually to be coughed up and swallowed. They
reach maturity and complete their cycle in the intestines.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Factors such as the weight of infection and nutritional
state of the animal are important. Loss of blood together with malnutrition
produce anemia. Severe enteritis causes hemorrhagic diarrhea and weight loss
from intestinal malabsorption. Prenatal infection of the dog causes death of the
fetal pups. Mild infections generally cause no clinical signs.
DISEASE IN MAN:
The condition is often asymptomatic. Self-limiting
vesicular/pustular skin eruptions may appear at the site of larval entry. A.
caninum does not penetrate human skin beyond the epidermis. With other species
chronic symptoms due to iron deficiency anemia may occur. Rarely there is
tracheitis and coughing due to lung infiltration with parasites.
DIAGNOSIS:
Fecal flotation
TREATMENT:
Pyrantel pamoate, mebendazole, albendazole, levamisole, or
tetrachloroethylene.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Educate the public to the dangers of soil contamination by
feces. Wear shoes! Screen feces from persons and animals from endemic areas.
Keep kennel floors dry and avoid feeding animals on the ground.
Two metastrongylids, Angiostrongylus (Morerastrongylus)
costaricensis and A. cantonensis, are the etiologic agents. The first species is
responsible for abdominal angiostrongyliasis, and the second one for
eosinophilic meningitis or meningoencephalitis.The definitive hosts of both
species are rodents; man is an accidental host. Both species require mollusks as
intermediate hosts for the completion of their life cycle. The main definitive
host of A. costaricensis is the cotton rat, Sigmondon hispidus, in which the
adult nematode lodges in the mesenteric arteries and their branches on the
intestinal wall. The first-stage larva emerges from eggs laid in the arteries,
penetrates the intestinal wall, and is then carried with the fecal matter to the
exterior. In order to continue their development, the first-stage larvae have to
be ingested by a slug. Vaginulus ameghini, in which they change successively
into second- and third-stage larvae. When the infective third-stage larva is
ingested by a rodent, it seeks the ileocecal region, where it penetrates the
intestinal wall and locates in the lymphatic vessels (both inside and outside
the abdominal lymph nodes). In this location the larvae undergo two molts before
migrating to their final habitat, the mesenteric arteries of the cecal region.
Oviposition begins after about 18 days. and the first-stage larvae appear in the
feces 24 days after infection (prepatent period). In man, an accidental host.
the parasite can reach sexual maturity and produce eggs, but the eggs usually
degenerate, causing a granulomatous tissue reaction. The development cycle of A.
cantonensis is similar to that of A. costaricensis. The intermediate hosts are
various species of land snails, slugs, and freshwater snails. The definitive
hosts can become infected by ingesting infected snails, or plants and water
contaminated by them with the third larvae. In addition, infection can occur as
a result of consuming transfer hosts (paratenic hosts), such as crustaceans,
fish, amphibians, and reptiles, which in turn have eaten infected mollusks
(primary intermediate hosts). The definitive hosts of A. cantonensis are
primarily various species of the genus Rattus. When they enter a rat's body, the
third-stage larvae (which developed in a mollusk) penetrate the intestine and
are carried by the circulatory system to the brain, where they undergo two more
molts and become young adult parasites. From the cerebral parenchyma they
migrate to the surface of the brain. They remain for a time in the subarachnoid
space and later migrate to the pulmonary arteries, where they reach sexual
maturity and begin oviposition. The eggs hatch in the pulmonary arterioles,
releasing the first larva, which migrates up the trachea, is swallowed, and is
eliminated with the feces. Mollusks are infected by ingesting fecal matter of
infected rodents. In man, who is an accidental host, the larvae and young adults
of A. cantonensis generally die in the brain, meninges, or medulla oblongata.
The nematode can occasionally be found in the lungs.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE:
Abdominal angiostrongyliasis, caused by A. costaricensis,
is a parasitosis described a few years ago in Costa Rica; it is one of the most
recently recognized zoonoses. Human disease has also been confirmed in Honduras,
El Salvador, and Brazil. Suspected clinical cases have occurred in Nicaragua and
Venezuela. In Panama, the adult parasite was found in five species of rodents
belonging to three different families. In the past few years, the parasite has
been found in several specimens of Sigmodon hispidus in Texas, USA. Ozyomys
caliginosus in Colombia; and slugs in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The parasitosis is
probably much more widespread than is currently recognized. A. costaricensis has
not been recorded outside the Americas. Human cases of parasitism by A.
cantonensis have occurred in Thailand, Vietnam, Kampuchea, the Philippines,
Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and several Pacific islands. The parasite
is much more widely distributed, and its existence in rats has been confirmed in
southern China, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Egypt.
Until recently, the geographic distribution of A. cantonensis was thought to be
limited to Asia, Australia, the Pacific islands, and Africa. However, in recent
years its presence has been confirmed in Cuba, where infected rats (Rattus
norvegicus) and mollusks have been found; likewise, five human cases of
meningoencephalitis have been attributed to A. cantonensis in that country. It
is believed that the parasite was introduced to the island some years ago by
rats from a ship from Asia. In a study carried out on rat species (R. norvegicus,
R. rattus, and R. exulans) on the Hawaiian and Society Islands, the parasite was
found in more than 40% of the specimens captured. In Egypt, 32.7% of 55
specimens of R. norvegicus harbored the parasite. In the province of Havana,
Cuba, 12 out of 30 captured R. norvegicus were infected. In view of the
worldwide distribution of R. norvegicus and R. rattus, these rodents were
examined for the parasite in Puerto Rico, London, and New Orleans, but the
results were negative. Eosinophilic meningitis associated with infection by A.
cantonensis has been recorded in several hundred patients in endemic areas.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
The clinical manifestations of abdominal angiostrongyliasis
caused by A. cantonensis are moderate but prolonged fever, abdominal pain on the
right side. and, frequently, anorexia, diarrhea, and vomiting. Leukocytosis is
characteristic (20,000 to 50,000 per mm3), with marked eosinophilia (11 to 82%).
Palpation sometimes reveals tumoral masses or abscesses. Rectal examination is
painful, and a tumor can occasionally be palpated. Lesions are located primarily
in the ileocecal region, the ascending colon. appendix, and regional lymph
nodes, but they are also found in the small intestine. Granulomatous
inflammation of the intestinal wall can cause partial or complete obstruction.
Appendicitis was the preoperative
DIAGNOSIS:
in 34 cases. All but two of the children survived and
recovered. The highest prevalence (53%) was found in children 6 to 13 years old,
and twice as many boys as girls were affected. Ectopic localizations may occur;
when the liver was affected in some Costa Rican patients, the syndrome resembled
visceral larva migrans. Serologic studies carried out in Australia, in human
populations living in localities where the infection occurs in rats and those
living in other places where it does not, indicate that many human infections
are asymptomatic.
THE DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
In rodents, A. costaricensis produces lesions that are
located primarily in the cecum, as well as focal or diffuse edema of the
subserosa, a reduction in mesenteric fat, and swelling of the regional lymph
nodes. In highly parasitized animals, eggs and larvae may be found in various
viscera of the body. No significant difference in weight between parasitized and
nonparasitized animals has been confirmed. Rats infected by A. cantonensis may
show consolidation and fibrosis in the lungs. However, the physical appearance
of the animals does not reflect the degree of pathologic changes. For both
parasites, the prevalence of the infection is greater in adult than in young
rodents.
SOURCE OF INFECTION AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
Several species of rodents are known to serve as definitive
hosts of A. costaricensis: Sigmodon hispidus, Rattus rattus, Zygodontomys
microtinus, Liomys adspersus, 0ryzomys fulvescens, and 0. caliginosus; also,
natural infection has been found in a coati (Nasua narica) and marmosets (Saguinus
mystax). In a study carried out in Panama, the highest prevalence of the
infection was found in the cotton rat S. hispidus, which was also the most
abundant rodent in the six localities studied. The cotton rat inhabits areas
close to dwellings in both tropical and temperate America. it is omnivorous,
feeding on both plants and small vertebrate and invertebrate animals, including
slugs (V. ameghini). All these facts indicate that the cotton rat is a prime
reservoir and that it plays an important role in the epidemiology of the
parasitosis. Rodents are infected by ingesting infected mollusks. Another
probable source of infection is plants contaminated with mollusk secretions
"slime") containing third-stage infective larvae of the parasite. The manner in
which man contracts the infection is not well known. Infection probably occurs
by ingestion of poorly washed vegetables containing small slugs or their
secretions. It is believed that children can become infected while playing in
areas where slugs are abundant by transferring snail secretions found on
vegetation to their mouths. An increase in cases in children occurs in Costa
Rica during the rainy season, when slugs are most plentiful. Humidity is an
important factor in the survival of both the first- and third-stage larvae in
the environment, since they are susceptible to desiccation. The parasite species
in the Far East (A. cantonensis) has been found in at least ten different
species of the genus Rattus and in Bandicota indica and Melomys littoralis.
These rodents, natural definitive hosts, are infected by consuming mollusks or
paratenic hosts that harbor third-stage larvae. The infection rate of the
mollusks is usually high; both the prevalence and the number of larvae an
individual mollusk can harbor vary according to the species. Man, who is an
accidental host, is infected by consuming raw mollusks and also paratenic hosts
such as crustaceans or fish. The ecology of angiostrongyliasis is closely
related to the plant community, since it ultimately supports the appropriate
mollusks and rodents. The frequency of the human parasitosis depends on the
abundance of these hosts and the degree to which they are infected, and, also,
in the case of A. cantonensis, on eating habits (consumption of raw mollusks,
crustaceans, and fish).
DIAGNOSIS:
The spinal fluid characteristically shows elevated protein
and an eosinophilic pleocytosis. Occasionally, the parasite can be recovered
from spinal fluid. Peripheral eosinophilia with a low-grade leukocytosis is
common. A serologic test is available from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; its sensitivity and specificity are not established. CT and MRI may
show a central nervous system lesion.
TREATMENT:
No specific treatment is available; however, levamisole,
albendazole, thiabendazole (25 mg/kg three times daily for 3 days), or
ivermectin can be tried. Symptomatic treatment with analgesics or
corticosteroids may be necessary. The illness usually persists for weeks to
months, the parasite dies, and the patient then recovers spontaneously, usually
without sequelae. However, fatalities have been recorded.
CONTROL:
At least theoretically, angiostrongyliasis could be
controlled by reducing rodent and mollusk populations. Preventive measures at
the individual level consist of washing vegetables thoroughly, washing hands
after garden or field work, not eating raw or undercooked mollusks and
crustaceans, and not drinking water that may be unhygienic.
(Herring worm disease) A common parasitic infection from fish. The parasites are
widely distributed. Human disease occurs where people eat raw or lightly smoked
or salted saltwater fish or squid (e.g., in Japan, the Netherlands, Scandinavia
and Central America). The causative agents are Anisakis, Phocanema and
Contracaecum (Nematoda). There is no vaccine.
RESERVOIR AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
Definitive hosts are marine mammals such as dolphins or
seals. These pass the parasite's eggs in their feces. The eggs hatch and produce
larvae which infect the first intermediate host, usually a crustacean. A fish
may be the second intermediate host. Humans are aberrant hosts infected by
eating fish.
INCUBATION PERIOD:
Humans and animals. A few hours to a few weeks.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Humans. There may be fever, abdominal pain, vomiting,
hematemesis, coughing, pseudoappendicitis, and possibly symptoms associated with
intestinal perforation. Animals. Fish fail to thrive if heavily infected.
PATHOLOGY:
Humans.The larvae usually remain in the intestine causing
few lesions. However, they sometimes invade the stomach wall causing hematemesis
and may lodge in the mesenteric veins or in the viscera where they induce
eosinophilic granulomas and abscesses. Larvae may migrate up the esophagus to
the oropharynx. There is a low grade eosinophilia. Animals. In fish, atrophy of
the liver occurs and sometimes fatal infection of the heart. Visceral adhesions
and muscle damage can be severe.
DIAGNOSIS:
: Humans. Stools may show occult blood. Mild leukocytosis
and eosinophilia may be present. ELISA and RAST serologic tests may be tried but
are not reliable in chronic disease. In acute infection, the larvae sometimes
can be seen and removed endoscopically from the stomach. X-rays of the stomach
may show a localized edematous, ulcerated area with an irregularly thickened
wall, decreased peristalsis, and rigidity. Double contrast technique may show
the threadlike larvae. Small bowel x-rays may show thickened mucosa and segments
of stenosis with proximal dilation. Ultrasound examination of gastric and
intestinal lesions may also be useful. In the chronic stage, x-rays and
endoscopy of the stomach-but not of the bowels-may be helpful. The diagnosis is
often made only at laparotomy with surgical removal of the parasite. Animals.
Demonstrate the parasite in tissues of fish.
PROGNOSIS:
Humans. The condition is rarely fatal. Animals. Wide
distribution of the parasites and consequent disease results in difficulty in
maintaining marine vertebrates in laboratories.
PREVENTION:
Humans. Avoid raw or undercooked fish. Freezing fish kills
larvae. Eviscerate fish immediately after catching. Animals. Impractical.
TREATMENT:
Humans. Physical removal of larvae by gastroscopy or
surgery. Animals. Not appropriate. Legislation Humans and animals. None.
(Malignant pustule, wool-sorters' disease,
charbon, malignant edema, splenic fever) An acute bacterial infection of humans
and animals which may be rapidly fatal. The disease occurs worldwide and is
enzootic in certain African and Asian countries. It is an occupational hazard of
persons such as wool-sorters, fellmongers, knackermen, farm workers and
veterinarians in contact with infected animals or their products (e.g., blood,
wool, hides and bones). The causative agent is Bacillus anthracis (bacterium).
RESERVOIR AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
All domestic, zoo and wild animals are
potentially at risk of infection. Anthrax bacilli are released from infected
carcasses and form resistant spores on exposure to air. These spores contaminate
soil for many years. Humans are usually infected by inoculation from direct
contact with infected animals, carcasses or animal products and contaminated
soil. Inhalation or ingestion of spores may occur. Animals are infected from
contaminated feed, forage, water or carcasses. Laboratory accidents have
occurred.
INCUBATION PERIOD:
Humans. Cutaneous 3-10 days inhalation 1-5 days
gastrointestinal 2-5 days. Animals. 1-5 days.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Humans. Various forms include: 1. Cutaneous
anthrax; localized ulceration and scab with fever and headache which may be
followed within a few days by septicemia and meningitis. 2. Inhalation anthrax;
fulminating pneumonia. 3. Intestinal anthrax; acute gastroenteritis with bloody
diarrhoea. Animals. Peracute cases are found dead or moribund. Acute cases show
fever, excitation followed by depression, incoordination, convulsion and death.
Chronic cases show edema of throat, pharynx and brisket, especially in pigs.
PATHOLOGY:
Humans. Features include black scab (eschar) with
edema, enlargement of regional lymph nodes and possibly septicemia; pneumonia
and generalized hemorrhages. Animals. Carcasses should not be opened, hence
necropsy is rarely carried out. Main features include failure of the blood to
clot and hemorrhages throughout the body. The spleen is enlarged and softened.
The subcutaneous swelling, mainly about the neck and throat of affected pigs and
horses, contains gelatinous fluid. The blood contains very large numbers of B.
anthracis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Humans. Identify B. anthracis in stained blood
smears or by inoculation of laboratory animals. Culture swabs from wounds.
Animals. As for humans. Specific antigen for anthrax may be found in animal
products (e.g. hides) using a precipitin (Ascoli) test.
PROGNOSIS:
: Humans. Untreated cutaneous anthrax has a
fatality rate of 5-20 Per cent and gastrointestinal anthrax of 25-75 per cent.
Pulmonary anthrax is usually fatal. Animals. The condition is usually fatal in
cattle unless treated early. Pigs and horses are more resistant.
PREVENTION:
Humans. Prohibit contact with infected animals
and their products. Establish environmental and personal hygiene (e.g.,
ventilation and protective clothing) where a special risk exists. Treat wounds
promptly and disinfect imports of hairs and wool. Vaccination may protect those
occupationally exposed to risk. Apply strict laboratory safety measures. Isolate
infected patients, with concurrent disinfection. Animals. Sterilize, or avoid
using, meat and bone meal from high-risk countries for animal feed. Vaccinate
livestock grazing in enzootic area. Dispose of infected carcasses safely and
fence off areas contaminated by inadequately buried carcasses.
TREATMENT:
Humans. The mortality rate is high despite proper
therapy, especially in pulmonary disease. Penicillin G, 2 million units IV every
4 hours, is the therapy of choice. tetracycline, 500 mg orally every 6 hours,
may be used for mild, localized cutaneous infection. Animals. Penicillin
injection of all animals showing fever after the first case is confirmed. This
involves checking temperatures twice daily.
VACCINATION:
Humans. Offered to workers at risk. Animals.
Non-encapsulated Stern strain vaccine can be used in all species of domestic
animal. Annual vaccination of grazing animals using spore or alum precipitated
antigen vaccine in areas of high risk is recommended.
LEGISLATION:
Humans. The disease is notifiable in most
countries. It is a recognized occupational disease in some countries, including
the UK. Animals. Notifiable in many countries with mandatory disposal of
infected carcasses by burning or deep burial under lime. Opening of moving
suspect carcasses is prohibited.
In addition to the mite that causes sarcoptic scabies,
there are several other species that occasionally infest human skin and cause a
temporary dermatitis, although they are incapable of establishing themselves on
this aberrant host. These mites belong to the families Cheyletidae,
Dermanyssidae, and Macronyssidae. Animals play an essential role in the life
cycle of the flies whose larvae cause specific myiases. Man is only an
accidental host of these larvae, and in some myiases, such as those due to
Oestrus ovis or Gasterophilus spp., an aberrant host in which the larvae cannot
complete their development. Larval invasions of human skin or natural cavities
occur when there is a high incidence of animal myiasis. Pentasomes (Armillifer
sp.) are wormlike arthropods that are almost exclusively parasites of the
reptilian respiratory system. Snakes are the definitive hosts and many wild
rodents, on which snakes feed are the intermediate hosts. The female parasite
deposits eggs in the respiratory cavities of the reptiles. The eggs are
expectorated or swallowed and then eliminated with the feces. Humans can be
accidental hosts, by handling infected reptiles and placing contaminated hands
to the mouth. In humans the infection is usually asymptomatic. The encapsulated
larvae might be found during laparotomies or can be diagnosed by radiographic
examination.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Fleas, ticks, and mites should be controlled. Gloves and
protective clothing should be worn when handling lab animals.
In most man is an accidental host infected when
arthropods feed on him. Therefore quarantine of wild caught animals and
elimination of ectoparasites should prevent:
1.
DENGUE (Breakbone Fever, Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever) AGENT:
Flavivirus, Flavidviridae RESERVOIR:nonhuman
primates,occurs in Asia, Africa, Australia, the Caribbean
including Puerto Rico, the Pacific Islands, S. Europe, S. America
TRANSMISSION: mosquito vector (Aedes) DISEASE IN NONHUMAN
PRIMATES: subclinical DISEASE IN HUMANS: The first phase
of illness is usually mild fever, headache, myalgia,
lymphadenitis, pharyngitis, rhinitis and cough lasting 1-5 days and is followed
by 1-2 days of remission. The second peak of fever is
accompanied by a morbilliform maculopapular rash. Severe
hemorrhagic manifestations occur during the second phase especially in children.
DIAGNOSIS:> HI, CF, ELISA, or virus isolation.
TREATMENT: Treat shock by expanding circulating blood volume. Acetaminophen
given for discomfort. Prolonged convalescence.
PREVENTION/CONTROL: Mosquito control by screening and insect repellents. Others,
in addition to spread by vector, have presented problems
in the laboratory as a result of contact with tissues or
secretions of lab animals experimentally infected with virus.
Examples: 1. EQUINE ENCEPHALITIDES (EASTERN, WESTERN, AND
VENEZUELAN). These are diseases of horses, mules, birds,
humans, and other animals caused by the neurotropic viruses,
Alphavirus and Flavivirus. Wild birds serve as a reservoir, and the virus
requires an arthropod vector to transfer from reservoir
host to other susceptible species. Mosquitoes, chicken mites
and lice, ticks, and any other bloodsucking insects can serve as vectors. This
group of encephalitis viruses is unique to the New World.
Prevention is accomplished by adequate vector control and
vaccination of horses. Pigeons, chickens, pheasants, prairie chickens,
ducks, and geese are susceptible and, if infected when suitable vectors are
present, may pose a potential source of disease for
humans. There is a high mortality in humans infected with
these viruses.
2. CRIMEAN CONGO HEMORRHAGIC FEVER.
Nairovirus, Bunyaviridae family. Causes
epidemics in Bulgaria, USSR, and sporadic cases in Iraq, Pakistan and East
Africa. Associated with tick bites, primarily Hyalomma
genus. Also nosocomial outbreaks among hospital personnel.
3. OMSK HEMORRHAGIC FEVER (rodents)
4. KYASANUR
FOREST DISEASE (monkeys) Togaviridae occurs in bonnet macaques,
languors, and rodents in India spread by ticks lab
workers in the US affected while working with infected
primates (no vector) NHP exhibit fever, vomiting, diarrhea, epistaxis, and
death. In humans, there is a sudden onset of fever which
may be biphasic, with headache, generalized pains,
prostration, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, and vomiting. Vesicles occur on the
soft palate. Hemorrhagic manifestations may follow. Case fatality rate is 2-50%.
Diagnosed thru serology or viral isolation.
Treatment is supportive. Convalescent plasma with a high neutralizing antibody
titer has been reported to be useful. Prevention is thru
tick control.
5. CHIKUNGUNYA: Maintained by
vervets and baboons in Southern Africa. Transmitted by
biting flies and mosquitoes
6. RIFT VALLEY FEVER
(Enzootic Hepatitis)
AGENT:
Phlebovirus, Bunyaviridae
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
endemic in Africa and Egypt. Affects nonhuman primates, and
man. Cattle, bats, and sheep may be reservoir hosts.
TRANSMISSION:
mosquito vector highly contagious among laboratory workers
where transmission does not require vector.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Rapid death after fever occurs in lambs. In cattle abortion
and diarrhea occur. Liver lesions predominate histologically, with areas of
necrosis. Widespread hemorrhages occur.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Fever (which may be biphasic) has a sudden onset, with
severe headache, muscle and joint pains and photophobia. In a small proportion
of cases there are hemorrhages, liver necrosis, encephalitis and retinitis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Serology and virus isolation.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Control mosquitos. Precaution in handling necropsy
specimens. Arbovirus where the natural cycle of transmission DOES involve man:
Babesiosis in humans is a rare intraerythrocytic infection
caused by Babesia divergens and microti.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Natural hosts for B. microti are various wild and domestic
animals, particularly the white-footed mouse and white-tailed deer. With
extensions of the deer's habitat, the range of human infection appears to be
increasing. In the USA, the parasite has been found in coastal and island areas
of the northeast and mid-Atlantic states as well as Wisconsin, Minnesota, and
California. B. divergens occurs in Europe.
TRANSMISSION:
Humans are infected as a result of Ixodes tick bites, but
transmission from blood transfusion has also been reported. Splenectomized,
elderly, or immunosuppressed persons are the most likely to have severe
manifestations.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Many animals show only mild fever and recover
spontaneously. Deaths, which occur commonly in cattle, are due to either anemic
anoxia or pulmonary thrombosis. Other lesions stem from the hemolysis and
include enlarged spleen, liver, and hemoglobinuric nephrosis.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
B. microti infection lasts a few weeks to a month; the
illness is characterized by irregular fever, chills, headache, diaphoresis,
myalgia, and fatigue but is without malaria-like periodicity of symptoms. Most
patients have a moderate hemolytic anemia, and some have hepatosplenomegaly. The
disease is self-limited and most patents recover without sequelae. Infection
with B. divergens has only been reported in splenectomized patients and
progresses rapidly with high fever, severe hemolytic anemia, jaundice,
hemoglobinuria, and renal failure; death usually follows.
DIAGNOSIS:
ID of the intraerythrocytic parasite on Giemsa-stained
blood smears or serology.
TREATMENT:
B. divergens: blood transfusions, renal dialysis,
pentamidine plus trimethoprim-sulfa. B. microti: Treat symptomatically since
most case are self-limiting. In splenectomized patients, quinine plus
clindamycin and transfusions.
large ciliated protozoan, Balantidium coli. Trophozoite
50-70 microns by 40-50 microns.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Distributed worldwide especially in the tropics. Swine and
possibly rats and NHP's are the reservoir hosts. Humans, great apes, & several
monkey species may carry it. Incidence in NHP colonies - 0 to 63% Usually
asymptomatic, but may see diarrhea.
TRANSMISSION:
Ingestion of cysts or trophozoites from infected animal or
human feces. Cyst is the infectious form. Contaminated water or food.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS AND MAN:
Many infections are asymptomatic and probably need not be
treated. Chronic recurrent diarrhea, alternating with constipation, is most
common, but severe dysentery with bloody mucoid stools, tenesmus, and colic may
occur intermittently.
DIAGNOSIS:
Use fresh fecal samples to identify trophozoites or cysts
Trophozoites in scrapings or biopsy of ulcers of the large bowel.
TREATMENT:
tetracycline or iodoquinol
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Good sanitation & personal hygiene practices in NHP & Swine
colonies. Protect water & food from fecal contamination Identify positive lab
animals and treat.
Species associated with
infection - B. zoohelcum Reported infections
- wound infection, septicaemia, meningitis Reported
susceptibilities and treatments - cefotaxime, penicillins, ciprofloxacin,
tetracycline Notes - associated with cat and dog
bites - previously classified as Weeksella zoohelcom References - Reina,
J., Borrell, N. (1992). Leg abscess caused by Weeksellazoohelcum
following a dog bite. Clin. infect. Dis. 14, 1162-1163.
o Bertiella studeri and mucronanta, anoplocephalid
tapeworms. o 260-300mm length tapeworm with 10mm width. o Gravid segments shed
off in groups of about 20.
RESERVOIRS AND INCIDENCE:
NHP's.
TRANSMISSION:
NHP's acquire the parasitosis by ingesting mites infected
with cysticercoid larvae. Man can become infected accidentally by ingesting food
containing the mites.
DISEASE IN NHP'S:
asymptomatic.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
The infection is usually asymptomatic, but cases with
recurrent abdominal pain, vomiting, anorexia, constipation, and intermittent
diarrhea have been observed.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is based on microscopic observation of the
proglottids eliminated in the feces. The egg possesses a characteristic pyriform
apparatus.
One to two million Americans are bitten by animals
annually, and bites are responsible for 1% of emergency department visits. The
estimated annual incidence of animal bites is as follows: dog bites, 1-2
million; cat bites, 400,000; snake bites, 45,000; and rats and mice, 43,000. An
increased risk of infection in patients more than 50 years of age, those with
wounds of the upper extremities, and those with puncture wounds has been noted.
Prior splenectomy or mastectomy may increase the risk of severe infection. Wild
rat bites present public health problems. Bites cause pain, anxiety, wound
disfigurement, and wound infections. Many organisms are capable of infecting
animal bite wounds including Pasteurella spp., Capnocytophaga canimorsus, Afipia
felis, Rochalimaea henselae and quintana, Clostridium tetani, Streptobacillus
moniliformis, Spirillum minus, Tularemia, and Rabies. Bites from NHP's infected
with Herpes B-Virus could pose a serious threat to humans. Pit Bulls were
reported to be responsible for 20% of dog bite-related fatalities in 1979/80. By
1987-88, the breed was responsible for 62% of such deaths.
TREATMENT OF BITE WOUNDS:
Maintain records of all bites and scratches in the animal
facility. Notify physician. A lab animal program should have an occupational
medicine service available that understands the problems associated with animal
handling and is informed about zoonotic diseases. Cultures should be taken and
clean wound properly. * All wounds should be liberally irrigated. * Edematous
body parts should be elevated. * Apply antiseptic. * Tetanus must be current. *
Assess Rabies or Herpes B risk (notify public health personnel). * Antibiotic
therapy should be based on the wound culture.
North American
blastomycosis, Chicago disease, Gilchrist's disease.
ETIOLOGY:
Blastomyces dermatitidis,
a dimorphic fungus existing in mycelial form in cultures and as a budding yeast
in the tissues of infected mammals.
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION:
The disease has been
observed in the United States, eastern Canada, Zaire, Tanzania, South Africa,
and Tunisia. Autochthonous cases may have occurred in some Latin American
countries.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
The incubation period is
not well known; it possibly extends to several weeks or months. Blastomycosis is
a chronic disease that principally affects the lungs. The respiratory
symptomatology initially resembles influenzas purulent or bloody expectoration,
weight loss, and cachexia, in addition to fever and cough, may develop later. If
the infection remains localized, it can become asymptomatic. When it
disseminates, it can cause subcutaneous abscesses as well as localized
infections in several organs. Death frequently results in cases of untreated
disseminated infection. The cutaneous form is commonly secondary to the pulmo-nary
and is characterized by an irregular-shaped, scabby ulcer that has raised
borders and contains minute abscesses. Lesions develop on exposed parts of the
body.
THE DISEASE IN
ANIMALS:
The highest incidence is
observed in dogs around 2 years of age. The symptoms consist of weight loss,
chronic cough, dyspnea, cutaneous abscesses, fever, anorexia, and sometimes
blindness. The lesions localize in the lungs, lymph nodes, eyes, skin, and
joints and bones. Of 47 clinical cases recently described, 72% occurred in large
males. There were lesions of the respiratory tract in 85% of the cases.
SOURCE OF INFECTION
AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
The reservoir is
environmental, probably the soil, but the ecologic biotope has not been
determined. Transmission to man and to animals is effected by aerosols; the
fungal conidia are the infecting element. Persons at highest risk are those
having the most contact with the soil. Dogs most frequently infected are
sporting and hunting breeds.
ROLE OF ANIMALS IN
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE:
None. It is a disease
common to man and animals. Cases of transmission from individual to individual
(man or animal) are not known.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is based on
direct microscopic examination of sputum and material from lesions, on isolation
of the agent in culture media, and on examination of histologic preparations. B.
dermatitidis grows well in Sabouraud's culture medium or other adequate median
it is most distinctive in its sprouting yeast form, and therefore the inoculated
medium should be incubated at 37oC, since at ambient temperature the mycelial
form of the fungus is obtained. B. dermatitidis in its yeast form (in tissues or
cultures at 37oC) is characterized by a single bud attached to the parent cell
by a wide base, from which it detaches when it has reached a size similar to the
parent cell. In contrast, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, the agent of
paracoccidioidomycosis ("South American blastomycosis"), has multiple
buds in the yeast phase. Serologic tests in use are complement fixation and gel
immunodiffusion; the latter gives better results. It should be borne in mind
that cross-reactions with Histoplasma and Coccidioides may occur. At present,
the intradermal test is considered to have no diagnostic value.
TREATMENT:
Humans. Itraconazole,
100-200 mg/d orally, is now the therapy of choice for nonmeningeal disease, with
a response rate of over 70%. Amphotericin B is given for treatment failures or
cases with central nervous system involvement. Follow-up for relapse should be
regularly made for several years so that therapy may be resumed or another drug
instituted. Animals. Rare primary cutaneous disease may persist for months;
these lesions should be removed surgically since blastomycosis responds poorly
to therapy. Amphotericin B is considered the drug of choice, but treatment is of
little avail once the disease is disseminated. The combination of amphotericin B
and ketoconazole has been suggested to reduce the rate of relapse.
CONTROL:
As long as the ecologic
biotope remains poorly defined, practical prevention methods cannot be
established.
(Relapsing fever, tick-borne relapsing fever, spirochetal fever, vagabond fever,
famine fever) A widely distributed bacterial infection spread from wild rodents
by ticks or lice, with high fatality Tick-borne relapsing fever occurs in
Africa, the Americas, Asia and possibly parts of Europe. The causative agents
are Borrelia recurrentis and several other borrelia strains (bacterium). There
is no vaccine.
RESERVOIR AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
Epidemic louse-borne infection is not considered zoonotic. Endemic tick-borne
relapsing fever is transmitted from the natural wild rodent reservoir by tick
bites to humans and dogs. Transovarial transmission in ticks occurs. Blood-borne
person-to-person and intrauterine transmission have been reported.
INCUBATION PERIOD:
Humans: 1-15 days. Animals.Unknown.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Humans. Sudden onset of fever lasting for 3-5 days ends with a crisis. Then a
febrile period of 2-4 days is followed by one to ten or more recurrences of
fever accompanied by severe headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, jaundice and
sometimes a macular rash with bleeding due to thrombocytopenia. Meningitis and
cranial nerve involvement are possible. Animals. Arthritis and fever predominate
in infected dogs. The arthritis recurs and may progress to chronic deformity.
PATHOLOGY:
Humans. Many lesions occur, including enlarged, soft, infarcted spleen,
hepatomegaly, hemorrhages in bone marrow and skin, myocarditis,
bronchopneumonia, and meningitis. Animals. Arthritis, especially of the
phalangeal joints, occurs with the possibility of progression to fibrosis of the
joint capsule and ankylosis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Humans. Identify borrelia in thick blood smears. Otherwise isolate the pathogen
by inoculation of blood into susceptible animals if possible. Animals. Inoculate
blood or tissues into rats or mice.
PROGNOSIS:
Humans. The fatality rate is up to 40 per cent. Animals. Although fatality is
uncommon, the lesions tend to be progressive.
PREVENTION:
Humans and animals. Control tick vectors and prevent tick bites.
TREATMENT:
Humans. A single dose of tetracycline or erythromycin, 0.5 g orally, or a single
dose of procaine penicillin G, 600,000 units intramuscularly, probably
constitutes adequate treatment for louse-borne relapsing fevers. Because of
higher relapse rates, tick-borne disease is treated with 0.5 g of tetracycline
or erythromycin given 4 times daily for 5-10 days. Jarisch-Herxheimer reactions
may occur and respond to aspirin given every 4 hours. Pretreatment with steroids
is not effective in preventing this reaction. Animals. Tetracycline, penicillin,
erythromycin, and ceftriaxone at standard dosages for 21-28 days.
LEGISLATION:
Humans.Louse-borne relapsing fever is notifiable to the World Health
organization. Tick-borne infection may be notifiable in some countries (e.g. the
UK). Animals.None.
Of the above species, Brucella canis is most
likely zoonotic agent in the lab animal facility due to the extensive use of
random source and lab bred dogs, in contrast to use of large domestic animals.
Prevalence: 1 to 10% in dogs, throughout the U.S. B. canis is well adapted to
dogs, and is not the subject of a large scale eradication program in the general
dog population, as Brucella has been in other animals. Human brucellosis due to
B. canis is uncommon but can be acquired from dogs; most cases resulted from
contact with aborting bitches. In 1988, the CDC noted 96 cases of brucellosis
reported in the U.S.: 22 from Texas and 20 from Calif.
TRANSMISSION:
Ingestion of unpasteurized milk Lab accidents
Poorly defined transmission cycle in zoonotic diseases: contact with infected
animals especially aborted fetuses, fluids or membranes, or urine. Possibly
airborne.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
abortions are followed by immunity, though
carrier state persists especially with secretions from the udder. infertility,
testicular abnormalities, poor semen quality in dogs. inapparent infection may
be common, as indicated by seropositivity.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, fever, headache,
chills, orchitis, weakness, nausea, weight loss. The chronic form may assume an
undulant nature, with periods of normal temperature between acute attacks;
symptoms may persist for years, either continuously or intermittently.
Antibiotics can effect a cure within one year in about 80% of cases. Case
fatality if untreated is less than 2%.
DIAGNOSIS:
Rapid slide agglutination test is available.
Blood culture and additional serologic tests used to confirm slide test results.
TREATMENT:
Single-drug regimens are not recommended because
the relapse rate may be as high as 50%. Combination regimens of two or three
drugs are more effective. Either (1) doxycycline plus rifampin or streptomycin
(or both) (2) trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole plus rifampin or streptomycin (or
both) are effective in doses for 21 days. Longer courses of therapy may be
required to cure relapses, osteomyelitis, or meningitis.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
Quarantine and test Disposable gloves Chlorine,
organic iodine, quaternary ammonium compounds are rapid bactericidal agents.
(USA) (Tahyna virus [Europe]) A mild, febrile, viral
disease which occasionally causes severe encephalitis. It is transmitted by
mosquitoes from small wild mammals, mainly in summer, to persons frequenting
woodland areas of the USA and Canada, and certain European countries such as
Yugoslavia and the USSR. The causative agents are the California encephalitis
group of viruses (Bunyaviridae). There is no vaccine.
RESERVOIR AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
The virus cycles amongst small wild animals (e. chipmunks,
squirrels, rabbits and hares) and a variety of mosquito species. The infection
can be maintained independently over several years by transovarial transmission
in the mosquito. Humans are accidental hosts infected by mosquito bite during
occupational or recreational activities in wooded areas. Accidental infections
from laboratory accidents have occurred.
INCUBATION PERIOD:
Humans. 5-15 days. Animals. Unknown.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Humans. Symptoms lasting about 5-10 days range from fever
and headache with nausea and vomiting to fits and signs of aseptic meningitis,
encephalitis and neurological sequelae. Animals. Unknown but assumed
subclinical.
PATHOLOGY:
Humans. Encephalitis. Animals. Unknown.
DIAGNOSIS:
:Humans. The virus may sometimes be isolated from blood or
rarely, from cerebrospinal fluid. Serologic tests of blood or cerebrospinal
fluid may be diagnostic in specific types of encephalitis (by demonstrating
virus-specific IgM or a fourfold change in complement-fixing or neutralizing
antibodies). Animals. Impracticable.
PROGNOSIS:
: Humans. In humans, fatality is rare but neurological
defects may persist. Animals. Thought to be subclinical.
PREVENTION:
Humans. Prevent mosquito bites. Control the mosquito
vector. Apply laboratory safety procedures. Animals. Impracticable.
TREATMENT:
Humans. Vigorous symptomatic therapy. Such measures include
reduction of intracranial pressure (Mannitol), monitoring of intraventricular
pressure, the control of convulsions, maintenance of the airway, administration
of oxygen, and attention to adequate nutrition during periods of prolonged coma.
Animals. Not applicable.
LEGISLATION:
Humans. Acute encephalitis is notifiable in many countries,
including the USA and the UK. Animals.None.
Campylobacter (Vibrio) fetus ss. jejuni, a gram
negative, microaerophilic, curved, motile rod that is worldwide in distribution.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Isolated from laboratory animals including dog,
cat, hamsters, ferrets (>60 % in one study), nonhuman primates, rabbits,
swine, sheep, cattle, and birds Although most cases of human campylobacteriosis
are of unknown origin, infection after contact with sick animals has been well
documented. *In most reports of pet to human transmission of C. jejuni,
diarrheic puppies or kittens from pounds have been the source of infection. Pet
birds, chickens, and kittens are implicated in other reports. A lab animal
technician developed Campylobacter enteritis after feeding and cleaning up after
a recently imported nonhuman primate. The organism was first isolated from
nonhuman primates from Macaca fascicularis in 1979 and has since been reported
in baboons, rhesus, patas, and marmosets. Can be shed for long periods of time
in stool by asymptomatic carriers. Younger animals seem more likely to acquire
the infection and hence may more commonly shed the organism.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmission is thought to occur by the
fecal-oral route, through contamination of food or water, or by direct contact
with infected fecal material. The organism has also been isolated from
houseflies. At 40 C the organism is viable for three weeks in feces and milk,
four weeks in water, and five weeks in urine. Campylobacter is shed in the feces
for at least six weeks after infection. Infected children may transmit infection
to puppies or kittens, which may then expose other children. Poultry and cattle
are the main reservoirs for human infection, which is acquired by ingesting
contaminated raw milk, undercooked chicken or other food contaminated in the
kitchen.
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
Variable. the majority are asymptomatic carriers.
Mild to severe enteritis may be seen accompanied by fever, vomiting, and mucus
and blood in the feces. Bacteremia may occur complicated by meningitis or
abortion. Most signs appear 1 to 7 days after exposure and affect primarily the
jejunum, ileum, and colon.
DISEASE IN FERRETS:
Asymptomatic to proliferative colitis. Shed
organisms for long period of time (> 16 weeks).
DISEASE IN OTHER ANIMALS:
Has also been shown to cause hepatitis in
poultry, proliferative ileitis in hamsters, and abortion in ruminants. In all
animals, it may be associated with diarrhea, especially when acting secondarily
to virus infection.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Acute gastrointestinal illness, diarrhea with or
without blood, abdominal pain, and fever. It may cause pseudoappendicitis and,
rarely, septicemia and arthritis. Usually a brief, self-limiting disease. In
humans the asymptomatic carrier state is rare. Reinfection is possible in both
animals and man.
DIAGNOSIS:
1. Rapid diagnosis is done with dark field or
phase contrast microscopy of fecal material. 2. This is confirmed by stool
culture which requires a special selective growth media(CAMPY-BAP) and
incubation at 43oC with 10% CO2, 5% O2 and 85% Nitrogen. 3. Warthin Starry stain
and histo 4. Various techniques are being used to detect seroconversion to the
antigens of Campylobacter.
TREATMENT:
Animals can be treated based on culture and
sensitivity. Currently erythromycin is the drug of choice, but does not
eliminate the carrier state. Tetracycline or ciprofloxacin are alternatives.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
Vaccines provide partial protection of short
duration and routine use is not recommended. Control is aimed at isolation of
affected individuals and personal hygiene. An increased awareness of the
potential of infection due to Campylobacter is of primary importance. Thoroughly
cook all foodstuffs derived from animal sources, particularly poultry.
Recognize, prevent, and control Campylobacter infections among domestic animals
and pets. Wash hands after handling poultry and animal feces.
The causative agents are Capillaria hepatica (hepatic
form), C. philippinensis (intestinal form) and C. aerophila (respiratory form).
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
C. hepatica and C. aerophila are very rare infections with
isolated cases reported from North, Central and South America, Asia, and Europe.
C. philippinensis is endemic in certain areas of the Philippines and cases have
been reported from Thailand and Japan. Humans are the reservoir for C.
philippinensis. With C. hepatica, rodents are the reservoirs. Cats and dogs are
the reservoir for C. aerophila. Peromyscus maniculatus and Cletheronomys gapperi
are the major hosts in North America.
TRANSMISSION:
Humans are infected by eating raw fish containing infective
larvae. The worm parasite lives in the intestines of humans and autoinfection
occurs. Human feces contain large numbers of ova which contaminate watercourses
and infect freshwater fish. Humans may be infected by the ingestion of ova in
the soil also.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Infection with C. aerophila causes coughing, sneezing, and
nasal discharge in dogs, cats, and foxes. Worms of C. hepatica mature and
deposit eggs in liver tissue causing a local chronic inflammatory response in
mice and rats.
DISEASE IN MAN:
C. hepatica: acute and subacute hepatitis. The liver
lesions consist of enlargements with foci of granulation tissue containing worms
and ova. C. philippinensis: progressive weight and protein loss due to diarrhea
and malabsorption. The jejunal villi are obliterated with massive accumulations
of worms and ova. C. aerophila: fever and coughing. Worms present in epithelial
lining of respiratory tract causing pneumonitis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Liver or intestinal biopsy, necropsy, clinical signs &
symptoms. Fecal exam for ova, larva, or adults.
TREATMENT:
Albendazole, Thiabendazole, Mebendazole.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Do not eat uncooked fish and other aquatic animal life in
endemic areas. Control rodents and improve hygiene. Prevent pica. Sanitary
disposal of feces.
Capnocytophaga canimorsus (formerly Dysgonic
fermenter-2), a recently described aerobic, gram negative bacillus with unusual
fermentation pattern.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Found as part of oral flora of normal dogs and
cats. C. canimorsus has been isolated from the mouths of 24% and 17% of normal
dogs and cats respectively. Serious infections in man are most commonly reported
in splenectomized or immunocompromised people, alcoholics, or persons who have
chronic respiratory disease. More than 40 cases reported, many fatal, since
first reported in 1976.
TRANSMISSION:
Contact, bite or scratch from dog or cat
DISEASE IN MAN:
Can lead to cellulitis and overwhelming
bacteremia, meningitis, endocarditis, septic arthritis, and DIC. The organism
appears to have an affinity for the eye, causing angular blepharitis and severe
keratitis. Accidental corneal inoculation occurred during a tooth extraction in
a Poodle causing severe refractory keratitis in a veterinarian. The
predisposition of the cornea to infection may be due to its avascularity and to
the low concentrations of immunoglobulins and complement components in the
tissue. Most serious disease and fatalities have occurred in splenectomized
people. Case fatality rates of 4-27% have been reported.
DIAGNOSIS:
History, clinical signs, and culture. ORGANISM IS
SLOW GROWING. May require 8 days of incubation. Micro exam of blood smear or
buffy coat with gram stain to detect organisms.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Awareness, especially of high risk individuals
Treatment of bite wounds, Penicillin G. (Treatment of high risk people even
without sign of infection recommended.)
Controversial, it is not currently possible to
definitively name the causative agent responsible for CSD. Felt to be either
Afipia felis, a gram-negative rod or Rochalimaea henselae and Rochalimaea
quintana. Both are members of class Proteobacteria and both are intracellular
parasitic bacteria.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Associated with domestic cats throughout the USA,
and worldwide. Over 6000 cases annually. Seen more often in men than in women .
Have seen clusters of infection within families within a 2 to 3 week period,
suggesting that shedding by cats may occur periodically. Other sources of
infection have included scratches from other species including dogs, squirrels,
and goats and from wounds induced by crab claws, barbed wire, and plant
material.
TRANSMISSION:
90% of patients have been exposed to a cat. 75%
of these have been bitten, scratched, or licked. Most affected individuals are
<20 years of age. 75-80% of the cases of CSD are diagnosed between September
and February with a peak incidence in December. 4 to 6% of the general
population and 20% of veterinarians have positive skin test reactions to CSD
antigen.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Subclinical
DISEASE IN MAN:
Different distinct syndromes exist:
Typical CSD
A primary lesion, most common on neck or
extremities, will develop in 50% of the cases and appear approximately 10 days
after a bite or scratch. A pustule persists for 1-2 weeks. 10-14 days after the
lesion appears, lymphadenopathy develops and usually regresses within 6 weeks.
30-50% of the enlarged nodes become suppurative. Of the approximately 65% who
develop systemic illness, fever and malaise are the symptoms most often noted.
The disease is usually benign and most patients recover spontaneously without
sequelae within 2-4 months. Many unrecognized cases probably occur. Disease
appears to confer lifelong immunity.
Atypical CSD
The atypical forms of CSD, which constitute 11%
of all cases, are extremely varied. The most common, representing 6% of all
cases, is Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome (POGS), or granulomatous
conjunctivitis with preauricular adenopathy. Other, atypical presentations
include tonsillitis, encephalitis, cerebral arteritis, transverse myelitis,
radiculitis, granulomatous hepatitis and/or splenitis, osteolysis, atypical
pneumonia, hilar adenopathy, pleural effusion, erythema nodosum, erythema
annulare, maculopapular rash, thrombocytopenic purpura, and breast tumor.
Bacillary Angiomatosis Dermal BA presents in several ways. The commonest form is
an enlarging red papule with some resemblance to a cranberry, often with a
collarette of scale and sometimes with a suggestion of surrounding erythema.
This type of lesion may be mistaken for pyogenic granuloma, unless fairly deep
biopsy specimens are examined. These lesions begin as small papules and enlarge,
occasionally becoming several centimeters in diameter and rarely ulcerating.
They may be single or quite numerous. Another form of dermal BA is a deeper,
subcutaneous nodule that appears flesh-colored and may be either fixed to
subcutaneous tissues or freely mobile. Rarely BA may present as a dermal plaque.
BA has been reported to occur in every organ system, including the brain, and is
often difficult to differentiate from mycobacterial and fungal infections or
malignancy without the use of biopsy. It is unclear if the personality changes,
ranging from frank psychosis to depression, that have been described in
association with BA represent CNS involvement or a neurotoxic product of this
infection. Bacillary Peliosis Hepatis BPH, a vasoproliferative condition
involving the liver of HIV-infected patients, is characterized by a
proliferation of cystic blood-filled spaces surrounded by fibromyxoid stroma in
which one can see bacteria similar to those seen in BA. Clinically these
patients may or may not have visible bacillary angiomas. Their symptoms usually
include fever, weight loss, and abdominal pain or fullness. Physical exam may
reveal organomegaly. Laboratory studies usually demonstrate elevation of
alkaline phosphatase and -glutamyltransferase levels out of proportion to
those of aminotransferase and bilirubin.
DIAGNOSIS:
The sedimentation rate is elevated, the white
blood cell count normal, and the pus from the nodes is sterile. ID skin testing
with antigen prepared from the pus is positive. Excisional biopsy, usually
performed to exclude lymphoma, confirms the diagnosis.
TREATMENT:
For CSD: Rifampin, ciprofloxacin, gentamycin, and
trimethoprim-sulfa. Aspiration of suppurating nodes is recommended for relief of
pain. Symptoms resolve without treatment in 2-4 months. BA and BPH respond to
erythromycin, rifampin, or doxycycline. Therapy must be continue for 4-6 weeks
to avoid relapse.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Education. Wash hands after handling cat. Wash
cuts and scratches promptly and don't allow cat to lick open wound.
This article is taken from the
Boxer Parade Magazine, Summer 1979 Vol 2 Issue 1
Although 5 different species
of Cheyletiella have been differentiated on the basis of minute morphological
detail, the species most often referred to as C. parasitivorax (the rabbit fur
mite). Cheyletiella spp have been reported from: rabbits, squirrels,
birds, dogs, cats and man. Cheyletiella dermatitis is a mild, nonsuppurative
mite-induced dermatitis produced by Cheyletiella spp. living on the surface of
the skin. Significant Facts easily identified by 3 characteristics
very heavy thick pedipalps,
each armed with a heavy "claw". (gives the appearance of an extra
pair of legs)
comb-like appendage on the
end of each foot (not claw)
prominent peritremes (of
respiratory function, look like "fish gills")
Cheyletiella rasguri is the
common species affecting dogs, while Cheyletiella prasitovorax is the species
found on rabbits. Both species of mites can interchangeably transfer to man,
dogs, cats and rabbits. It is not yet clear how long the mites survive on
another host.
Simple scurfy dandruff with
pruritus in young puppies is highly suggestive of Cheyletiella dermatitis.
LIFE CYCLE:
EGG
LARVA
NYMPH I
NYMPH II
ADULT
white, attached by fine
cocoon to base of hair
Hatches in 4 days
(6 legs)
Whire, 7 1/2 days
(8 legs)
White, 4 1/2 days
(8 legs)
White to Yellow, 5 days
(8 legs)
Yellowish, moves rapidly
14 days
all stages occur on the
host
adult female mite fastens
eggs to hair (like louse nits)
egg hatches in about 4 days
(six legged larva)
after moulting larva
becomes eight-legged nymph
nymph moults again to adult
form
complete cycle takes 3 to 4
weeks
BEHAVIOR OF THE MITES:
non burrowing obligatory
mite
live in the keratin layer
of the dermis
not associated with hair
follicles
very active movement in
dermal debris
when feeding, attaches
firmly at 30" angle and engorges on a clear colourless fluid
thought at one time to feed
on other mites leg. Demodex) and hence the name C. parasitivorax
repeated attempts to
demonstrate this have failed and there is no indication that Demodex sp, or
any other ectoparasite is attacked
off host survival is poor
The mite is highly contagious,
especially between puppies, but man may be affected too. Adult dogs are usually
lightly infected even when in direct contact with infected puppies and very few
mites or eggs can be demonstrated in debris from their coats. In contrast to
dogs, cats have milder skin reactions and do not have severe cattery
infestations, but may be a source of human infections (Gething, 1973).
The mites do not burrow but
live in the keratin layer of the epidermis and are not associated with hair
follicles. They move about rapidly in pseudotunnels in dermal debris, but
periodically attach firmly to the epidermis, pierce the skin with their
styletlike chelicerae and become engorged with a clear colourless fluid (Foxx
and Ewing, 1969).
CLINICAL SIGNS:
usually subclinical in
rabbits and cats
extremely irritating to
dogs and man
persistant pruritis with
scurfiness
trauma of scratching may
result in denuded lesions all over the body
one case reported excessive
surfy dandruff but an otherwise normal appearing coat in a litter of five
Sealyham terriers
The course is chronic,
affecting otherwise healthy individuals for many months. Infestation is most
severe and generalized in two to eight week old puppies. Older individuals may
be almost symptomless carriers.
On puppies it is usually found
in the rump region. Infestation spreads over the back and head but eventually
much of the body is affected. Cats tend to have milder, more diffuse lesions and
are remarkably free of pruritus. The cat's daily licking and washing probably
remove many mites. Affected animals have excessively scurfy, slightly oily
coats. The white (or yellowish) mites and eggs together with the keratin scales
produced by the epidermal reaction produce an appearance of severe
"dandruff'. Except for the scaling there is remarkably little skin reaction
per se.
DIAGNOSIS:
routine skin scraping
mites clear well and
preserve in Berlese medium
sometimes find mites during
routine microscopic examination of sodium nitrate fecal floatations,
especially in cats where there may be many mites with no obvious clinical
signs closer skin examination in these cases may reveal many
characteristic Cheyletiella sp mites.
Other mite infestations (Otodectes
cynotis, Sarcoptes scabiei, Notoedres catti, Dermanyssus gallinae and
Eutrombicula alfreddugesi) can be differentiated by microscopic inspection of
the mites.
TREATMENT:
Since all available references
indicate success with a variety of insecticide treatments it appears as if the
mite is highly susceptible to many chemicals. Removal of the mites has been
reported with the topical use of Led-O-Sen, sulphur, benzyl benzoatelindone
solutions, and organo phosphate dips.
Thorough treatment of all
animals on the premises is necessary. Malathion, ronnel, lindane or
carbaryl will be effective for dogs Pyrethrins, rotenone powder or limi-sulfur
dips may be used safely on cats or rabbits. Treatment should be repeated three
times at weekly intervals.
Although mites do not live
very long off the host, a strong effort should be made to physically clean the
premises, improve sanitation practices and spray the area thoroughly at least
once with a good residual insecticide.
Promising results in control
have been obtained by hanging appropriate numbers of dichlorvos fly strips in
the general kennel area of pet shops with severe infestations.
All new animals should be
carefully inspected and dusted or sprayed with an insecticide before being added
to colony housed animal facilities.
CHEYLETIELLA SP INFECTION IN MAN:
mite commonly transmits
from animal to man
human infestation may occur
either by direct skin contact between man and animal or through clothing
most common site of
infection is arms and torso
causes a very irritating
itchy dermatitis
any insecticidal
preparation for external parasites of man is likely effective in treatment
leg. Lindane lotion- "Kwellada")
Human infestations vary in
severity, but after direct contact with infested animals, grouped, erythematous
macules form on the trunk and buttocks. These rapidly develop a central papule
which becomes vesicular and then pustular, finally rupturing to produce a yellow
crusted lesion which is frequently excoriated because of the intense pruritus.
Although the lesions are severely inflamed, they are well demarcated from
surrounding skin. Older lesions have an area of central necrosis which is
highly diagnostic. Constant animal contact is usually needed to maintain
human infections. With no further infestation lesions subside in three
weeks.
REFERENCES:
Carroll, H. F.: Cheyletiella
dermatitis. In Kirk, R. W. (ed.): Current Veterinary Therapy V. W. B.
SaundersCompany, Philadelphia, 1974. Soulsby, E. I. L.: Helminths, Arthropods
and Protozoa of Domesticated Animals. The Williams 6. Wilkins Company,
Baltimore, 1968.
Obligate,intracellular organism with a unique
development cycle and worldwide distribution Genus Chlamydia has only four
species, many strains 1. Chlamydia trachomatis- humans, mice (Zoonotic potential
not known) 2. Chlamydia psittaci- BIRDS, Mice, g. pig, rabbits, cats, frogs,
ruminants 3. Chlamydia pneumoniae- humans 4. Chlamydia pecorum- ruminants
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
The mammalian strains appear to be a zoonotic
problem only rarely. 2 cases of human conjunctivitis reported from close
association with cats with chlamydial pneumonitis and conjunctivitis. Birds are
the main reservoir of human infection, however, 25% of human cases have no
history of avian contact. Ovine strains may infect pregnant women.
TRANSMISSION:
Inhalation; dry feces produce highly infective
aerosols Direct contact with feces or respiratory secretions May survive in dust
for several months.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
There are many strains of C. psittaci which
produce a diverse disease spectrum in animals, e.g., conjunctivitis, air
sacculitis, pericarditis, hepatitis, meningoencephalitis, enteritis, urethritis,
arthritis, and endometritis with abortion. G.I. infection results in enteric
shedding of the organism. Latency - Well recognized feature of Chlamydia
infection, i.e., the organism can cause inapparent infection or fulminant
infection in the same host. In clinically healthy birds, stress can precipitate
clinical signs and shedding of the organism.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Asymptomatic or clinical disease after 1-2 week
incubation period. Fever, chills, myalgia, anorexia, headache, nonproductive
cough. Pneumonitis or atypical pneumonia may be present. May see a toxic or
septic form with hepatosplenomegaly, hepatitis, meningoencephalitis and cardiac
involvement with endocarditis. Ovine chlamydial infection in pregnant women is
life-threatening, causing late abortion and neonatal death and disseminated
intravascular coagulation in the mother.
DIAGNOSIS:
Fecal culture (rarely successful) serology (CF,
IFA) [Note: African Grey Parrot, cockatiel, and budgie may remain serologically
negative despite active infection.] ELISA-based tests for antigen in feces has
proven reliable.
TREATMENT:
Tetracycline or Erythromycin.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Treatment with tetracycline Introduce birds into
colony from psittacosis-free flocks or use chlortetracycline chemoprophylaxis.
Protective clothing (masks, gowns, gloves). Wild caught birds should be placed
on chlortetracycline during quarantine. In sheep, keep flocks closed or
vaccinate annually. Isolate aborting ewes until discharges cease.
Clostridia are normal intestinal flora and also survive by spores in the soil.
TRANSMISSION:
Infection may be by contamination of deep, penetrating wounds to cause tetanus,
by ingestion of preformed toxin or spores which vegetate in the digestive tract
to cause enterotoxemia, or by ingestion of spores which are carried by the blood
to muscles where they remain dormant until activated by trauma to produce
necrotizing myositis. C. perfringens food poisoning is due to spore
contamination of foods which survive heating to vegetate in unrefrigerated
conditions. Neonatal tetanus in humans is frequently caused by contamination of
the umbilicus.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Tetanus: as in humans. In myositis (black leg) cases a limb is still and painful
with crepitus on palpation. Signs of toxemia. Rapidly fatal. C. chauvoei, novyi,
and septicum toxins produce massive muscle necrosis, often with edema and SC gas
formation. C. perfringens causes a variety of profound toxemias with cloudy
swelling of parenchymatous organs and excess fluids, often bloodstained in
serous cavities.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Tetanus: painful toxic contractions of muscles and trismus. The case fatality
rate for tetanus is 30-90% even when treated. Gas gangrene: fever, toxemia,
painful edema spreading from the edges of wounds, interstitial emphysema, neck
stiffness. Food poisoning: vomiting and diarrhea of a few days' duration.
TREATMENT:
Myositis: penicillin, adequate surgical debridement and exposure of infected
areas. Tetanus: immune globulin, penicillin, mechanical ventilation. Spasms are
controlled with chlorpromazine or diazepam combined with a sedative.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
immunization with toxoids (good for 10 years), proper treatment of wounds. Good
food hygiene is essential. In animals, prevent wound contamination during
lambing, shearing, castration and docking.
(Colibacteriosis, colitoxemia, white scours, gut edema of swine)
AGENT:
Escherichia coli are gram-negative, aerobic, and facultatively anaerobic
medium-sized rods.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Worldwide; some endemic areas exist in developing countries.
TRANSMISSION:
Some serotypes are species-specific, others are not. Milk, milk products, and
meat products can contain pathogenic serotypes. Foods of animal origin and
contact with dogs and cats have been indicated as sources of infection for
children.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Calf diarrhea (white scours) is an acute disease causing mortality in calves
less than 10 days old. It manifests itself as serious diarrhea, with whitish
feces and rapid dehydration. Mastitis caused by E. coli appears especially in
older cows with dilated milk ducts. A long-term study of horse fetuses and
newborn colts found that close to 1% of abortions and 5% of deaths of newborns
were due to E. coli. Neonatal enteritis caused by E. coli in suckling pigs
begins 12 hours after birth with a profuse watery diarrhea, and may end with
fatal dehydration. Edema in suckling pigs (gut edema) is an acute disease that
generally attacks between 6 and 14 weeks of age. It is characterized by sudden
onset, incoordination, and edema of the eyelids, the cardiac region of the
stomach, and sometimes other parts of the body. During septicemic diseases of
fowl, such as cases of salpingitis and pericarditis, pathogenic serotypes of E.
coli have been isolated. A colibacillary etiology has also been attributed to
Hjarre's disease (coligranuloma), which is a condition in adult fowl
characterized by granulomatous lesions in the liver, cecum, spleen, bone marrow,
and lungs.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
The enterotoxigenic stains (ETEC) cause profuse and watery diarrhea, abdominal
colic, vomiting, acidosis, and dehydration. Enteroinvasive strains cause a
dysenteric syndrome with mucoid diarrhea, at times tinged with blood. E. coli is
also an important agent of urogenital infections.
DIAGNOSIS:
Stool culture or immunoassays for enterotoxins.
TREATMENT:
Ciprofloxacin or trimethoprim-sulfa.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
With respect to man, control measures include: a) personal cleanliness and
hygienic practices, sanitary waste removal and b) protection of food products.
Vaccines for swine and bovine have been developed.
- crusted areas on muzzle, eyelids, oral cavity, feet, or external genitalia are
laden with virus. Transmitted easily from animals to man by contact. The virus
is highly resistant to adverse environments and persists for many years.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
necrosis in the skin and mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal and urogenital
tracts. Intense pain can interfere with eating.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Large painful nodules usually distributed on the hands. Weeping red surfaces.
These resolve with minimum scarring 1-2 months later.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is made by a history of contact with sheep, goats, or wild ungulates;
by EM demonstration of the poxvirus in the lesion; cell culture; or
serologically.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Wear rubber gloves when handling infected sheep and when working in an
environment near infected sheep.
The contagious virus responsible for Cowpox in cattle can also affect other
species including humans, small wild mammals and cats. There is only one
reported case of cowpox affecting a dog. Signs of the disease include skin
lesions (nodules, scabs and ulcers), eye problems (conjunctivitis) and
respiratory signs (pneumonia). Cowpox in cats occurs mainly in Europe and Asia.
CAUSE:
The cause of Cowpox is an orthopoxvirus. It is transmitted through a bite or
skin wound and usually causes skin lesions, although respiratory and ocular
signs may occur following viraemia. Cats are usually infected having caught
infected rodents but direct transmission from cat to cat, or human to
human can occur. In cattle transmission is via milkers hands or teat clusters on
automated milking machines.
The virus is resistant in the environment
surviving many months under dry conditions.
BREED
OCCURRENCE:
Dairy cattle are at greater risk than others.
In cats there is no breed predisposition to
infection, but predators (eg cats) that catch infected small wild animals
(especially gerbils, ground squirrels, voles, wood mice) which act as a
reservoir for the disease are at greater risk of contracting the disease.
SIGNS:
Typical signs of cowpox virus infection
include :
Cattle
Incubation period about 3-6 days
Scabby pox lesions (1-2 cm) and ulcers
on the teats and udder
Most cows in a herd will be infected
Secondary mastitis develops in some
cases
Calves - get lesions in the mouth
Bulls - get lesions on the scrotum
Cats
Many infected cats may not show any
signs.
Widespread scabby skin lesions
Sometimes a single scabby skin
lesion
Conjunctivitis occurs in some cats
Mouth ulcers and vesicles occur in some
cats
Usual site of the skin lesions
initially is the head, neck and foreleg, but generalised secondary
nodules, ulcers and scabs form over a 4-5 day period and dry leaving
bald patches which may or may not regrow hair.
If viraemia occurs the cat may develop:
Depression
High body temperature
Inappetance
Diarrhoea
Pneumonia if cat is
immune-compromised - grave prognosis
Human Cowpox is rare (1-2 cases are reported
per year in the UK). Cats are thought to be a main source of infection but
direct contact with infected cattle is also a common source of infection.
Signs in humans are most likely to occur in people with poor immunity or
pre-existing skin disease and they include :
Painful skin - with scabby lesions -
usually on the hands or face
General malaise - if they are viraemic
Fever
Death - very rare
COMPLICATIONS:
Secondary bacterial infections can occur, and viraemia causes generalised
disease.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis can be made by :
Isolating Cowpox virus from scabs collected
from skin lesions.
Cryptococcosis and histoplasmosis are systemic fungal
infections caused by the organisms Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma
capsulatum. Cases of infection are worldwide and sporadic. These organisms are
found in soil, pigeons, and starlings and are spread in bird feces. These
systemic fungi have a predilection for the lung and central nervous system.
There is an increased susceptibility in humans on steroid therapy and with
disorders of the reticuloendothelial system.
Extracellular protozoal organisms - similar to coccidia.
Genus: Cryptosporidium, it remains unsettled whether more than one species
exists. Taxonomy of species somewhat controversial but considered to be
infective across species lines.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Rodents, birds (particularly turkeys and chickens),
ruminants, fish, reptiles, cats, dogs, rabbits, NHP's. Children over 2 years of
age, animal handlers, travelers, homosexual men, and close personal contacts of
infected individuals (families, health care and day-care workers) may be
particularly likely to be infected. More than a dozen outbreaks have been
reported in day-care centers around the world. Two major waterborne outbreaks
have been documented. Cryptosporidium antibodies were detected in the serum of
20 of 23 cats (87%) suggesting that the exposure rate may be high.
TRANSMISSION:
Fecal-oral transmission is from animals to humans or
humans to humans; waterborne transmission is also important. Oocysts passed in
stool are fully sporulated and infectious; infection occurs as a result of their
ingestion. In humans and animals, the full life cycle occurs within a single
host. The organisms attach to the microvillous borders of enterocytes of the
small bowel and also are found free in mucosal crypts. The host cell membrane
deteriorates, leaving the parasitic membrane in direct contact with epithelial
cell cytoplasm. The organisms do not, however, invade the tissues.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Severe watery diarrhea in neonatal calves and lambs. In
turkeys and chickens, the parasites are reported to occur in the sinuses,
trachea, bronchi, cloaca, and bursa of Fabricius. The respiratory disease causes
coughing, gasping, and airsacculitis. In reptiles, cryptosporidiosis is
frequently reported in association with postprandial regurgitation. The organism
affects the GI mucosa, resulting in marked thickening of the rugae and loss of
segmented motility.
DISEASE IN MAN:
In immunocompetent persons, infection varies from no
symptoms to mild enteritis to marked watery diarrhea (up to 10 stools daily)
without mucus or gross or microscopic blood. Low-grade fever, malaise, nausea,
vomiting, abdominal cramps, anorexia and weight loss may occur. The infection is
generally self-limited and lasts a few days to about 2 weeks. In immunologically
deficient patients, the illness is characterized by profuse (up to 15L daily),
cholera-like diarrhea and by fever, severe malabsorption, marked weight loss,
and lymphadenopathy. In AIDS, infection may involve any part of the GI tract,
and multisystemic involvement has been described, especially involving the
respiratory tract.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is by detection of oocysts in stool by a variety
of flotation or concentration methods or by mucosal biopsy, followed by special
staining methods that use modifications of an acid-fast stain (routine fecal
staining methods do not detect the organisms). Three stools should be examined
over 5 days. A fluorescein-labeled IgG monoclonal antibody test has recently
become available to detect oocysts.
TREATMENT:
No successful treatment has been developed so far.
Generally, no treatment other than supportive is needed in immunocompetent
persons since it is self-limiting. In immunoincompetent persons, spiramycin,
zidovudine (AZT), paromomycin, octreotide, and eflornithine have been reported
of value.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Personal hygiene. Careful handwashing by those in contact
with any animals with scours.
Caused by the larvae of the dog and cat
hookworms, Ancylostoma braziliense and Ancylostoma caninum. A number of other
animal hookworms, gnathostomiasis, and strongyloidiasis are rarely also
causative agents.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Cutaneous Larval Migrans is prevalent throughout
the tropic and subtropics. Human infection is common in SE U.S., particularly
where people come in contact with moist sandy soil (e.g., beaches, children's
sand piles) contaminated by dog or cat feces.
TRANSMISSION:
Direct skin contact with larvae. soil to skin
contact. contamination with animal feces.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Same as Ancylostomiasis.
DISEASE IN MAN:
At the site of larval entry, particularly on the
hands or feet, up to several hundred minute, intensely pruritic erythematous
papules appear. Two to 3 days later, serpiginous eruptions appear as the larvae
migrate at a rate of several millimeters a day; the parasite lies slightly ahead
of the advancing border. The process continues for weeks or up to a year, and
the lesions may remain severely pruritic, vesiculate, and become encrusted and
secondarily infected. Without treatment, the larvae eventually die and are
absorbed.
DIAGNOSIS:
Presumptive - Characteristic clinical
manifestations. Etiologic - ID of agent by biopsy in skin section but this is
usually very difficult to achieve. Most cases are really not confirmed. No valid
serodiagnostic tests currently available.
TREATMENT:
Simple transient cases require no treatment.
Albendazole or thiabendazole. Antihistamines and antibiotic ointments.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Minimize contact (e.g., wear shoes!).
Decontaminate environment: 10 lbs/ 100 sq ft. sodium borate - gravel/clay dog
run; 1% sodium hypochlorite solution - cement dog run. Prevent environmental
contamination. Public health education.
Most cytomegalovirus infections in healthy individuals are asymptomatic, with
the virus remaining (exact cells of latency are not known). However the virus is
isolable from up to 25% of salivary glands, 10% of uterine cervices, and 1% of
neonatal urine samples. Seroprevalence increases with age and the number of
sexual partners; detectable antibody is present in the serum of most homosexual
men. Transmission is sexual, congenital, through or transplantation, and
person-to-person (e.g., day care centers). Severe disease occurs primarily in
the immunocompromised, especially those with AIDS and transplant patients.
DISEASE IN MAN:
A. Classification: There are three recognizable syndromes.
1. Perinatal
disease and cytomegalovirus inclusion disease-Intrauterine infection of infants
whose mothers had a primary infection during pregnancy results in a neonatal
syndrome of jaundice, hepatosplenomegaly, thrombocytopenia, periventricular
central nervous system calcifications, mental retardation, motor disability, and
purpura.
DIAGNOSIS:
confirmed by viruria within the first week after
birth or serum IgM antibodies to cytomegalovirus. Hearing deficits occur in over
15% and mental retardation in up to 30%. Neonatally acquired disease may
resemble mononucleosis; while it is often asymptomatic, neurologic deficits may
ensue later in life.
2. Acute acquired cytomegalovirus infection--This
syndrome, akin to EBV-associated infectious mononucleosis, is characterized by
fever, malaise, myalgias and arthralgias (but not pharyngitis or respiratory
symptoms), atypical lymphocytes, and abnormal liver function tests. Unlike
EBV-associated infectious mononucleosis, the heterophil antibody is not found.
Transmission can be by sexual contact, by milk, by respiratory droplets
(probably) among nursery or day care center attendants, and by (usually massive)
transfusions of blood.
3. Disease in immunocompromised hosts-Tissue and
bone marrow transplant patients are at increased risk for CMV infection,
especially in the first I 00 days after allograft transplantation. HIV-infected
patients may have a variety of CMV manifestations. Cytomegalovirus is itself
immunosuppressive and may worsen manifestations of HIV infection, including
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. a. CMV retinitis-Retinitis due to CMV infection
occurs primarily in AIDS patients. Screening for visual symptoms may be helpful,
but ophthalmologic documentation of neovascular, proliferative lesions
("pizza-pie" retinopathy) is required for diagnosis. b. Gastrointestinal and
hepatobiliary CMV-Serious gastrointestinal CMV disease occurs in AIDS and after
organ transplantation, cancer chemotherapy, or steroid therapy. Esophagitis
presents with odynophagia; small bowel disease may mimic inflammatory bowel
disease or may present as ulceration or perforation. Colonic CMV disease causes
diarrhea, hematochezia. abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss. Pancreatitis,
when not due to pentamidine, didanosine, or (less often) zalcitabine is often
due to cytomegalovirus; hepatobiliary involvement often includes other
pathogens, including Cryptosporidium. Diagnosis is by mucosal biopsy that shows
characteristic CMV histopathologic findings of intranuclear ("owl's eye") and
intracytoplasmic inclusions. c. Pulmonary CMV-Pulmonary CMV infection occurs in
about 15% of bone marrow transplant recipients: the mortality rate is 80-90% in
this group. CMV seronegative blood products should be used in seronegative
recipients of seronegative transplants. High-titer CMV immunoglobulins may be
effective in preventing CMV pneumonia in the seronegative recipients. d.
Neurologic CMV-Polyradiculopathy and encephalitis have been reported but are not
common. When they do occur, there is often concomitant retinitis, which may be
subclinical. Prolonged ganciclovir may be helpful, and treatment should be
continued indefinitely.
DIAGNOSIS:
Cytomegalovirus is isolable from urine, cervical
secretions, semen, saliva, blood, and other tissues, but virus isolation is most
useful when combined with pathologic findings, including large cells with
intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions that resemble owl's eyes: cultures
alone are of little use in diagnosing AIDS-related cytomegalovirus infections.
Retinitis among aids patients is diagnosed clinically. The acute mononucleosis
syndrome is associated with a lymphocytosis, often 2 weeks after the fever.
Serologic tests (IFA and the anticomplement immunofluorescent antibody [ACIF])
are useful primarily in seroepidemiologic studies. In AIDS patients, titers may
be depressed, and seroconversions are seldom documented, with most
seroconversions having occurred in the past. Antigen detection by virus
technology (including the polymerase chain reaction technique) must be
interpreted in the context of clinical and pathologic findings.
TREATMENT:
Two antiviral agents with efficacy against
cytomegalovirus are ganciclovir, given in a dosage of 5 mg/kg IV every 12 hours
for 14-21 days (maintenance: 5-7 mg/kg/day for 5 days each week, with dose
reduction for renal impairment); and foscarnet, given as a loading dose of 20
mg/kg IV and then 60 mg/kg every 8 hours over 2 weeks (maintenance: 120
mg/kg/day). The induction phase is essential for AIDS patients with
cytomegalovirus disease involving critical parts of the retina; for less
critical areas, maintenance therapy can be used from the outset. Both agents are
effective in preventing progression of retinitis, and ganciclovir is useful in
cytomegalovirus colitis; treatment is usually lifelong in patients with AIDS.
Complications include neutropenia with ganciclovir (preventing concomitant
zidovudine therapy) and renal impairment with foscarnet (often manageable with
hydration).
CONTROL:
Cytomegalovirus hyperimmune globulin given to
seronegative bone marrow or renal transplant recipients may be prophylactic.
Limiting transfusions, using products filtered to remove leukocytes, and
selecting cytomegalovirus-seronegative donors are all important in reducing the
rate of cytomegalovirus transmission.
Organisms are subclassified into: 1. Geophilic -
inhabit soil 2. Zoophilic - parasitic on animals 3. Anthropophilic - Primarily
infects humans All can produce disease in humans. Grouped in three genera 1.
Microsporum 2. Trichophyton 3. Epidermophyton
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Fungal spores remain viable for long periods on
carrier animals and fomites. Exposure to reservoir hosts harboring different
dermatophytes determines the type and incidence of infection in humans.
Microsporum canis can be carried by up to 89% of nonsymptomatic cats. Up to 50%
of people exposed to infected cats, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, have
acquired infection. Pets may also acquire disease from humans. **T.
mentagrophytes is most commonly transmitted to man from rodents, M. canis from
dogs and cats, and T. verrucosum from cattle and horses.
TRANSMISSION:
Direct or indirect contact with asymptomatic
animals or with skin lesions of infected animals Contaminated bedding Equipment
Fungi in air, dust, or on surfaces of room (spores persist on contaminated
surfaces)
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
In rodents is often asymptomatic and not
recognized until people are affected. In cats is often asymptomatic. Dogs often
show classic skin lesions. Varying severity of dermatitis occurs with local loss
of hair. Deeper invasion produces a mild inflammatory reaction which increases
in severity with the development of hypersensitivity.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Often mild, self limiting; scaling, redness, and
occasionally vesicles or fissures. Thickening & discoloring of nails. May
show circular lesions which clear in the center forming a ring. Fungal
infections in man are categorized as to the location on the body: 1. Tinea
capitis - Scalp & hair 2. Tinea corporis - Body (extremities, arm and hand,
are most often affected in infections acquired from lab animals.) 3. Tinea pedis
- foot 4. Tinea unguium - Nails
DIAGNOSIS:
KOH mount of skin scrapings, Fungal culture
TREATMENT:
Macerated (moist softening and fissuring) stage-
aluminum subacetate ("Domeboro") solution soaks with potassium
permanganate for secondary infections. Athlete's feet may respond better to 30%
aqueous aluminum chloride or the carbol-fuchsin paint than to antifungal agents.
Broad spectrum antifungal creams and solutions containing imidazoles or
ciclopirox) instead of tolnaftate and haloprogin help to combat diphtheroids and
other gram-positive organisms present at this stage and alone may be adequate
therapy. Dry and scaly stage- several topical creams, liquids, or lotions are
recommended (miconazole, clotrimazole, ketoconazole, econazole, sulconazole,
oxiconazole, ciclopirox or naftifine. Betamethasone dipropionate with
clotrimazole is recommended for acutely inflamed tinea lesions. For severe
cutaneous infections, griseofulvin or ketoconazole is recommended.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Screen newly received animals. Routine
sanitization of contaminated environment, equipment, and caging. Gloves,
protective clothing, wash hands after exposure.
Dermatophilus congolensis. An aerobic actinomycete with gram positive long
branching filaments and coccoid bodies.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Occurs in temperate regions worldwide. Natural disease described in horses,
cattle, sheep, goats, cottontail rabbits, owl monkeys, lizards & humans.
TRANSMISSION:
The etiologic agent is an obligate parasite that has been isolated only from
lesions in animals. Human cases have arisen from direct contact with infected
animals. The most common means of transmission between animals is mechanical
thru arthropod vectors. The infection may also be transmitted by means of
objects, such as plant thorns or shears.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Circumscribed areas of alopecia, elevated crusty papillomatous lesions, and
exudative dermatitis. **Owl monkeys may have relapsing Dermatophilosis after
apparently appropriate antibiotic regimens. Therefore organism may persist on
pelage of animals after resolution of lesions. In cats, the lesions differ from
those of other domestic animals by affecting deeper tissues. In cats,
granulomatous lesions have been found on the tongue, bladder, and popliteal
lymph nodes.
DISEASE IN MAN:
pustular desquamative dermatitis
DIAGNOSIS:
Microscopic exam of stained material from lesions and culture.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
1. Treatment with antibiotics 2. Isolate affected animals 3. Protective
clothing, gloves, personal hygiene 4. Tick control
(Fish tapeworm infection) A benign tapeworm infection of
the small intestines caused by eating raw fish. The causative agents are
Diphyllobothrium latum and D. pacificum (Cestoda). There is no vaccine. D. latum
is common in northern temperate regions where the fish are eaten raw (e.g., in
the Baltic countries, Finland and Canada/Alaska). D. pacificum is common in
coastal South America, especially Peru.
RESERVOIR AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
The definitive hosts of D. latum include humans, dogs and
cats. For D. pacificum the natural reservoir is seals. Two intermediate hosts
include a plankton crustacean and a freshwater fish. Gravid proglottids pass in
the feces of the definitive host. The eggs hatch in lakes and waterways and then
infect the crustacean. Freshwater fish consume these and the larvae encyst in
the musculature. The fish, in their turn, may be eaten by larger fish which can
still transmit the infection. Humans acquire the parasite by eating raw infected
fish.
INCUBATION PERIOD:
Humans. 3-6 weeks from ingestion to adult tapeworm.
Animals. Unknown but presumably as for humans, in dogs and cats.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Humans. The condition is usually asymptomatic. Some
patients develop vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. Massive infection may cause
diarrhoea and intestinal obstruction. Animals. No clinical signs are seen in
dogs and cats. Heavy infection with larvae can kill the fish intermediate host.
PATHOLOGY:
Humans. The presence of the large tapeworm, 3 to 10 meters
long, in the intestine can cause mechanical obstruction. Megaloblastic anemia
occurs owing to vitamin B12 deficiency. Animals. Subclinical. In fish, myositis
and possibly even death occur in heavy infestation.
DIAGNOSIS:
Humans and animals. Identify characteristic eggs in feces.
PROGNOSIS:
: Humans. Usually benign. Animals. Usually benign, but
heavy infection may be fatal to fish.
PREVENTION:
Humans and animals. Dispose of feces hygienically. Educate
for proper cooking of fish. Freeze fish or salt cure before marketing.
TREATMENT:
Humans and animals. Anthelmintics, especially niclosamide
and praziquantel.
Dipylidium caninum - common intestinal cestode of
dogs. Gravid proglottids are "pumpkinseed" shaped.
RESERVOIRS AND INCIDENCE:
Dogs, cats, and their wild counterparts.
Arthropods serve as intermediate hosts. These include the dog flea (Ctenocephalides
canis), the cat flea (C. felis), and dog louse (Trichodectes canis).
Cosmopolitan including the U.S.
TRANSMISSION:
Humans, dogs, and cats are infected by ingestion
of arthropod intermediate hosts which harbor the cysticercoid larvae.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Usually no severe pathology. Possibly mild
digestive problems or perianal pruritus.
Janusz T. Paweska,* Lucille H. Blumberg,* Charl
Liebenberg, Richard H. Hewlett, Antoinette A. Grobbelaar,* Patricia A. Leman,*
Janice E. Croft,* Louis H. Nel, Louise Nutt, and Robert Swanepoel*
*National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Sandringham, South Africa; Durbanville
Mediclinic, Cape Town, South Africa; University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg,
South Africa; and University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Abstract Duvenhage virus was isolated
from a patient who died of a rabieslike disease after being scratched by a
bat early in 2006. This occurred ≈80 km from the site where the only other
known human infection with the virus had occurred 36 years earlier.
The genus Lyssavirus within the family Rhabdoviridae
currently includes rabies virus (RABV) (genotype 1) and 6 rabies-related
viruses: 3 from Africa, Lagos bat virus (LBV) (genotype 2), Mokola virus (MOKV)
(genotype 3), and Duvenhage virus (DUVV) (genotype 4); European bat lyssaviruses
1 and 2 (EBLV1 and 2) (genotypes 5 and 6); and Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV)
(genotype 7). Strains of RABV (genotype 1) undergo
genetic adaptation to particular animal hosts so that within specific areas the
disease is manifested and transmitted predominantly by 1 host species. The canid,
or dog, biotype of RABV is the most widely distributed in the world. In South
Africa, RABV is transmitted by dogs and jackals in the northern region of the
country, by dogs in the eastern region where most cases of human rabies occur,
and by bat-eared foxes in the western region. In addition, an indigenous
herpestid biotype of RABV (genotype 1) is transmitted by mongooses (Herpestidae)
on the interior plateau of South Africa. This biotype does not spread readily to
dogs but causes occasional cases of rabies in dogs, cats, humans, and more
frequently, cattle and sheep.
RABV (genotype 1) has never been isolated from bats outside North and South
America, but rabies-related viruses have been isolated from bats elsewhere. In
Africa, LBV and DUVV are associated with bats, but MOKV is uniquely associated
with shrews and rodents, not bats. Fifteen isolations of LBV have been reported,
including 8 from fruit bats and a cat in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa,
but the virus has never been associated with human disease.
MOKV has been isolated from shrews, rodents, cats, and a dog in Africa and from
7 cats with rabies-like disease in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of
South Africa. The virus is believed to have caused
rabieslike disease in 2 persons in Nigeria in 1969 and 1971, shortly after its
initial discovery in shrews in 1968, but no cases of human infection have
subsequently been recognized. DUVV was
discovered in 1970 when it caused fatal rabieslike disease in a person bitten by
an unidentified insectivorous bat ≈150 km northwest of Johannesburg, South
Africa. In 1981, the virus was isolated from what
is believed to have been a Miniopterus schreibersi insectivorous bat
caught in daylight by a cat in Makhado town (formerly Louis Trichardt) in
Limpopo Province, South Africa, and in 1986 the virus was recovered from an
insectivorous bat, Nycteris thebaica, trapped in a survey in Zimbabwe.
The Study
DUVV infection was recently confirmed in a 77-year-old man with type 2
diabetes who was scratched on the face by what appears to have been an
insectivorous bat in February 2006 in North West Province, South Africa, ≈80 km
from the location where the first DUVV infection occurred 36 years earlier. The
bat flew into a room at night, landed on the man's spectacles while he was
attempting to chase it out, and scratched his face as he brushed it off. The bat
did not appear to have bitten him, and it escaped after the incident. He did not
seek medical care, and thus no postexposure treatment was given. He became ill
at home in Cape Town 27 days later and received treatment for influenzalike
illness. He slept most of the following day, had hallucinations that night, and
was admitted to a hospital on the third day of illness. On admission, he had a
fever (40C), tachycardia, neck and general limb rigidity, hyperreflexia, facial
fasciculation, and involuntary grimacing. Within 24 hours generalized tonic-clonic
seizures had developed with status epilepticus supervening. These necessitated
intubation, sedation, and mechanical ventilation. He died on day 14 of his
illness.
Heminested reverse transcriptionPCR was performed as previously described
with modified forward primer JW12. This procedure
detected lyssavirus nucleic acid in saliva taken on day 10 of illness and in
brain tissue collected postmortem. Nucleotide sequencing of the PCR products and
phylogenetic analysis performed as previously described
confirmed the identity of the agent as DUVV, and
live virus was isolated from saliva and brain tissue by mouse inoculation.
Immunofluorescence tests with antirabies conjugate prepared to be cross-reactive
with the African rabiesrelated viruses (Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute,
Pretoria, South Africa) showed small and sparse inclusion bodies in impression
smears of the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, medulla, and cerebellum.
Histopathologic examination of sections from the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus,
hypothalamus, midbrain, pons, medulla, and cerebellum showed polioencephalitis
affecting predominantly the diencephalon and brainstem and involving varying
degrees of neuronopathy, neuronal loss, astrocytosis, parenchymal and
perivascular lymphocytic infiltration with CD45 immunopositivity, sparse
macrophage activation, and axonal spheroid formation. No nuclear or cytoplasmic
inclusions were observed.
Conclusions
The ability to distinguish between various lyssaviruses and monitor their
relative distribution and prevalence has important implications for
implementation of control measures. It was recognized in 1932 that
mongoose-associated rabies in South Africa differs from classic dog rabies.
Although an inadequately characterized lyssavirus was isolated from a bat
trapped in a survey in 1963, before the existence of rabies-related viruses was
known, awareness of lyssaviruses other than rabies viruses dates from the
identification of DUVV in 1970 and was followed by detection of LBV and MOKV in
South Africa. Routine
differentiation of diagnostic isolates became feasible with the availability of
monoclonal antibodies during the 1980s and the subsequent introduction of
molecular epidemiology techniques.
Although instances of persons seeking rabies prophylaxis after exposure to bats
have been reported, the recent case of DUVV infection constitutes only the
second known instance of a person in South Africa with lyssavirus infection
after such an encounter. Nevertheless, it is clear that rabies-related viruses
are widely endemic in South Africa and that active investigation of the
bat-associated lyssaviruses is warranted.
Dr Paweska is head of the Special Pathogens Unit, National Institute for
Communicable Diseases, South Africa. His research interests include viral
hemorrhagic fevers, rabies, and rabies-related viruses.
References
Fauquet CM, Mayo MA, Maniloff J, Desselberger U,
Ball LA. Virus taxonomy: the classification and nomenclature of viruses. The
eighth report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. San
Diego: Academic Press; 2004. p. 62331.
Swanepoel R. Rabies. In: Coetzer JAW, Tustin RC, editors. Infectious
diseases of livestock. 2nd ed. Cape Town (South Africa): Oxford University
Press; 2004. p. 112382.
Tignor GH, Murphy FA, Clark HF, Shope RE, Madore P, Bauer SP, et al.
Duvenhage virus: morphological, biochemical, histopathological and antigenic
relationships to the rabies serogroup. J Gen Virol. 1977;37:595611.
Schneider LG, Barnard BJH, Schneider HP. Application of monoclonal
antibodies for epidemiological investigations and oral vaccination studies:
I. African virus. In: Kuwert E, Mrieux C, Koprowski H, Bgel K, editors.
Rabies in the tropics. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1985. p. 4759.
Foggin CM. Rabies and rabies-related viruses in Zimbabwe: historical, virological and ecological aspects. [Doctoral dissertation]. Harare
(Zimbabwe): University of Zimbabwe; 1988.
Paweska JT, Blumberg LH, Liebenberg C, Hewlett RH, Grobbelaar AA, Leman PA,
et al. Fatal human infection with rabies-related Duvenhage virus, South Africa.
Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2006 Dec [date cited].
Available from http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol12no12/06-0764.htm
similar to Marburg morphologically similar but antigenically distinct. Both are
RNA Filoviruses and have bizarre branching and filamentous or tubular forms
shared with no other known virus group.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Reservoirs unknown. Monkeys are probably accidental hosts, along with humans.
First recognized in 1976 in Northern Zaire and Southern Sudan, 500 cases with
350 deaths reported.
TRANSMISSION:
Person-to-person transmission occurs by direct contact with infected blood,
secretions, organs or semen. Nosocomial infections have been frequent; all Zaire
cases acquired from contaminated syringes and needles died.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Fever, headache, malaise, followed by chest discomfort, diarrhea, and vomiting.
Case fatality rate is 50-90%.
DIAGNOSIS:
IFA, ELISA, Western blot, EM, or virus isolation.
TREATMENT:
Supportive Possibly immune serum
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Strict quarantine on newly imported, wild-caught primates. Naturally infected
monkeys should become ill or die within several weeks. Hygiene ,sanitation, and
protective clothing Isolation of human patients with prevention of sexual
intercourse until semen is free of virus.
The definitive host for E.
granulosis is a carnivore (all of which, except for the lion, are Canidae) that
harbors the adult tapeworm in the small intestine. Human infection with E.
granulosus occurs principally where dogs are used to herd grazing animals,
particularly sheep. The disease is common throughout southern S. America, the
Mediterranean and Middle East, central Asia, and East Africa. Foci of endemicity
are in eastern Europe, Russia, Australasia, India, and the UK. In North America,
endemic foci have been reported from the western USA, the lower Mississippi
Valley, Alaska, and northwestern Canada. The life cycle for E. multilocularis
involves foxes as definitive host and microtine (e.g., voles and meadow mice)
rodents as intermediate host. Domestic dogs and cats can also become infected
with the adult tapeworm when they eat infected wild rodents. The disease in
humans has been reported in parts of central Europe, much of Siberia,
northwestern Canada, and western Alaska. One case has been reported in
Minnesota. The principle definitive host for E. vogeli is the bush dog; the main
intermediate hosts are the paca and spiny rat. Domestic hunting dogs are also
definitive hosts, and serve as an important source of human infection. Cases
have been reported in South America.
TRANSMISSION:
E. granulosis: Human infection
occurs when eggs passed in dog feces are accidentally swallowed. E.
multilocularis: Human infection is by accidental ingestion of tapeworm eggs
passed in fox or dog feces.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Usually no clinical signs except
for enteritis in heavy infestations. In sheep, hydatid cysts cause considerable
condemnation of meat and loss of production.
DISEASE IN MAN:
E. granulosis - Cystic hydatid
disease A liver cyst may remain silent for 10-20 years or more until it becomes
large enough to be palpable, to be visible as an abdominal swelling, to produce
pressure effects, or to produce symptoms due to leakage or rupture. There may be
right upper quadrant pain, nausea, and vomiting. The effects of pressure may
result in biliary obstruction. If a cyst ruptures, anaphylaxis and death may
result. If fluid and hydatid particles escape slowly, allergic manifestations
may result. Rupture can occur into the pleural, pericardial, or peritoneal space
or into the duodenum, colon, or renal pelvis. Dissemination of germinal elements
may be followed by the development of multiple secondary cysts. Pulmonary cysts
cause no symptoms until they leak; become large enough to obstruct a bronchus,
or erode a bronchus and rupture. Brain cysts produce symptoms earlier and may
cause seizures. Cysts in the bone marrow may present as pain or spontaneous
fracture. The bones most often affected are the vertebrae and paraplegia may
develop due to compression of the spinal cord. 20% of patients have multiple
cysts. 15% of untreated patients eventually die. E. multilocularis - Alveolar
disease The primary localization of alveolar cysts is in the liver, where they
may extend locally or metastasize to other tissues. The larval mass has poorly
defined borders and behaves like a neoplasm; it infiltrates and proliferates
indefinitely by exogenous budding of the germinative membrane, producing an
alveolus-like pattern of microvesicles. 90% of untreated cases die within 10
years. E. vogeli - Polycystic form of human hydatid disease. Symptoms are
variable according to cyst size and location. The polycystic hydatid is unique
in that the germinal membrane proliferates externally to form new cysts and
internally to form septi that divide the cavity into numerous microcysts. Brood
capsules containing many protoscolices develop in the microcysts.
DIAGNOSIS:
Immunoblot assay.
TREATMENT:
Currently the definitive
treatment is surgical removal of cysts. Newly available chemotherapy
(albendazole or mebendazole) may alter this position.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
In endemic areas, prevention is
by prophylactic treatment of pet dogs with praziquantel and prevention of
feeding dogs offal.
An intraleukocytic rickettsia, E. canis (many
species of Ehrlichia exist. Previously only E. sennetsu was known to infect
man). Occurs intracytoplasmically, singly or in compact clusters (morulae) in
circulating leukocytes.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
First recognized in dogs in 1935. Epizootic
occurred in military working dogs in Vietnam 1968-1970. Now known to have
worldwide distribution. 11 to 58% of dogs in U.S. are serologically positive.
First reported case of E. canis in man in 1987. Several cases since then.
TRANSMISSION:
tick vector, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Brown Dog
Tick. It is presumably transmitted to humans by tick bite.
DISEASE IN DOGS:
Incubation period 10 to 14 days. Fever,
lymphadenopathy, edema of legs and scrotum, epistaxis. Acute disease followed by
a subclinical carrier stage.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Similar to Rocky mountain spotted fever, but no
rash. 12 to 14 day incubation period and prodrome consisting of malaise, back
pain and nausea, the patient develops sudden fever, bradycardia, and headache.
Leukopenia and absolute lymphopenia as well as thrombocytopenia occur
frequently.
DIAGNOSIS:
Not easy to identify in peripheral blood smears
but can attempt to identify organisms in leukocytes. An IFA assay that may be
used to diagnose infection is available thru CDC and requires acute and
convalescent sera.
(Rosenbach's erysipeloid, erythema migrans,
erysipelotrichosis, rose disease in swine, diamond skin disease in swine,
fish-handler's disease or fish rose in man)
AGENT:
Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (insidiosa). 22 different
serotypes are recognized. *Discovered by ROBERT KOCH==He called it the Bacillus
of Mouse Septicemia
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Saprophyte in soil, water, and decaying organic matter.
Pathogen in swine, lambs, calves, poultry, fish, & wild and lab mice. *Pigs
probably represent the most likely source of exposure in the laboratory
environment. (Natural disease or zoonotic transmission from lab rodents has NOT
been reported.)
TRANSMISSION:
contamination of wounds while handling infected tissues
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Diamond skin disease in pigs. Arthritis in sheep and swine.
Cyanosis and hemorrhages in turkeys. Can be septicemic disease in many species.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Disease in humans is called Erysipeloid, and is primarily
occupation related. Inflammatory lesions of the skin, with elevated erythematous
edge; spreads circumferentially. Septicemia is an infrequent complication.
DIAGNOSIS:
Culture from lesion or blood
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
Treatment with Penicillin Gloves when handling animals
Vaccine for swine and turkeys
The commonest causative agent is Wuchereria bancrofti,
which is not zoonotic. Brugia malayi is zoonotic. Dirofilaria immitis may
occasionally infect humans.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
B. malayi has been identified in Malaya and the
Philippines. D. immitis occurs in dogs in North and South America, Australia,
India, the Far East and Europe. Wild monkeys and felines are the reservoir for
B. malayi.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmission to humans is via the bite of a mosquito vector
(Mansonia and Anopheles). These, on biting humans, release microfilariae on to
skin which enter the body through the puncture wound and pass via the lymphatics
to lymph nodes. The worms are viviparous, producing microfilaria. These appear
in the blood and reinfect the biting insect.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
D. immitis is found in the right ventricle of dogs and in
the pulmonary artery. Mild infection causes no signs, but long continued
infection leads to cardiac insufficiency with ascites and passive congestion.
DISEASE IN MAN:
B. malayi: Repeated bouts of fever, lymphadenopathy,
lymphangitis and abscesses occur. This leads to lymphatic obstruction and
massive lymphedema followed by fibrosis (so-called elephantiasis) especially in
the legs. D. immitis: Initial symptoms include cough, chest pain, or hemoptysis.
However, the filariae die in the human pulmonary vasculature and consequently
nodules have been found in the skin or as solitary 1-2 cm "coin" lesions in the
periphery of the lungs.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is established by finding microfilariae in the
blood. Serologic testing is available but false-positive and false-negative
reactions occur.
TREATMENT:
Diethylcarbamazine
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Diethylcarbamazine or Ivermectin can be given as a
prophylaxis. Control vectors and avoid their bites. Prophylactic treatment of
dogs.
Most common intestinal protozoan parasite of people in the U.S.
AGENT:
Giardia lamblia Has both a cyst (infective) and trophozoite
form
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
The parasite occurs worldwide and is nearly universal in
children in developing countries. Humans are the reservoir for Giardia, but dogs
and beavers have been implicated as a zoonotic source of infection. In
psittacines, the disease is commonly found in cockatiels and budgerigars.
Giardiasis is a well-recognized problem in special groups including travelers,
campers, male homosexuals, and persons with impaired immune states. However,
Giardiasis does not appear to be an opportunistic infection in AIDS.
TRANSMISSION:
Only the cyst form is infectious by the oral route;
trophozoites are destroyed by gastric acidity. Most infections are sporadic,
resulting from cysts transmitted as a result of fecal contamination of water or
food, by person-to-person contact, or by anal-oral sexual contact. After the
cysts are ingested, trophozoites emerge in the duodenum and jejunum. They can
cause epithelial damage, atrophy of villi, hypertrophic crypts, and extensive
cellular infiltration of the lamina propria by lymphocytes, plasma cells, and
neutrophils.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Giardia infections in dogs and cats may be inapparent or
produce weight loss and chronic diarrhea or steatorrhea, which can be continuous
or intermittent, particularly in puppies and kittens. Calves with clinical
giardiasis have been reported. Feces are usually soft, poorly formed, pale, and
contain mucus. Gross intestinal lesions are seldom evident, although microscopic
lesions, consisting of villous atrophy and cuboidal enterocytes, may be present.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Most infections are asymptomatic. In some cases, acute or
chronic diarrhea, mild to severe, with bulky, greasy, frothy, malodorous stools,
free of pus and blood. Upper abdominal discomfort, cramps, distention, excessive
flatus, and lassitude.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is by identifying cysts or trophozoites in feces
or duodenal fluid. Unless they can be examined with an hour, specimens should be
preserved immediately in a fixative. Three stool specimens should be examined at
intervals of 2 days or longer. A stool ELISA test or IgM serology are available.
TREATMENT:
Tinidazole, Metronidazole (FLAGYL), quinacrine, or
furazolidone. Alternative drugs are Tinidazole or albendazole.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Fecals to screen dogs and NHP's. Hygiene, protective
clothing, when handling animals. Prevention requires safe water supplies,
sanitary disposal of human feces, adequate cooking of foods to destroy cysts,
protection of foods from fly contamination, washing hands after defecation and
before preparing or eating foods, and, in endemic areas, avoidance of foods that
cannot be cooked or peeled.
Pseudomonas mallei (Actinobacillus mallei) NONMOTILE, gram
negative rod
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
disease of equidae and rarely man. Occasionally reported in
dogs, cats, sheep, and goats. Mostly seen in Asia and Mediterranean areas, rare
in North America.
TRANSMISSION:
spread by contamination by infectious discharges of wounds
and mucus membranes and by ingestion.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS AND MAN:
pulmonary form: cough, nasal discharge. cutaneous form:
multiple, purulent, cutaneous eruptions, often following lymphatics. Usually
affects hind legs of horses. May have long periods of remission. The fatality
rate in humans is 95% if left untreated. Horses usually suffer chronic and
sometimes fatal illness. Asses and mules usually suffer acute disease which is
often fatal.
DIAGNOSIS:
Cannot be differentiated from P. pseudomallei
serologically. Specific diagnosis can be made only by characterization of the
isolated organism.
TREATMENT:
Streptomycin + tetracycline or chloramphenicol +
streptomycin
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
1. Treatment with antibiotics 2. Elimination of carrier
animals 3. Gloves, protective clothing when handling infected animals.
On May 14, 1993, the New Mexico Department of Health was
notified of 2 persons who had died within 5 days of each other. Their illnesses
were characterized by abrupt onset of fever, myalgia, headache, and cough,
followed by the rapid development of respiratory failure. Tests for Yersinia
pestis and other bacterial and viral pathogens were negative. After additional
persons who had recently died following a similar clinical course were reported
by the Indian Health Service, the health services of Arizona, Colorado and Utah
were contacted to seek other possible cases. Blood and tissue specimens were
sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The results were
negative except for signals for the Puumala hantavirus. Relying on molecular and
immunological research performed by the Army, the National Institutes of Health,
and the CDC itself, by June 9th, the CDC was able to prove that a new hantavirus
was the culprit (1). As of November 5th, laboratory evidence of acute hantavirus
infection had been confirmed in 42 persons. Twenty-six (62%) of these persons
have died. Most cases were in the Southwest but some have been reported as far
afield as North Dakota and California (1). This paper presents a brief overview
of hantavirus infections with primary focus on Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
(HPS) and recommended laboratory precautions to reduce the risk of accidental
exposure. Other detailed reviews are available elsewhere (2-7).
AGENT:
Isolation of the first recognized hantavirus (Hantaan
virus) was reported from the Republic of Korea in 1978. The genus Hantavirus is
a member of the family Bunyaviridae. Hantaviruses are further divided into
genotypes. Representative viruses in each genotype are the Hantaan virus, the
Seoul virus, the Puumala virus, and the Prospect Hill virus. Additional groups
exist. Hantaan, Puumala, and Seoul viruses are known human pathogens; Prospect
Hill has not been associated with disease. The causative agent of HPS represents
a previously unidentified genotype. Since the 1930s, epidemic and sporadic
hantavirus-associated disease has been described throughout Eurasia, especially
in Scandinavia and Northeastern Asia. In the 1950s, thousands of United Nations
military personnel were infected with hantavirus during the Korean conflict;
more recently, transmission has been documented among United States military
personnel training in the Republic of Korea. Hantaviruses have been isolated
from rodents in the United States, and serological studies have documented human
infections with hantaviruses. However, acute disease associated with infection
by pathogenic hantaviruses has not previously been reported in the Western
Hemisphere (8). Previously called the Four Corners Virus and Muerto Canyon
Virus, the causative genotype for HPS is now called Sin Nombre Virus.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
The clinical manifestations previously associated with
hantavirus infections have been characterized by hemorrhagic features and by
renal involvement. In HPS, however, onset of illness has been characterized by a
prodrome consisting of fever, myalgia, and variable respiratory symptoms
followed by the abrupt onset of acute respiratory distress. Other symptoms
reported during the early phase of illness have included headache and
gastrointestinal complaints. Hemoconcentration and thrombocytopenia have
developed in a majority of the cases. The hospital course has been characterized
by bilateral pulmonary infiltration, fever, hypoxia, and hypotension; recovery
in survivors has been without sequelae. It is important to note that no defined
set of symptoms and signs reliably distinguishes HPS from other forms of
noncardiogenic pulmonary edema or adult respiratory distress syndrome (9).
Postmortem examination has routinely revealed serous pleural effusions and heavy
edematous lungs. Microscopic findings have included interstitial infiltrates of
mononuclear cells in the alveolar septa, congestion, septal and alveolar edema
with or without mononuclear cell exudate, focal hyaline membranes, and
occasional alveolar hemorrhage. Large mononuclear cells with the appearance of
immunoblasts have been found in red and periarteriolar white pulp of the spleen,
hepatic portal triads, and other sites. Hantavirus antigens, localized primarily
in endothelial cells, have been detected in most organs, with marked
accumulations in the lungs (9). The incubation period for the known pathogenic
hantaviruses, although highly variable, generally range from 2 to 4 weeks (8).
Based on reported cases, the incubation period for HPS appears to be one to
three weeks (10).
RESERVOIRS:
Rodents are the primary reservoir hosts with each
hantavirus appearing to have a preferential rodent host. The epidemiological
characteristics of outbreaks of human disease and the severity for the infection
are determined mainly by the rodent host. Available data strongly supports the
deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) as the primary reservoir of the newly
recognized hantavirus (11). Serologic evidence of infection has also been found
in pion mice (P. truei) and the brush mice (P. boylii). Other rodent species
that have tested positive so far include the house mouse (Mus musculus), the
harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys sp.), the rock squirrel (Spermophalus variegatus),
the white-throated wood rat (Neotoma albigula), and the western chipmunk (Tamias
spp.). P. maniculatus is highly adaptable and is found in different habitats,
including human residences in rural and semirural areas, but generally not in
urban centers (12). The wood mouse or striped field mouse (Apodemus sp.)
associated hantaviruses also cause severe human disease with mortality rates
between 3 and 7%. Rattus associated disease is less severe and asymptomatic
infections may be more common. The most benign form of hantaviral disease (HVD),
also called Nephropathia epidemica and first described in Scandinavia, is caused
by a hantavirus that infects voles (Clethrionomys species). Infected voles and
human disease occur throughout western Europe (13). The hantaviruses have been
identified in other animals. At the International Symposium on Hemorrhagic Fever
with Renal Syndrome (HFRS), Leningrad, 5-10 May 1991, the presence of hantaviral
antigen was reported in 13 species of birds in eastern parts of the former
U.S.S.R. (13). The CDC is also investigating whether other animals, particularly
those that prey on rodents, may carry the virus. The impetus for this research
is a 1987 study suggesting that cats, which tested positive for two other
hantaviruses-the Hantaan and Seoul types-may help transmit the virus to humans
in China. As for the HPS virus, so far CDC scientists have identified one
infected nonrodent species (aside from humans): the desert cottontail (Sylvilagus
auduboni). But virologists think most nonrodents are "dead-end" hosts that shed
little virus and are unlikely to infect people (14). Laboratory rats, which were
a reservoir of hantavirus, have been responsible for several outbreaks of HVD
among animal caretakers and laboratory workers at research institutions in
Korea, China, the former Soviet Union, Japan, Scandinavia, the U.K., France, the
Netherlands and Belgium (13). Transmission of Hantavirus from laboratory reared
mice and rats has not been documented in the United States.
TRANSMISSION:
Susceptibility of rodents may vary depending on the
combination of rodent species and virus strains; however, Hantaviruses do not
cause apparent illness in their reservoir hosts (15). In rodents, the virus is
detected primarily in the lung and kidney, where it persists despite the
presence of serum antibodies. Infected rodents shed large quantities of virus in
saliva, urine, and feces for many weeks, but the duration and period of maximum
infectivity are unknown. Although the main route of transmission is
aerosolization, the demonstrated presence of infectious virus in saliva of
infected rodents and the marked sensitivity of these animals to hantaviruses
following inoculation suggests that biting may also be an important mode of
transmission among rodents (12). Arthropod vectors are not known to have a role
in the transmission of hantaviruses. Domestic animals may bring infected rodents
into contact with humans (12). Human infection may occur when infective saliva
or excreta are inhaled as aerosols produced directly from the animal.
Transmission may also occur when dried materials contaminated by rodent excreta
are disturbed, directly introduced into broken skin, introduced onto the
conjunctivae, or, possibly, ingested in contaminated food or water. Persons have
also become infected after being bitten by rodents (12). Person-to-person
transmission has not been associated with any of the previously identified
hantaviruses nor with the recent outbreak in the Southwest (16). In the current
epidemic, known hantavirus infections of humans have occurred primarily in
adults and are associated with domestic, occupational, or leisure activities
that bring humans into contact with infected rodents, usually in a rural
setting. Cases have been epidemiologically associated with the following
situations: Planting or harvesting field crops Occupying previously vacant
cabins or other dwellings Cleaning barns and other outbuildings Disturbing
rodent-infested areas while hiking or camping Inhabiting dwellings with indoor
rodent populations Residing in or visiting areas in which the rodent population
has shown an increase in density (12). In Europe, isolation of hantaviruses from
immunocytomas and ascites tumors has highlighted additional risks from working
with persistently infected rodents. Tumors, passaged over the years in
hantavirus-infected laboratory rats, transfer the virus when implanted in
hantavirus-free rats. Since, in rodents, hantaviruses are not transmitted
vertically but horizontally, the use of caesarian section and foster mother
techniques have been recommended for laboratories breeding rodent colonies.
Before implantation, tumors should be checked for the presence of the
hantaviruses (this precaution should be followed by laboratory workers in the
U.S. importing tumors, organs, or live rodents from hantavirus endemic areas)
(12).
DIAGNOSIS:
The CDC in consultation with the Council of State and
Territorial Epidemiologists has developed screening criteria for HPS (9). Cases
meeting the screening criteria should be reported to the CDC through state
health departments. These criteria are: Potential case-patients must have one of
the following: a febrile illness (temperature 101 oF [38.3 oC]) occurring in a
previously healthy person characterized by unexplained adult respiratory
distress syndrome, or bilateral interstitial pulmonary infiltrates developing
within 1 week of hospitalization with respiratory compromise requiring
supplemental oxygen, OR an unexplained respiratory illness resulting in death in
conjunction with an autopsy examination demonstrating noncardiogenic pulmonary
edema without an identifiable specific cause of death. Potential case-patients
are to be excluded if they have any of the following: a predisposing underlying
medical condition (e.g., severe underlying pulmonary disease, solid tumors or
hematologic malignancies, congenital or acquired immunodeficiency disorders, or
medical conditions [e.g., rheumatoid arthritis or organ transplant recipients]
requiring immunosuppressive drug therapy [e.g., steroids or cytotoxic
chemotherapy]). an acute illness that provides a likely explanation for the
respiratory illness (e.g., recent major trauma, burn, or surgery; recent
seizures or history of aspiration; bacterial sepsis; another respiratory
disorder such as respiratory syncytial virus in young children; influenza; or
legionella pneumonia). Confirmed case-patients must have the following: at least
one specimen (i.e., serum and/or tissue) available for laboratory testing for
evidence of hantavirus infection. AND in a patient with a compatible clinical
illness, diagnosis is confirmed when any of the following criteria are met: IgM
antibodies to hantavirus antigens, fourfold or greater increase in
immunoglobulin G titers to hantavirus antigens in paired serum specimens, a
positive immunohistochemical stain for hantavirus antigen in tissues, or
positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for hantavirus ribonucleic acid.
Currently, diagnosis of the HPS strain of Hantavirus in animals is in its
infancy. IFA based tests offered by national research laboratories may be used
for screening; however, false negatives can occur depending on the antigen used.
PCR remains the method of choice for strain identification. Presently, one
laboratory (Rockefeller University Laboratory Animal Research Center,
[212]327-8522) offers this service with more, hopefully, coming on line in the
future (17).
TREATMENT:
Supportive care and meticulous monitoring of vital signs
and fluid balance are the basis for therapy. Severe hypoxia and overhydration
should be avoided or prevented. Pressors or cardiotonic drugs should be employed
to maintain perfusion without excessive fluid administration (9). In one
controlled study involving HFRS, intravenous administration of the antiviral
drug ribavirin was effective in treating severe cases of hantavirus infection
when administered early in the course of illness (8). The effectiveness of using
ribavirin to treat HPS has not been established, yet.
PREVENTION AND CONTROL:
Hantaviruses have lipid envelopes that are susceptible to
most disinfectants (e.g., dilute hypochlorite solutions, detergents, ethyl
alcohol (70%), or most general-purpose household disinfectants). How long these
viruses survive after being shed in the environment is uncertain (12). The
reservoir hosts of the hantavirus in the southwestern United States also act as
hosts for the bacterium Yersinia pestis, the etiology agent of plague. Although
fleas and other ectoparasites are not known to play a role in hantavirus
epidemiology, rodent fleas transmit plague. Control of rodents without
concurrent control of fleas may increase the risk of human plague as the rodent
fleas seek an alternative food source. Thus, eradicating the reservoir hosts of
hantaviruses is neither feasible nor desirable. Once the virus has been
cultured, it might be possible to develop a vaccine against the HPS strain.
However, currently, the best available approach for disease control and
prevention is risk reduction through environmental hygiene practices that deter
rodents from colonizing the home and work environment (12). No restriction of
travel to areas affected by this outbreak is considered necessary; however,
activities that may disrupt rodent burrows or result in contact with rodents or
aerosolization or rodent excreta should be avoided. Laboratory workers
practicing universal precautions while processing routine clinical materials
(such as blood, urine, and respiratory specimens) are not considered to be at
increased risk for hantavirus infection. However, laboratory-acquired infections
have occurred among persons who handled infected wild or laboratory rodents.
Therefore, laboratory work that may result in propagation of hantaviruses should
be conducted in a special facility (biosafety level 3) (8). Recommendations for
laboratory animal facilities housing wild-caught rodents include: Access to
rooms should be restricted to only those individuals who have a legitimate need
to be in the room. Colony should be serologically screened for the agent.
Animals should be housed and handled under standard microisolation techniques.
Biological safety cabinets should be used and not laminar flow workbenches.
Until the status of the colony can be ascertained, individuals working with the
rodent should: a. Obtain a baseline serum sample. The serum should be stored at
-20oC. b. Insure that all persons involved are informed of the symptoms of the
disease and given detailed guidance on prevention measures. c. Seek immediate
medical attention if a febrile or respiratory illness develops within 45 days of
the last potential exposure. The attending physician should be informed of the
potential occupational risk of hantavirus infection. d. Wear an half-face
air-purifying (or negative-pressure) respirator or powered air-purifying
respirator with HEPA filter when handling rodents or their cages. Respirators
are not considered protective if facial hair interferes with the face seal.
Respirators should be fitted by trained personnel in accordance with OSHA
standards. e. Wear rubber or plastic gloves when handling rodents or cages.
Gloves should be washed and disinfected before removing them. f. Wear dedicated
outer garments (disposable, if possible), rubber boots or disposable shoe covers
and protective goggles. Personal protective gear should be decontaminated upon
removal. If not disposable, they should be laundered on site using hot water and
detergent. Machine-dry using a high setting. If no laundry facilities are
available, non-disposable items should be immersed in liquid disinfectant until
they can be washed. All potentially infective waste material (including
respirator filters, bedding, caging, disposable protective garments, and used
disposables such as syringes, gauze, etc.) should be placed in autoclavable
plastic bags and sterilized. Needles, scalpels, pipettes, and other sharp
materials should be placed in puncture proof containers and sterilized. Spread
from feral rodents was postulated as the cause of one source of contamination
(18). Therefore, facilities and individual rooms should be vermin-proof to
prevent accidental egress and ingress of rodents. All openings greater than
inch should be screened or sealed. Carcasses should be placed in a plastic bag
and disposed as biohazard waste or incinerated. Since feral rodents may transmit
the disease, it is recommended that Hantavirus testing be included in animal
health monitoring programs. Why the Current Epidemic? Because of the rodent
connection with this disease, medical investigators and public health officials
sought ecological information on the deer mouse and other native rodent species.
Anecdotal information from residents in the afflicted areas suggested that
rodents were exceptionally abundant last winter, and scientists speculated that,
if true, the increased potential for rodent-human contact and disease
transmission might account for the sudden epidemic. Biologists with the
Sevilleta, New Mexico Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site have long-term
data on rodent communities in the region. At the request of the CDC and the New
Mexico Health Department, LTER researchers provided detailed demographic
analyses from 1989-1993 for the 22 rodent species inhabiting the area. The LTER
data showed tenfold population increases in various Peromyscus species and wood
rats (Neotoma spp.) during the spring of 1993. Population increases occurred
simultaneously in grasslands, desert-shrublands, and woodlands. Comparisons of
the rodent data to the region's climatological data indicated that rodent
population dynamics is associated with above-average precipitation during the
winter of 1992-93, in turn leading to abundant food sources (19).
References
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Bulletin #93-59.
Spiral Bacteria in
the Human Stomach: The Gastric Helicobacters
Andre Dubois, M.D., Ph.D.
Digestive Diseases Division,
Department of Medicine,
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda, Maryland, USA
During the past decade,
Helicobacter pylori has become recognized as one of the most common human
pathogens, colonizing the gastric mucosa of almost all persons exposed to poor
hygienic conditions from childhood. It also is often found, albeit with a lower
frequency, in groups of high socioeconomic status. H. pylori causes chronic
active gastritis and is a major factor in the pathogenesis of duodenal ulcers
and, to a lesser extent, gastric ulcers. In addition, the presence of this
bacterium is now recognized as a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma and
lymphoma. Nevertheless, most infections appear without clinical consequences. In
this second decade of intensive research, it is important to understand why H.
pylori is sometimes a dangerous pathogen, and to determine how it can be
eradicated in those at highest risk for severe disease.
At the end of the 19th
century, several types of spirochetes and spirilla were observed for the first
time in the stomach of animals (1,2). Beginning at the turn of the 20th century,
similar spiral bacteria were found in gastrectomy specimens from patients with
gastric cancer and peptic ulcer disease (3,4). In addition, gastroenterologists
and surgeons noted but could not explain the almost universal presence of antral
gastritis in patients with duodenal ulcers and the frequent presence of atrophic
gastritis in patients with gastric ulcer and cancer. Nevertheless, the
possibility that peptic ulcer disease or gastric cancer might be caused by an
infectious agent was generally discounted. The observation made in 1975 that
gram-negative bacteria were present in 80% of patients with gastric ulcer (5)
was largely ignored by the scientific community which, at the time, was busily
developing potent antiulcer agents (6). Skepticism remained the overwhelming
reaction to the 1983 reports describing the frequent association between antral
gastritis and the presence of Campylobacter-like bacteria (7), as well as of
their culture and isolation from patients with gastritis (8). A similar reaction
followed the subsequent demonstration that these Campylobacter-like bacteria
were present in almost all patients with gastric and duodenal ulcers, and were
generally associated with antral gastritis (9). In the past decade, however, a
number of studies have confirmed and extended these early observations. A
consensus regarding the major role of this bacterium, now named Helicobacter
pylori, in causing gastroduodenal ulceration was formally presented in 1994
(10). Furthermore, in June 1994, the International Agency for Research on Cancer
Working Group stated , "H. pylori plays a causal role in the chain of
events leading to cancer," referring to adenocarcinoma and lymphoma of the
stomach as well as to the more benign mucosal-associated lymphoid tissues (MALT)
(11-13).
An important consequence of
the considerable interest generated by these clinical observations is that
extensive bacteriologic and molecular studies have been performed on this
bacterium and similar organisms. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis has revealed
important differences between H. pylori and the closely related Campylobacter,
Flexispira, and Wolinella genuses. These differences have necessitated the
creation of the genus Helicobacter, which, to date, includes eight gastric,
three intestinal, and two hepatic species (14). Each of these Helicobacter
species colonizes different, or a spectrum of, mammalian species.
This review summarizes our
current knowledge of the two Helicobacter species that have been observed in the
human stomach and reported on extensively in the literature: H. pylori, the type
strain, and H. heilmannii, also known as Gastrospirillum hominis (15,16).
CHARACTERISTICS OF GASTRIC HELICOBACTERS OBSERVED IN HUMANS:
H. pylori, a gram-negative
bacterium with a curved, spiral, or gull-wing shape, is 2.5 to 3.5 m long and
0.5 to 1.0 m in diameter and has a periodicity of 1 to 2m. It has smooth
surfaces, and one to six polar-sheathed flagellae emerge from one of its rounded
ends. Since it is morphologically similar to C. jejuni, it was initially named
"pyloric Campylobacter" and subsequently C. pyloridis and C. pylori
before finally being named H. pylori. This organism colonizes only the
non-acid-secreting mucosa of the stomach and is not found where parietal cells
are numerous. Thus, it may be observed in the gastric antrum and the cardia, but
also in the corpus, when atrophic gastritis is present, and attached to the
gastric epithelial cells found in the duodenum, when gastric metaplasia is
present.
G. hominis (H. heilmannii) is
tightly spiraled, and is 3.5 to 7.5 m in length and 0.9m in diameter; it has
a periodicity of 0.8 to 1 m and up to 12 flagellae at each pole. 16S rRNA
indicates that this organism belongs to the genus Helicobacter, and is more
closely related to a Helicobacter sp. isolated from the stomach of cats (H.
felis) than to H. pylori (17). The name H. heilmannii was proposed in honor of
the late German pathologist Heilmann. However, the subsequent examination of the
rRNA of different clinical isolates indicates that there is enough heterogeneity
among isolates tentatively identified as H. heilmannii that it is premature to
propose an official name (17) . This bacterium colonizes only the parietal cell
area of the gastric mucosa and may be found within parietal cells (18,19).
DIAGNOSIS:
H. pylori infection may be
diagnosed by harvesting gastric biopsy specimens during endoscopy, by culturing
and isolating the bacterium under microaerobic conditions (90% N2, 5% O2, and 5%
CO2), and by characterizing the enzymes (urease, catalase, and oxidase) it
produces. Visualization of the bacterium by light microscopy on slides stained
with hematoxylin and eosin, Gram, Giemsa, Genta, or Warthin-Starry stain is also
of great benefit since it allows the concurrent diagnosis of the extent of the
antral chronic-active gastritis that H. pylori causes. However, because H.
pylori colonization is focal, negative biopsy results do not exclude the
possibility of infection in areas not sampled. Infection also may be diagnosed
by determining plasma and salivary immunoglobulin (Ig) G or IgA levels with
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (20,21). This latter technique is
noninvasive, specific, and sensitive and is believed to reflect the mucosal and
systemic immunity induced by H. pylori infection.
Two other tests, which rely on
the production of urease, also can be used to identify H. pylori. One is the CLO
(for Campylobacter-like organisms) test, which is performed by placing a mucosal
biopsy specimen in medium containing urea and a pH- sensitive dye that changes
color in the presence of OH- ions. The second test is the noninvasive 14C or 13C
breath test following the oral administration of 14C- or 13C-urea. Neither of
these tests is specific for H. pylori since G. hominis, which generates urease,
also gives a positive reaction. Until specific methods based on the polymerase
chain reaction (PCR) amplification of 16S rRNA (17) become widely available, the
diagnosis of G. hominis infection must rely on histologic morphologic
characteristics; histologic identification must be confirmed by transmission
electron microscopy since other spiral organisms, e.g., Flexispira rappini, also
may be present in the stomach of humans (22).
EPIDEMIOLOGY:
The seroepidemiology of H.
pylori has been extensively studied in the United States and in other countries
(23). The high frequency of seropositivity (up to 100% in some age groups in
Albania) and acquisition of the infection during infancy are characteristic of
disadvantaged socioeconomic groups living in crowded or poor hygienic conditions
and appears to be independent of gender and ethnic origin. In adults of higher
socioeconomic groups, the rate of seroconversion is estimated at 0.5% per year,
although the frequency of seropositivity increases with age and may be as high
as 40%. A longitudinal study has indicated that the high frequency of
seropositivity in older adults might be due to a higher rate of H. pylori
infection in Western countries in the years between the two world wars than
during recent years (cohort effect) (24). Alternatively, the increase in
frequency of infection in older adults might be due to years of low but
cumulative risk for infection. Although the route of transmission for this
infection is not known, the contamination of drinking water may play a role in
certain developing countries (25). In the United States and in other regions,
direct contact and/or consumption of food or water contaminated by saliva (26),
gastric contents, or feces (27) may be major factors. The recent observation
that H. pylori can be isolated from cats (28) suggests that transmission from
pets to humans (or humans to pets) is also possible.
The epidemiology and route of
transmission of G. hominis are largely unknown. The frequency of this infection
appears to range from less than 1% of the population in industrialized countries
(29) to 3% to 8% in developing countries (30). Although the detection of
spirilla in the stomach of cats and dogs suggests possible transmission from
pets, marked morphologic differences exist between these spirilla and the
organism found in the stomach of humans.
PATHOGENICITY:
H. pylori is considered a
pathogen because its presence is always associated with chronic active
gastritis, and eradication of the bacterium is always followed by resolution of
gastritis. In addition, nearly all patients with duodenal ulcer disease have H.
pylori gastritis, and ulcer relapse is exceptional after H. pylori eradication.
Thus, the presence of H. pylori seems necessary for the production of duodenal
ulcers, with the exception of ulcers attributed to the use of nonsteroidal
antiinflammatory agents or to the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (10). The
association with gastric ulcers is not as strong, although H. pylori infection
is present in 80% of patients with gastric ulcers who do not consume
nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (10). However, most H. pylori-infected
persons do not report any clinical symptoms. This may be because these persons
are colonized by less virulent strains or because other host or bacterial
cofactors are required for overt disease.
In addition, three prospective
cohort studies have demonstrated that H. pylori-infected persons have an
increased risk of developing intestinal-type, but not undifferentiated, gastric
adenocarcinoma (10). In fact, the association of H. pylori with either gastric
ulcer or gastric cancer may be underestimated in these studies: the atrophic
gastritis that follows long-term infection makes the gastric niche less
hospitable for the bacterium, which may either eliminate H. pylori or make it
difficult to detect. Nevertheless, atrophic gastritis per se is believed to be a
precancerous lesion that leads to carcinogenesis without the presence of H.
pylori.
The pathogenicity of G.
hominis is unclear. The organism has been associated with upper gastrointestinal
complaints, and its carriage is generally accompanied by gastritis, although the
inflammation and gastric atrophy are less than noted with H. pylori (31,32). In
addition, G. hominis was observed in gastric cancer patients (3) as well as in
patients with only minimal gastritis (29). In this relatively small number of
cases, the frequent concurrent infection with H. pylori makes interpreting the
respective pathogenic role of either bacterium difficult. It is probable that G.
hominis will turn out to be at least somewhat pathogenic, as it makes urease and
products of urease action that have been implicated in inflammation.
COLONIZATION AND VIRULENCE FACTORS:
H. pylori multiplies with
great efficiency in the hostile environment within the stomach but survives
poorly in the gastric lumen; it is mainly found where the pH ranges between 4
and 7, i.e., under the mucous layer and in close proximity, or even attached, to
gastric superficial epithelial cells. The virulence and the ecologic niche of G.
hominis are unknown, although its presence within parietal cells of patients
with gastrointestinal complaints (18,19) suggests that it is even more resistant
to acid than H. pylori.
The production of urease was
the first putative colonization or virulence factor studied. The production of
this enzyme is shared by the two organisms, and it may explain their
extraordinary ability to survive in an environment previously considered sterile
because of the presence of proteolytic enzymes, as well as the low pH of gastric
contents. Because the ecologic niches of these bacteria are rich in urea, urease
generates OH- ions that neutralize gastric acid. Although the neutralization of
gastric acid benefits the two bacteria, the production of hydroxide ions also is
toxic to gastric epithelial cells in vivo, as indicated by in vitro experiments
(33).
Two other important virulence
factors shared by H. pylori and G. hominis are their spiral shape and the
motility of their flagellae, which render them resistant to peristaltic flushing
of the gastric contents and enable them to persist in the mucous layer. Because
G. hominis appears to infect fewer persons than H. pylori, a more important role
might be attributable to characteristics that are unique to H. pylori; these
include the production of other enzymes (catalase, oxidase, protease, and
phospholipase), as well as the synthesis of specific adhesin proteins that
enable them to adhere to mucous and epithelial cells, both in vivo and in vitro
(34-36).
The putative virulence factor
of H. pylori that has commanded the most attention during the past few years has
been its vacuolating cytotoxin (vacA gene product). Intragastric administration
of the toxin to mice causes some (but not all) of the tissue damage seen in H.
pylori-infected persons (37). In addition, cytotoxin production is highly
correlated with the production of a high molecular weight (120 to 128
kilodaltons) major protein antigen that is called cytotoxin-associated protein (cagA)
and is not the toxin itself (38).
DIVERSITY OF H. PYLORI:
H. pylori isolates may differ
with respect to each of the virulence factors described above; this diversity is
likely to contribute to variation in colonization or disease. For example,
urease-negative strains have been isolated, and the vacuolating cytoxin is
produced by only a subset of H. pylori strains (vacA+ or tox+ strains)(39-41).
This observation is probably clinically relevant because most or all strains
from duodenal ulcer patients, and many strains from gastric cancer patients,
produce cytotoxin, whereas only a fraction of strains from patients with
gastritis alone produce the cytotoxin (42,43). This phenotypic diversity is
mirrored in great diversity on the DNA level. Thus, only cytotoxin-producing
strains contain the gene for this cytotoxin-associated protein (cagA)(38,42),
although genetic tests have shown that cagA protein is not needed for toxin
production (44). Strains that do not produce the 128-kDa cagA protein generally
lack the entire cagA gene and additional neighboring genes. Although the
function of the cagA region is unknown, its presence or absence is easily scored
by hybridization or PCR and thus serves as an easy marker for probable cytotoxin
production and possible virulence of H. pylori strains. Additional virulence
factors are likely to be present. For example, another recently discovered
region constitutes at least 21 kilobases of the H. pylori genome in
hybridization experiments, and its presence is highly correlated with the
presence of cagA: 39 of 40 strains lacking cagA also lacked this region, and 50
of 52 strains containing cagA contained this region. This newly discovered
region is being called cagII, and the effort to sequence it is nearly complete
(D. E. Berg, pers. comm.). Preliminary searches have identified several open
reading frames with strong homologies to virulence functions from other microbes
(45).
In addition to these
extensively studied genes, genetic diversity of various H. pylori strains can be
demonstrated by the use of two sensitive, efficient, and reliable PCR-based
methods (46,47). This approach is particularly useful because it allows tracing
of strains in epidemiologic studies.
INFECTION AND
IMMUNE RESPONSE:
One of the most puzzling
aspects of gastric infection with H. pylori is its persistence despite intense
local and systemic immune responses. These immune responses are extremely
complex and vary among infected humans. The systemic response is characterized
by a marked increase in plasma IgG, which remains present for months after the
infection has been cured. The local response includes the production of IgA,
which binds to the surface antigens of H. pylori in vitro and coats the
bacterium in vivo. In addition, infection is consistently associated with an
intense inflammatory response and the infiltration of cells into the gastric
mucosa. Although polymorphonuclear cells are often present, most cells in such
infiltrates are mononuclear cells. Both B and T cells are present, and recent
studies have indicated that the natural killer activity of peripheral blood
lymphocytes can be increased by H. pylori, possibly by its stimulating the
production of interferon and other cytokines (48). Thus, the long-term carriage
of the infection may be related to the ability of the bacterium to influence the
T-cell response. Fragmentary evidence also suggests that this infection can be
abortive and cure spontaneously without the use of antibiotics (A. Dubois and D.
E. Berg, unpublished).
On the other hand, the mucosal
response may promote colonization, as indicated by the observation that patients
with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) tend to have a lower rate of
infection than aged-matched subjects who are negative for human immunodeficiency
virus (49,50). The latter study (50) also demonstrated that AIDS patients had a
different pattern of gastritis, characterized by greater mononuclear cell
responses, fewer lymphoid follicles, and a greater prevalence of intestinal
metaplasia. The immune response may also prevent the invasiveness of H. pylori,
as suggested by the anecdotal but puzzling observation of invasive H. pylori
infection in a patient with AIDS (51).
TREATMENT:
Although H. pylori is
sensitive to many antimicrobial drugs in vitro, it is difficult to eradicate
from the stomach. This may be ascribed to antibiotic breakdown by gastric acid,
clearance by gastric emptying, and the difficult-to-penetrate mucous layer in
which the bacterium resides. Resistance of H. pylori to specific antibiotics,
especially metronidazole, is also frequent. Therefore, it is generally accepted
that a combination of at least two, and possibly three, antimicrobial agents
should be given for a minimum of 1 week. The regimen found to be most effective
is the administration of amoxicillin (or tetracycline) plus metronidazole and
bismuth subsalicylate 2 to 4 times a day for 2 to 3 weeks (52). The use of one
antibiotic associated with an antisecretory agent, such as a histamine H2
receptor antagonist, has given disappointing results. In contrast, the
combination of a proton pump inhibitor (H+-K+ ATPase antagonist) with
amoxicillin or acid-stable macrolides (clarythromycin or roxithromycin) appears
more promising; a number of studies are being conducted to determine the optimal
dose, duration, concomitant therapy, and cost-effectiveness of these compounds
(53,54). Recently, it was shown that at least a 7-day course of any of these
regimens is required to obtain a high (90%) cure rate, but that continuing
treatment for more than 10 days does not significantly improve its efficacy.
Finally, topical therapy for 1 h was recently tried with excellent results,
albeit in only one center at this time (55). This treatment involves a 2-day
administration of a mucolytic agent to dissolve the mucous layer and of a proton
pump inhibitor. On the third day, a balloon is introduced into the second
portion of the duodenum under fluoroscopic control, and a solution of pronase,
amoxicillin, metronidazole, and bismuth subsalicylate is injected into the
stomach, where it is left for 1 h. The presence of the duodenal balloon appears
to prevent emptying of the antibiotics and the mucolytic agent, thus ensuring
maximum efficacy of the therapy.
FUTURE RESEARCH:
The past 12 years have seen
extensive progress in research on H. pylori as a cause of chronic active
gastritis, duodenal ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. This has been largely due
to an unusual collaboration among gastroenterologists, pathologists, molecular
geneticists, bacteriologists, and immunologists. However, our understanding of
how H. pylori colonizes and causes diseases is far from complete, and it will
benefit from studies performed in animal models that can be experimentally
infected with H. pylori (56-59). In addition, no easily administered treatment
leading to eradication of this bacterium in all patients is yet available,
although a better knowledge of its physiology may lead to the development of
such a "silver bullet." Studies in animals that are not naturally
infected with H. pylori suggest possibilities for vaccines (56,57), and ongoing
trials in nonhuman primates are exploring the possibility of immunizing hosts
that can be naturally infected with this organism. Although the elimination of
peptic ulcer disease and of certain forms of gastric cancer will require
extensive and coordinated efforts from public health authorities, this goal now
appears to be within the reach of the scientific and medical community.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The author thanks Drs. P.
Baker and D.E. Berg for their helpful comments and suggestions during the
preparation of this review.
Dr. Dubois is professor of
medicine and surgery (research), assistant director, Digestive Diseases
Division, and chief, Laboratory of Gastrointestinal and Liver Studies, F. Edward
Hbert School of Medicine of the Uniformed Services University of the Health
Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland. He studies the physiology and pathophysiology of
gastric secretion and gastric emptying as well as the role of gastric infection
with H. pylori in gastroduodenal diseases.
Address for correspondence:
Andre Dubois
Department of Medicine
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Road
Bethesda, MD 20814-4799, USA
Fax: 301-295-3676 or -3557
E-mail: dubois@usuhsb.usuhs.mil.
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Recognized originally in troops serving in the Korean war.
Named Hantaan after river in endemic area of Korea. Isolated in 1978 in Apodemus
agrarius, then adapted to tissue culture and laboratory rats. Serologic mapping
indicates that Hantaviruses have infected large numbers of people in the region
from Japan across central and north Asia to the Scandinavian Peninsula, and
southward in Europe to the Balkans. Other Hantaviruses have been identified in
urban rats captured in major Asian and Western cities, including the USA and
Brazil. Hosts of hantavirus are wild Rodents Several antigenic subtypes exist,
each associated with a single rodent species: Apodemus species - Striped field
mouse - A. agrarius (Korea) associated with KHF. Domestic Rattus norvegicus and
Rattus rattus in Korea and Domestic Rattus norvegicus in the U.S. had virus
similar to prototype Hantaan virus yet distinct from it. Microtus pennsylvanicus:
the meadow vole. Reservoir for Prospect Hill virus, most recently isolated
Hantavirus. Isolated at NIH and named for Prospect Hill in Frederick, MD where
the vole was captured that yielded the first isolate. No human disease
associated with this so far but antibody has been identified among mammalogists
in the U.S.(1982). Cletheronomys glareolus: the bank vole. Reservoir for Puumala
virus, cause of Nephropathia epidemica (NE), a mild form of HFRS found in
Scandinavia, Western Soviet Union and much of Europe.
TRANSMISSION:
Aerosol transmission from rodent excreta is presumed. Virus
is present in urine, feces and saliva of persistently infected asymptomatic
rodents; highest virus concentration is found in the lungs. Human to human
transmission does not occur.
DISEASE IN RODENTS:
Chronic, ASYMPTOMATIC infection. Following infection,
rodent is viremic for about 1 week when virus is disseminated throughout the
body. After viremia antigen is usually abundant in the lungs, spleen and
kidneys. Antibody is produced and persists but does not diminish the abundance
of antigen expressed in organs.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Symptoms begin with the sudden onset of fever which lasts
1-2 weeks, accompanied by prostration, anorexia, generalized pains,
conjunctivitis, proteinuria and hypotension, possibly followed by hemorrhages
and hematuria with renal failure. Case fatality rate is 7%.
DIAGNOSIS:
Serology using indirect immunofluorescence or ELISA.
TREATMENT:
IV ribavirin
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Although most US commercial animal breeders have eliminated
these viruses through barrier breeding and caesarean derivation, small suppliers
and producers of select inbred strains may be at risk of infection. Be aware of
potentially infected animals when receiving shipments from Japan, Belgium or
other countries which may have the agent present in lab. animals (where
virus-free certification cannot be provided). Animals should be serologically
tested in advance of shipment. Test all rodent tissues, tumors, cell lines
received from source that cannot provide virus free certification. Education and
awareness of potential problem. Exclude rodents from housing and other buildings
in endemic areas.
(Arenaviruses) All have natural persistent infection in
rodents with humans being accidental hosts. Route of transmission to humans is
generally thought to occur thru contamination of food, water, or air by rodent
feces or urine or by inoculation of skin abrasions. Humans are infected
primarily through infected rodents invading human habitats. Contact with
infected rodent feces has produced disease in laboratory personnel.
DIAGNOSIS:
is by serology or virus isolation. Control is to reduce
opportunity for exposure to infected rodents. 1. JUNIN VIRUS: produces
Argentinian hemorrhagic fever There is an illness of 1-2 weeks with insidious
onset of fever, malaise, rigors, fatigue, headache, vomiting, constipation or
diarrhea, conjunctival congestion, retro-orbital pain, epistaxis, petechial
hemorrhages beneath skin, palate and gums. Edema of the upper body is possible.
In severe cases hematemesis and melena, encephalopathy, bradycardia and
hypertension occur. Case fatality rate 5-30%. Several hundred cases reported
each year in Argentina. Associated with at least 3 different cricetine rodent
species in Argentina 2. MACHUPO VIRUS: produces Bolivian Hemorrhagic fever Signs
and case fatality rate like Junin virus. Case #s have been decreasing rapidly
since initiation of rodent control programs in 1975. Associated with Calomys
callosus (Bolivia). 3. LASSA FEVER: Serologically related to Lymphocytic
Choriomeningitis, Machupo, and Junin virus. Fever has insidious onset over 2-3
days and may persist for up to 4 weeks, with malaise, headache and generalized
aching and sore throat. Vomiting and diarrhea, possibly edema of face and neck,
lymphadenopathy with hemorrhages and renal failure occurs in the second week.
The prostration is out of proportion to fever. Often there is a maculopapular
rash. Occurs in large areas in West Africa. Documented man to man transmission.
Found in common rodent Mastomys natalensis, multimammate rat (West Africa).
More than 200 cases of hepatitis A virus infection in
humans have been associated with nonhuman primates, principally chimpanzees but
also woolly and patas monkeys, Celebes apes, siamangs, and gorillas. Man, and,
rarely captive chimpanzees are the reservoir host; less frequently, certain
other nonhuman primates. An enzootic focus has been identified in Malaysia, but
there is no suggestion of transmission to man.
TRANSMISSION:
Although transmission of the virus may occur by
contaminated needles, it is usually by the fecal-oral route. Nonhuman primates
acquire the disease from man.
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
Usually do not show clinical signs, although malaise,
vomiting, and jaundice have been reported. Disease is detected by elevated liver
enzymes or diagnostic liver biopsies. Usually a self-limiting disease.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Fever, malaise, anorexia, headache, muscle pain, abdominal
discomfort, and jaundice. Liver enzymes are elevated along with LDH, bilirubin,
and alkaline phosphatase. Morbidity is variable and mortality is 0.6%
Development of antibody confers lifelong immunity.
DIAGNOSIS:
RIA or ELISA
TREATMENT:
Bed rest, IV fluids if dehydrated.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Strictly quarantine newly arrived chimps and allow only
limited human contact for at least 45-60 days. Protective clothing (gown,
gloves, & mask) Routine disinfection of equipment and personal hygiene.
Administer immune serum to handlers of newly imported chimpanzees (0.02ml/kg)
every 3 mos. or 0.06 ml/kg every 4 months. Vaccine being developed.
Double-stranded DNA Virus. Direct zoonosis. For each
Herpesvirus there exists a host for which the virus is almost uniformly fatal
and reservoir hosts in which the virus exists in subclinical or latent
infection. a. H. suis latent in swine, fatal in cattle. b. H. simplex I latent
in man, fatal in Aotus, Gibbon, Marmoset (especially). c. H. saimiri I latent in
Saimiri sciureus, fatal in Marmosets, Aotus (also known as Herpes T, Herpes M,
Herpes Tamarinus). d. H. saimiri II latent in Saimiri sciureus, fatal in
Marmosets, Aotus (this is an oncogenic virus, causing Malignant Melanoma of
Reticulum Cell Type). e. H. simiae latent in rhesus and other macaques, fatal in
man (also known as Herpes B Virus). f. Liverpool Vervet Monkey Virus: reservoir
host ???, fatal in Cercopithecus aethiops. The Herpesviruses are serologically
distinct but do share some antigenic properties. Herpes B Virus has been shown
to have some antigenic relationship to Herpesvirus simplex by serum
neutralization tests. However, antibody from Herpesvirus simplex does not confer
immunity to Herpes B Virus.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Incidence of infection of the reservoir host is normally
high but you rarely see clinical disease. Clinical disease is usually confined
to the very young or to the immunologically compromised. On occasion lethal
infection occurs in the reservoir host: in humans, generalized Herpes simplex is
often fatal in infants; in swine, Herpes suis is fatal in piglets. Natural
infection does not result in elimination of the virus or in immunity but
produces a latent infection or carrier, which always makes vaccination of
reservoirs impractical. Herpesvirus B was first described in 1934 by
Sabin/Wright. The virus was recovered from a laboratory worker who had been
bitten 18 days previously by an apparently healthy rhesus. Since 1934, there
have been 24 reported cases, all fatal, except four. Of the four, only one is
reasonably free of severe neurological deficits. (Patients have remained in coma
for as long as 40 months prior to succumbing to the disease.) Incubation is
considered to be 10-20 days from exposure to the virus; however, in the
Pensacola cases, clinical disease occurred within 4-5 days of exposure. Contact
with macaques does not constitute exposure. The susceptibility of man to
clinical B infection is low although mortality is high.
TRANSMISSION:
direct contact, including sexual transmission, aerosols,
and fomites.
THE DISEASE IN NHP:
The reservoir hosts for Herpesvirus simiae are monkeys of
the genus Macaca. Monkeys incriminated include M. mulatta (rhesus), M.
fascicularis (cyno), M. fuscata (Japanese macaque), and M. arctoides (Stump-tail
macaque). B virus may produce mild cold-sore type lesions, primarily at
mucocutaneous junctions, mucous membranes, and tongue. But, it has been
demonstrated that infection is not confined to the mouth but can also be found
in the genitalia. These lesions are similar to those caused by Herpesvirus
simplex I in man. Two factors have been associated with antibody increases with
age; 80-100% of imported adult rhesus may have antibody compared to 20% imported
juveniles. The second factor was type of caging. Animals housed together had
significantly higher titers than individually-caged animals. Clinical disease
may develop at the time of primary infection but it is not known if lesions
invariably follow infection. However, periodic shedding of the virus may occur
without the presence of visible lesions. Once a monkey is infected with B Virus,
it should be considered infective for life.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
Human infection is characterized by encephalitis with
diplopia; nystagmus, patch paresthesia of head, neck and upper extremities.
Acute abdominal pain, fever and diarrhea have also been observed prior to
neurologic symptoms. Patients may also have a vesicular rash and/or
keratoconjunctivitis. The histopathological changes resemble those of fatal,
systemic Herpesvirus simplex in infants: encephalitis, myelitis and foci of
necrosis in liver, spleen, lymph nodes and adrenals. The case fatality rate is
70%.
DIAGNOSIS:
ELISA and viral isolation.
TREATMENT:
acyclovir.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Control includes personal hygiene, protective clothing and
common sense in handling monkeys. The virus is susceptible to oxidizing agents,
soap, and water. Guidelines for prevention and treatment have been developed.
The reader is referred to the reference by Holmes, GP, et al for further
details. Emphasis can not be too strong concerning the use of protective
clothing when entering a room with macaques. A perfectly healthy monkey may be
lethal to you.
Hymenolepis diminuta is the common tapeworm of rodents.
Size varies from 100-600 mm.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Rodents, many arthropods (fleas, beetles, and cockroaches)
serve as intermediate hosts.
TRANSMISSION:
Rodents and humans are infected by accidentally swallowing
the infected arthropods, usually in cereals or stored products.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Mild catarrhal enteritis with diarrhea occurs if the
infection is heavy.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Light infections are generally asymptomatic. Heavy
infections may cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, anorexia, vomiting, weight loss,
and irritability, particularly in young children.
DIAGNOSIS:
Infections are diagnosed by finding characteristic eggs in
feces; proglottids are usually not seen.
Dwarf tapeworm, Hymenolepis nana - measures 5-90 mm long.
RESERVOIRS AND INCIDENCE:
The animal reservoir is the house mouse, but humans can be
both definitive and intermediate hosts. Worldwide occurrence in warm climates.
TRANSMISSION:
Gravid proglottids disintegrate and eggs pass in the feces
and may be ingested by another human. Larvae then develop in the intestinal
villi and pass to the lumen of the gut to become the adult forms. Dogs, cats and
their fleas can be infected as well as grain beetles which can serve as
intermediate hosts.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Same as H. diminuta.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Same as H. diminuta.
DIAGNOSIS:
Same as H. diminuta.
TREATMENT:
Same as H. diminuta.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Personal hygiene, protective clothing and gloves Vermin
control. Protect stored grains and feeds from grain beetles.
The causative agent is influenza type A (Orthomyxoviridae).
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Humans, wild and domestic birds, horses and pigs are
reservoirs of influenza viruses, which appear to be species specific.
Convalescent carriers act as reservoir hosts between epidemics. Antigenic shift
is probably required before animal virus becomes epidemic in humans. Sporadic
human infections with swine and avian strains have been reported. Human cases of
influenza have occurred from contamination by aerosols from infected ferrets and
vice versa.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmission is by inhalation of droplets produced by
coughing and sneezing, especially in crowded, enclosed spaces.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Fever has a sudden onset followed by anorexia, coughing,
respiratory distress and mucoid nasal discharge, with rapid recovery. There is
consolidation in the lung. Copious mucopurulent exudate fills the bronchioles.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Typical symptoms include fever, chills, headache, myalgia,
malaise, coryza, pharyngitis and cough with full recovery within two weeks,
although viral or secondary bacterial pneumonia may develop, especially in the
elderly.
DIAGNOSIS:
Virus isolation, CF or HI serology.
TREATMENT:
Bed rest, analgesics, and cough mixtures. Amantadine
decreases duration by 50%. Antibiotics are reserved for bacterial complications.
Ribavirin aerosol has helped severely ill patients.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Polyvalent human influenza vaccine provides partial
immunity (about 85% efficacy) for a few months to one year. The vaccine's
antigenic configuration changes yearly and is based on prevalent strains of the
preceding year. Chemoprophylaxis with amantadine will markedly reduce the attack
rate among exposed individuals if begun immediately and continued for 10 days.
Vaccinate horses annually. Prohibit imports of live poultry and poultry meat
from countries where fowl plague occurs.
Kalunda M, Mukwaya LG, Mukuye A, Lule M, Sekyalo E, Wright J, Casals
J.
Two virus strains were isolated by mouse inoculation from blood of Rousettus
aegyptiacus fruit-eating bats collected from Kasokero Cave in Uganda. Shortly
after these strains were introduced in the laboratory, four additional strains
were recovered from laboratory workers who had developed mild to severe
illnesses presumably as a result of laboratory infection. Serological studies
established that these six isolates are strains of the same virus. Serological
tests showed also that this virus is related to Yogue, an unclassified virus.
[Cutaneous leishmaniasis: Chiclero ulcer, espundia, pianbols, uta, and buba (in
the Americas); oriental sore, Aleppo boil (in the Old World); Bagdad boil, Delhi
boil, Bauru ulcer (in the Middle East). Visceral leishmaniasis: kala-azar]
AGENT:
The causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis are
Leishmania mexicana and L. brasiliensis in the Americas, and L. tropica in the
Old World; and of visceral leishmaniasis, L. donovani, L. infantum, and L.
chagasi.
RESERVOIRS AND INCIDENCE:
The geographic distribution of the cutaneous disease is
Texas, Mexico, Central and South America, India, Pakistan, the Middle East,
southern Russia, the Mediterranean coast and Africa. The distribution of
visceral leishmaniasis is poorly reported, but foci probably occur in the
Mediterranean basin, the Middle East, India, China, Mexico, Central and South
America, and Africa. Wild animals, dogs and humans serve as reservoirs. Domestic
dogs may be an important reservoir for humans. Humans are the only known
reservoir in India.
TRANSMISSION:
Sandfly vectors transmit cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Person-to-person, congenital, and blood-borne transmission of visceral
leishmaniasis are possible.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
L. mexicana causes ulcers of the skin in rodents and other
wild animals, usually at the base of the tail. L. braziliensis causes a systemic
infection with few skin lesions in wild animals. No skin lesions have been found
in dogs. Dogs infected by L. tropica may suffer form cutaneous lesions similar
to those found in humans. L. donovani produces visceral lesions in dogs, with
enlarged lymph nodes, liver and spleen.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
In the cutaneous disease, the primary lesion is a painful
ulcer or nodule at the site of infection persisting for several months, with
residual scarring. Further lesions may develop in skin and mucous membranes.
Infiltration by inflammatory cells at the inoculation site supports the growth
of the parasite. This progresses into a large area of chronically inflamed
granulation tissue. The overlying skin undergoes hyperplasia and then necrosis
with spreading ulceration. Metastatic lesions occur with a similar inflammatory
reaction. The lesions may heal, become fibrosed or extend indefinitely to
produce considerable disfigurement. In the visceral disease, intermittent
irregular fever occurs with sweats, enlarged spleen, weight loss and anemia
leading to ascites, edema, diarrhea and secondary infections. Dark pigmentation
of the skin may occur. There is gross enlargement of liver and spleen. Without
treatment, the case fatality rate is 90%.
DIAGNOSIS:
Definitive diagnosis is achieved by finding the
parasite-either the amastigote in stained smears or biopsies, or the motile
promastigote in culture. Serologic and skin tests provide only indirect evidence
of infection.
TREATMENT:
Treatment remains inadequate because of drug toxicity, long
courses required, and frequent need for hospitalization. The drug of choice is
sodium antimony gluconate. Alternative drugs for some forms of infection are
amphotericin B and pentamidine.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Use insecticides in house and buildings to control the
vector. Eliminate rubbish heaps which are breeding areas for sandflies. Avoid
sandfly bites by using insect repellents and protective clothing. Keep dogs
indoors after sundown and remove infected dogs.
Mycobacterium leprae, a polymorphic acid-alcohol-fast
bacillus. M. leprae is hard to distinguish from other unculturable mycobacteria
naturally infecting animals. The failure of attempts to culture M. leprae in
vitro constitutes a great barrier to better determining its biochemical
characteristics for identification purposes as well as for therapeutic and
immunologic studies. In part, this difficulty has been overcome, first, by in
vivo culture on mouse foot pads and, lately, by the discovery that the leprosy
organism can infect the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). At
present, the latter serves as a model for lepromatous leprosy and provides a
large number of bacilli for research.
OCCURRENCE IN MAN:
An estimated 12 million people are affected by leprosy. The
highest prevalence is in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, Latin
America, and Oceania. Leprosy is very prevalent in India, Southeast Asia, the
Philippines, Korea, southern China, Papua New Guinea, and some pacific islands.
Ninety percent of the cases reported in the Americas come from five countries:
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela. Chile is the only South
American country free of the infection. In the United States 2,500 cases are
known, most of them in immigrants. Autochthonous cases arise in Hawaii, Puerto
Rico, Texas, and Louisiana. The infection's prevalence is related to the
socioeconomic level of the population. The fact that the disease has practically
disappeared in Europe is attributed to the improved standard of living there.
The proportion of total leprosy cases represented by lepromatous leprosy (see
The Disease in Man) varies with the region. In Asia and the Americas this form
makes up between 25 and 65% of all cases, while in Africa it accounts for only 6
to 20%.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
The incubation period is usually 3 to 5 years, but it can
vary from 6 months to 10 years or more. Clinical forms of leprosy cover a wide
spectrum, ranging from mild self-healing lesions to a progressive and
destructive chronic disease. The polar form at one end of the spectrum is
tuberculoid leprosy, and at the other, lepromatous leprosy. Intermediate forms
are also found. Tuberculoid leprosy is characterized by localized lesions of the
skin and nerves, often asymptomatic. Basically, the lesions consist of a
granulomatous, paucibacillary, inflammatory process. The bacilli are difficult
to detect, and can be observed most frequently in the nerve endings of the skin.
This form results from active destruction of the bacilli by the cellular
immunity of the patient. On the other hand, serum antibody titers are generally
low. Nerve destruction causes lowered conduction; heat sensibility is the most
affected, tactile sensibility less so. Trophic and autonomic changes are common,
especially ulcers on the sole and mutilation of body members. Lepromatous
leprosy is characterized by numerous symmetrical skin lesions consisting of
macules and diffuse infiltrations, plaques, and nodules of varying sizes (lepromas).
There is involvement of the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, of lymph
nodes, liver, spleen, and testicles. Infiltrates are basically histiocytes with
a few lymphocytes. Cellular immunity is absent (negative reaction to lepromin)
and antibody titers are high. In this form of the disease, as in the borderline,
erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL) often appears. The indeterminate form of leprosy
has still not been adequately characterized from the clinical point of view; it
is considered to be the initial stage of the disease. The first cutaneous
lesions are flat, hypopigmented, and have ill-defined borders. If this form is
not treated, it may develop into tuberculoid, borderline, or lepromatous
leprosy. Bacilli are few, and it is difficult to confirm their presence.
Finally, the borderline form occupies a position intermediate between the two
polar forms (tuberculoid and lepromatous), and shares properties of both; it is
unstable and may progress in either direction. Destruction of nerve trunks may
be extensive. Bacilli are observed in scrapings taken from skin lesions. An
estimated one-third of clinical cases become incapacitated. half of them
completely. Nevertheless, these proportions are now changing, due to both
prevention/control programs and early implementation of effective treatments.
There is evidence that inapparent infection may occur with a certain frequency
among persons, especially family members, in contact with patients.
THE DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
The disease in armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) is similar
to the lepromatous form in man. Infection in these animals is characterized by
macrophage infiltrates containing a large number of bacilli. Skin lesions vary
from mild to severe. The small dermal nerves are invaded by the etiologic agent.
Many bacilli are seen in the macrophages of the lymph tissue, in the pulp of the
spleen, and in Kupffer's cells in the liver. M. leprae is known to prefer the
coolish parts of the human or mouse body. For this reason, armadillos were used
as experimental animals even before natural inaction was confirmed in them,
since their body temperature is from 30 to 35oC. Experimental inoculation of
armadillos with human leproma material reproduces the disease, characterized by
broad dissemination of the agent, and involvement of lymph glands, liver,
spleen, lungs, bone marrow, meninges, and other issues, in a more intense form
than is usually observed in man. The disease in the chimpanzee appeared as a
progressive chronic dermatitis with nodular thickening of the skin of the ears,
eyebrow nose, and lips. Lesions of the nose, skin, and dermal nerves contained
copious quantities of acid-fast bacteria. The case was histologically classified
as borderline 12 months after the clinical symptoms were first observed, and as
lepromatous after a later biopsy. In the case of the Cercocebus monkey, the
initial lesion consisted of nodules on the face. Four months later, a massive
infiltration and ulceration were seen on the face and nodules appeared on the
car and the forearms. Sixteen months after cutaneous lesions were first
observed. The animal began to suffer deformities and paralysis of the
extremities. Histopathologic findings indicated the subpolar or intermediate
lepromatous form. The disease was progressive, with neuropathic deformation of
feet and hands. It seemed to regress when specific treatment was administered.
The animal apparently contracted the disease from a patient with active leprosy.
Experimental infections carried out to date have indicated that these animals
may experience a spectrum of different forms similar to those in man.
SOURCE OF INFECTION AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
Man is the principal reservoir of M. leprae. The method of
transmission is still not well known due to the extended incubation period.
Nevertheless, the principal source of infection is believed to be lepromatous
patients, in whom the infection is multibacillary, skin lesions are often
ulcerous, and a great number of bacilli are shed through the nose similarly.
Bacilli are found in the mouth and pharynx. Consequently, transmission might be
effected by contact with infected skin, especially through wounds or abrasions,
and by aerosols, as is the case in tuberculosis. Lately, more importance has
been attributed to aerosol transmission. Oral transmission and transmission by
hematophagous arthropods are not discounted, but they are assigned less
epidemiologic importance. Until recently, leprosy was believed to be an
exclusively human disease. But research in recent years has demonstrated that
the infection and the disease also occur naturally in wild animals. Even though
some researchers have expressed doubt that the animal infection is identical to
the human, at present an accumulation of evidence indicates that the etiologic
agent is the same. The origin of infection in animals is unknown. It is believed
that armadillos contracted the infection from a human source, perhaps from
multibacillary patients before the era of sulfones. In this regard, it should be
pointed out that leprosy bacilli may remain viable for a week in dried nasal
secretions and that armadillos are in close contact with the soil. The high
disease prevalence in some localities would indicate armadillos can transmit the
infection to one another, either by inhalation or direct contact. Another
possible transmission vehicle is maternal milk, in which the agent has been
detected. It is difficult to demonstrate that armadillos are a source infection
for man because of the long incubation period in humans and the impossibility of
excluding a human source in an endemic area. In Texas, a case of human leprosy
was attributed to a patient's practice of capturing armadillos and eating their
meat. Subsequently, another five cases with hand lesions were detected in
natives of the same state who habitually hunted and cleaned armadillos but had
no known contact with human cases. The prevalence of leprosy in armadillos in
Louisiana and Texas suggests that these animals could serve as a reservoir of M.
leprae; however, nothing is known about the frequency of infection in nonhuman
primates and the role they may play in transmission of the disease. The sources
of the cases of leprosy in these animals were probably people with lepromatous
leprosy.
DIAGNOSIS:
Laboratory confirmation of leprosy requires the
demonstration of acid-fast bacilli in scrapings from slit skin smears or the
nasal septum. Biopsy of skin or of a thickened involved nerve also gives a
typical histologic picture. M. leprae does not grow in artificial media.
CONTROL:
Control is based on early detection and chemotherapy. In
the face of multiple confirmed cases of resistance to dapsone, combination of
this medication with rifampicin is presently recommended for paucibacillary
leprosy, and the same two medications in combination with clofazimine for
multibacillary leprosy. Rifampicin has a rapid bactericidal effect and
eliminates contagion in patients in 1 to 2 weeks. The isolation of patients in
leprosariums is no longer necessary, since the chemotherapy effectively
eliminates infectiousness and thereby interrupts transmission of the disease.
: Spirochete, Leptospira. Pathogenic leptospires
belong to the species Leptospira interrogans, which is subdivided into more than
200 serovars. The main natural reservoirs for human infection vary with serovar:
L. canicola in dogs, L. hardjo in cattle, L. pomona in swine, and L.
icterohaemorrhagiae in rats.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Rats, mice, field moles, guinea pigs, gerbils,
squirrels, rabbits, hamsters, reptiles, nonhuman primates, livestock, and dogs.
In one study, 40 % of stray dogs were seropositive. Rats and mice are common
animal hosts for L. ballum. Infection in mice is inapparent and can persist for
the animal's lifetime. *Rodents are the only major animal species that can shed
leptospires throughout their life-span without clinical manifestations. Active
shedding by lab animals can go unrecognized until personnel handling the animals
become clinically ill.
TRANSMISSION:
Handling affected animals, contaminating hands,
or abrasions with urine, or aerosol exposure during cage cleaning are most
common. The organism is often transmitted to humans by the urine of the
reservoir host. The organism may also enter through minor skin lesions and
probably via the conjunctiva. Many infections have followed bathing or swimming
in infected waters.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
In cattle, fever and anorexia occur with rapid
decline in milk yield and atypical mastitis. Pregnant cows abort with retention
of the placenta. Also, mild jaundice and severe anemia occurs with enlarged and
friable liver and swollen kidneys. In pigs subclinical infection is common,
though it can cause abortion and birth of weak piglets. In dogs and cats,
gastroenteritis, jaundice, and nephritis may occur.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Ranges from inapparent infection to severe
infection and death. Biphasic Illness a. Weakness, headache, myalgia, malaise,
chills, & fever. b. Leukocytosis, painful orchitis (testes not usually
enlarged), conjunctival effusion, and rash. Icteric leptospirosis (Weil's
syndrome-usually caused by L. icterohaemorrhagiae) is the most severe form of
the disease, characterized by impaired renal and hepatic function, abnormal
mental status, hypotension, and a 5-10% mortality rate. Signs and symptoms are
continuous and not biphasic.
DIAGNOSIS:
Early in the disease, the organism may be
identified by darkfield examination of the patient's blood or by culture on a
semisolid medium. Culture is difficult and requires several weeks. A rapid
diagnosis is made with the DOT-ELISA test. *Leptospires can be recovered only
from mature mice even though antibodies can be detected from infected mice of
all ages.
TREATMENT:
Penicillins or tetracyclines. Can eliminate L.
ballum from a colony (mice) with 1000 gm chlortetracycline HCL/Ton of feed for
ten days.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
Vaccination in cattle, swine, and dogs Avoid
swimming in or drinking from potentially contaminated water. Protect workers by
providing boots and gloves. Rodent control. Drain wet ground. Doxycycline
chemoprophylaxis for persons at high exposure.
- Listeria monocytogenes, gram positive, pleomorphic rod
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Isolated from fish, birds, swine, horses, ruminants, guinea pigs, ferrets,
gerbils, rabbits, and chinchillas. The principle reservoir of the organism is in
forage, water, mud, and silage. The seasonal use of silage as fodder is
frequently followed by an increased incidence of listeriosis in animals.
TRANSMISSION:
outbreaks have been reported associated with ingestion of unpasteurized milk and
cheese and contaminated vegetables; some sporadic cases may also be due to
foodborne transmission. Refrigeration of foods may provide selective growth of
Listeria. Papular lesions on hands and arms may occur from direct contact with
infectious material or soil contaminated with infected animal feces. In neonatal
infections, the organism may have been transmitted from mother to fetus in utero
or during passage through the infected birth canal. Person-to-person
transmission through venereal contact is possible, as is infection from
inhalation of the organism.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Two forms exist, the meningoencephalitic and visceral. The former involves
neurological signs with dullness and somnolence. Drooling and lack of interest
in food and mastication soon follow. There is lateral deviation of the head with
a tendency to circle. Paralysis then sets in with recumbency and death from
respiratory failure. The visceral from involves abortion, with retained
placenta. Microabscesses occur throughout the brain. Visceral lesions involve
multiple foci of necrosis in the liver, spleen and heart. Placental lesions are
characteristic with yellow necrotic foci and multiple granulomas in the fetal
liver. Abscess formation in the eye can lead to blindness. Fatality is very
high, approaching 3-30% in outbreaks.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Symptomless fecal carriage is common. Fever, headache, nausea, vomiting,
endocarditis, granulomatous lesions in multiple organs, cutaneous involvement,
coryza, conjunctivitis, metritis with abortion, sepsis, & meningitis.
Granulomatous lesions and abscesses occur in the liver and other organs and
beneath the skin. Focal necrosis in the placenta with mononuclear infiltration
is seen. Fatality rates may exceed 20%.
DIAGNOSIS:
culture and isolation (special media required). Serologic tests are unreliable
because of cross reactions with other bacterial species.
TREATMENT:
ampicillin plus an aminoglycoside or Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
caution and protective clothing when handling infected tissues. Pregnant women
and immunocompromised individuals should avoid contact with potentially
infective materials such as aborted animal fetuses and known infected persons;
they should eat only properly cooked meats and pasteurized dairy products.
First implicated in 1982 as agent
in a 1975 epidemic of juvenile inflammatory arthropathy in Old Lyme Connecticut.
Cases have been reported from 46 states and the annual number of Lyme disease
cases has increased 18 fold from 497 to 8803. It is now the most common tick
transmitted disease in the USA. Also seen in Europe, England, Soviet Union,
China, Japan, Southeast Asia, South Africa, Australia, and Canada.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmitted mostly by Ixodes
dammini and other ixodid ticks (three host tick with a two to three year life
cycle). Ixodes dammini has a broad range of hosts; adults prefer white tailed
deer but will also parasitize dogs, horses, and humans. Larvae feed primarily on
rodents, especially mice. Nymphs feed on all hosts and appears to be primarily
responsible for transmission of the disease to people. Birds are an important
reservoir and means of dispersal. Also found in Dermacentor, Rhipicephalus and
Amblyomma and other ticks and biting insects, including mosquitoes, fleas, and
biting flies. Because of lack of any proof to the contrary it is generally
believed at this time that any potential increased risk to human beings from
infected animals is attributable to animals bringing ticks into areas of human
habitation rather than any pet transmission. Dogs appear to be at greater risk
than humans.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Serologic evidence has been
reported in the dog, cat, horse, and ruminants. However, correlation with
disease is lacking except in the dog. The dog exhibits the same symptoms as
noted below for humans. Expanding skin lesions have been noted in mice and
rabbits.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Multisystemic disease which may
have chronic sequelae; an annular rash known as erythema chronicum migrans (ECM)
develops in 60-80% of patients in the area of the tick bite and is considered
pathognomonic. Also flu like symptoms, which resolve in about three weeks. 8-10%
of people develop cardiac involvement several weeks later. Manifestations
include atrioventricular block, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, myocarditis, and
pancarditis. 15% develop neurologic disorders such as facial nerve palsies which
usually resolve. Other manifestations include meningitis, cranial neuritis,
radiculoneuritis, neuropathy, and encephalopathy. 60% develop the most common
sequelae, arthritis. Disease may remain latent with symptoms developing 4 years
after seroconversion.
DIAGNOSIS:
Most common test is detecting
antibody titers by IFA or ELISA (on blood, CSF or synovial fluid). Culture is
definitive but is difficult and requires special media such as Barbour-Stoener-Kelly
media. Histologically with Dieterle Silver Stain or immunoperoxidase stains, but
is often unrewarding.
TREATMENT:
A positive serology is no grounds
for treatment when no clinical signs are present. Borrelia burgdorferi is
sensitive to tetracycline and moderately sensitive to penicillin. amoxicillin,
ceftriaxone, and imipenem are also highly active.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
Tick control care when removing
ticks or when handling potentially infective materials a vaccine against Lyme
Disease tested in hamsters has been found effective. More research is needed but
in the future vaccination may be beneficial for those at constant risk of
exposure.
Arenavirus Of many latent viruses present in mice, only LCM
naturally infects humans. LCM can easily be transmitted from animals to humans.
Isolated by Armstrong and Lillie during investigation of a St. Louis
Encephalitis outbreak in 1933.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Worldwide in wild mice (M. . musculus). This disease is
principally confined to the eastern seaboard and northeastern states in the U.S.
Wild mice infect the lab mouse. Mouse and hamster are the only species in which
long term, asymptomatic infection is known to exist. *LCM virus is present in
experimental mouse tumors which is a second source of infection for humans. This
was first recognized in a transplantable leukemia of C58 mice. The disease can
also be transmitted to laboratory animals via inoculation of infected tissue
culture cells. The infection also occurs in guinea pigs, rabbits, rats, canines,
swine, and primates.
TRANSMISSION:
Infection in mice is maintained by congenital infection
followed by lifelong carriage and excretion of virus in saliva, urine, and
feces. Human infections are probably from contaminated food and dust, the
handling of dead mice, and mouse bites. Bloodsucking arthropod vectors such as
ticks, lice, and mosquitos may transmit the disease. Person to person
transmission does not occur.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
The clinical signs of LCM depend on the host's resistance
and age when infected, although the various categories of the disease are not
always clearly delineated. Animals infected in utero or during the first 48
hours postpartum may develop a transient viremia but recover completely within a
few weeks. Other animals similarly infected may develop a persistent tolerant
infection (PTI) that continues asymptomatically for 6 or more months. Animals
infected after the first few days, when the virus will be recognized as foreign,
often overcome the infection completely, but an acute, usually fatal syndrome
can develop. Signs of acute infection in mice continue for 1-2 weeks and include
decreased growth, rough hair coat, hunched posture, blepharitis, weakness,
photophobia, tremors, and convulsions. The terminal stage of the PTI, which
occurs over several weeks to 5 to 12 month old mice, is characterized by weight
loss, blepharitis, and impaired reproductive performance and runted litters. The
important necropsy signs are microscopic. Visceral organs, including the liver,
kidneys, lungs, pancreas, blood vessels, and meninges, are infiltrated by
lymphocytes. A glomerulonephritis of probable immune complex origin is a
characteristic feature of terminal PTI.
DISEASE IN MAN:
The features may include influenza-like illness for up to 2
weeks, possibly with orchitis. Sometimes meningitis, paralysis and coma follow.
Joint pains occur during convalescence.
DIAGNOSIS:
CF or virus isolation.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
serologic monitoring Infection can be eradicated by
cesarean derivation prevent wild mice from entering facilities control
ectoparasites and roaches Restrict flow of traffic into and out of LCM infected
colonies Protective clothing and proper care when handling infected animals or
tissues. Basic hygienic practices Screen tissue culture cell lines and murine
tumor lines and animals periodic serologic testing of high risk personnel
(African Hemorrhagic Fever, Green or Vervet Monkey Disease)
AGENT:
Agent is classified as a Filovirus. It is an RNA virus,
superficially resembling rhabdoviruses but has bizarre branching and filamentous
or tubular forms shared with no other known virus group on EM.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
An acute highly fatal disease first described in Marburg,
Germany in 1967. Brought to Marburg in a shipment of infected African Green
Monkeys from Uganda. 31 people were affected and 7 died in 1967. Exposure to
tissue and blood from African Green monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops) or
secondary contact with infected humans led to the disease. No disease occurred
in people who handled only intact animals or those who wore gloves and
protective clothing when handling tissues. A second outbreak was reported in
Africa in 1975 involving three people with no verified contact with monkeys.
Third and fourth outbreaks in Kenya 1980 and 1987. Natural reservoir is unknown.
Monkeys thought to be accidental hosts along with man. Antibodies have been
found in African Green monkeys, baboons, and chimpanzees. 100% fatal in
experimentally infected African Green Monkeys, Rhesus, squirrel monkeys, guinea
pigs, and hamsters.
TRANSMISSION:
Direct contact with infected blood or tissues or close
contact with infected patients. Virus has also been found in semen, saliva, and
urine.
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
No clinical signs occur in green monkeys, but the disease
is usually fatal after experimental infection of other primate species.
Leukopenia and petechial hemorrhages throughout the body of experimentally
infected monkeys, sometimes with GI hemorrhages.
DISEASE IN MAN:
5-7 day incubation period. Headache, fever, muscle pain,
vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhagic diathesis, Conjunctivitis, photophobia, skin
rash, and jaundice. Leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, proteinuria. Shock and death
in 25% of cases. Hemorrhages throughout the body on post mortem examination.
DIAGNOSIS:
IFA, ELISA, Western blot, EM, or virus isolation.
TREATMENT:
Supportive Possibly immune serum
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Strict quarantine on newly imported, wild-caught primates.
Naturally infected monkeys should become ill or die within several weeks.
Hygiene, sanitation, and protective clothing Isolation of human patients with
prevention of sexual intercourse until semen is free of virus.
Family Paramyxoviridae, Genus Morbillivirus. The same genus
contains the viruses of Canine Distemper and Bovine Rinderpest.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Man is the only known reservoir. New world monkeys are more
resistant than old world monkeys but exhibit high mortality when infected.
TRANSMISSION:
Virus is excreted from the mucous membranes of the eye and
pharynx and later from the respiratory and urinary tracts. Virus is shed in the
prodromal phase and continues through the exanthematous phase. Highly
contagious! Can spread from man to monkey, monkey to monkey, man to man, and
monkey to man.
Incubation period 10-14 days. Conjunctivitis Koplik spots -
bluish white spots on buccal mucosa 2-3 days after onset Leukopenia Rash in
mouth, cheeks, neck, chest, and body. Can be complicated by middle ear
infection, bronchopneumonia, encephalitis Fetal risk if contracted during
pregnancy. The mortality rate in children in the U.S. is 0.2%, but may be as
high as 10% in developing countries.
DIAGNOSIS:
clinical signs, serology, histopath.
TREATMENT:
Bed rest, acetaminophen, saline eye sponges, nose drops.
Vitamin A (400,000 IU/day) has been shown to reduce pediatric morbidity and
mortality.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Vaccinate personnel working with nonhuman primates (Live
attenuated measles vaccine) if they do not have: 1. a titer to rubeola (HI >1:4
protective) 2. confirmed history of previous vaccination 3. confirmed prior
disease Live attenuated measles vaccine can be given to macaques but causes
disease and death in marmosets and owl monkeys.
Normal inhabitant of surface soil and water in Southeast
Asia, and tropical areas. Recent studies have shown that the water of tanks in
which exotic aquarium fishes were imported was contaminated. Occurs in wild
rodents, goats, pigs, sheep. Also identified in Chimps, orangutans, and
macaques. There is no evidence that animals are important reservoirs, except in
the transfer of the agent to new foci. Rare in the U.S. except in drug users.
TRANSMISSION:
by inhalation from moist soil-water reservoir, by contact
with contaminated soil or water thru overt or inapparent skin wounds, or by
ingestion of contaminated feeds. Can be venereal in man.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Signs include loss of weight, swelling of joints, fever,
cough, and chest pain. Skin lesions with fistulous tracks can develop.
Emaciation and multiple abscesses in lung, bone, viscera. A chronic draining
purulent skin lesion in a primate is suspect. Incubation period can be 6 months
to three years. Sheep seem especially susceptible- over 25% mortality can occur
in outbreaks.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Clinical disease is not common in man but subclinical
disease in endemic areas based on serology is common. It may simulate typhoid
fever or TB including pulmonary cavitation, empyema, chronic abscesses and
osteomyelitis. High case fatality rate (80%) in people who do develop clinical
signs.
DIAGNOSIS:
Culture and isolation from lesions, a rising serological
titer is confirmatory.
TREATMENT:
ceftazidime. Alternates: Chloramphenicol or
Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Protozoa of the order Microsporidia (Phylum: Microspora) are represented by
about 700 species parasitic in hosts of many invertebrate and vertebrate groups.
These protozoa have only recently been recognized as "opportunistic" parasites
in patients with AIDS. In veterinary medicine, Microsporidia are well known as
causative agents of certain animal infections, such as nosemosis in bees,
encephalitozoonosis in rabbits and of numerous fish diseases. Microsporidia are
obligatory intracellular parasites (macrophages, histiocytes, endothelial cells,
kidney tubular cells, etc.) with a characteristic spore stage and a unique mode
of infecting host cells. Spores of Microsporidia species infecting mammals are
ovoid or piriform, 1.5-5.0 m long with mostly a thick wall consisting of 2 main
layers (exospore, endospore). The spore contains a coiled, minute tube (polar
tube or polar filament) connected with a complex extrusion apparatus and a
nucleated, infective sporoplasm. After ingestion by a suitable host, the
physiological conditions of the digestive tract stimulate the spores to evert
with force the coiled polar filament. The tip of the filament penetrates the
host cell membrane, the sporoplasm migrates through the tube and enters the
cytoplasm where asexual multiplication (merogony) and spore formation (sporogony)
occur. Sporoplasms usually infect the gut epithelium either to develop there or
to be transferred, probably by the action of phagocytic cells, to the
circulation and their preferred site of development in various organs. The
spores, released to the environment from the intestinal or urinary tract, are
ingested by a new host. All Microsporidia examined so far have a direct
developmental cycle. Up to now 5 genera of Microsporidia have been identified as
causative agents of human infections. ENCEPHALITOZOON CUNICULI has a worldwide
distribution and is a common parasite of wild and domesticated rabbits,
laboratory rodents and a wide spectrum of other mammals such as carnivores,
ruminants, pigs, monkeys and man. Encephalitozoon parasites found in birds may
belong to other species. E. cuniculi, widespread in conventional rabbit colonies
in up to 76% of the stock, mostly causes latent infections and only rarely
disease. Focal granulomatous encephalitis and nephritis are the main
pathological changes. Natural transmission in rabbits is possible by the oral,
tracheal and transplacental routes, but oral infection appears to be the most
important way. In rabbits, spores of E. cuniculi are excreted in the urine in
concentrations up to 106 spores/ml. The human cases of E. cuniculi infections
include two cases of encephalitis with a favorable evolution in two
immunocompetent children. In a 35-year old man with AIDS the E. cuniculi
infection resulted in a granulomatous hepatitis. Recently, another case in a
45-year old patient with AIDS (Greek nationality) was described in Switzerland.
An unusual peritonitis with a large granulomatous mass, containing developmental
stages of E. cuniculi, were found at autopsy. In Sweden (S) and Great Britain
(GB) high prevalences of serum antibodies against E. cuniculi antigen have been
detected in persons with malaria (S: 38%, GB: 7%), Chagas disease (S: 15%),
schistosomiasis (GB: 12%), filariases (S: 9%), neurological disorders (GB: 6%)
and in travellers after a stay in the tropics (S: 12%) while non-exposed
persons, animal dealers and some other groups were seronegative. The question is
open whether E. cuniculi is more common in the tropics or whether tropical
parasites cause immunodepression which supports microsporidian infections.
Besides a systemic infection in a immunodefective child with Nosema conori and
two cases of keratitis caused by Microsporidian species, the recent description
of a myositis in an AIDS patient due to Pleistophora sp. is of special interest
as parasite transmission from fish was suspected. Another species of this group
is Enterocytozoon bieneusi. This parasite was first described in 1984 in France
in a 29-year old AIDS patient who had suffered from heavy diarrhea.
Microsporidia were found in enterocytes of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum. This
parasite or similar forms were subsequently detected in at least 9 other
patients with AIDS in the USA, Uganda and the Netherlands. The origin of this
parasite is unknown. An infection similar to E. bieneusi in the enterocytes of a
Callicebus monkey has been described.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis is based on the direct detection of Microsporidia
by histology after hematoxylin-eosin, Giemsa, Gram or other staining (spores are
Gram-positive!) or by electron microscopy in autopsy or biopsy material. Serum
antibody detection provides another tool for the in vivo diagnosis of
encephalitozoonosis.
TREATMENT:
Information on chemotherapy of microsporidian infections is
scanty. In experimental infections chloroquine and oxytetracycline reduced
harvests of E. cuniculi spores only by 69% and 58%, respectively. Treatment of
an AIDS patient suggested that either metronidazole or ganciclovir may have
inhibited the microsporidian infection.
Orthopoxvirus Disease in humans is indistinguishable from
smallpox, (Variola) i.e., serologic & clinical syndrome.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Animals: Nine reported outbreaks in captive NHP's,
primarily rhesus and cynomolgus. Has also been reported in languors, baboons,
chimpanzees, orangutans, marmosets, gorillas, gibbons, and squirrel monkeys. The
virus has been isolated from a wild squirrel. Man: The first human case of
Monkey Pox was reported in 1970. Between 1970 and 1986, over 400 cases had been
reported from tropical rain forested areas of West and Central Africa.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmission can be via direct contact, aerosol, ingestion,
or parenteral administration. Person to person transmission can occur.
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
Usually exhibit a high morbidity and low mortality.
Clinical signs may be inapparent or an animal may exhibit fever, lymphadenopathy,
and cutaneous eruptions of the extremities, trunk, lips, or face. Cynos seem to
be most severely affected. Death is uncommon except in infant monkeys.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Signs in man include fever, sore throat, headache, and a
vesiculopustular rash of peripheral distribution which clears up in 5 to 25
days. Severe complications include bronchopneumonia, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Case fatality rate 10-15%. Although the disease is not common in man it is
important from the standpoint of differentiating it from smallpox.
DIAGNOSIS:
based on progression of lesions, histopathology and virus
isolation. On histological examination epidermal cells contain eosinophilic
cytoplasmic and intranuclear inclusions. ELISA
TREATMENT:
Symptomatic.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Sanitation, isolation. Vaccination with vaccinia virus is
protective in both man and nonhuman primates.
Natural pathogen of rats and mice. Other mammals
including cats, and their ectoparasites have been found infected. Outbreaks
continue to occur in U.S., especially Texas. Natural lab infections have not
been reported but lab acquired infections in people handling experimentally
infected mice have been documented.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmitted by flea or lice (Xenopsylla cheopis,
Nosopsyllus fasciatus) to rodents or man. Humans are infected by contamination
of flea bites, broken skin or conjunctiva by flea feces. Domestic animals may
transport the flea vector to humans. Inhalation of contaminated dust may be a
route of infection.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
The agent localizes in the brain and various
organs but with no known lesions.
DISEASE IN MAN:
There is a gradual onset of fever with severe
headache, rigors, generalized pains and dry cough (sometimes developing to
bronchopneumonia) of about 2 weeks. A macular rash appears by about 5 days,
first appearing on the trunk and lasting about six days. CNS manifestations are
possible. Damage is caused to vascular endothelia by invasion of rickettsia,
possibly leading to thrombosis and hemorrhage. In untreated case, the case
fatality rate is 1-2%.
DIAGNOSIS:
CF or IFA.
TREATMENT:
Tetracycline or chloramphenicol.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Control wild rodents. In endemic areas control
fleas while exterminating rats.
Sandie Safton,1
Gavine Cooper,1 Michael Harrison,1
Lynne Wright1 and Paul Walsh2
Abstract
The third case
report, which is the first in Australia, of human infection with Neisseria
canis is documented. This is the first case report in which the
pathogenicity of this organism for humans is unequivocally demonstrated. Commun
Dis Intell 1999;23:221.
INTRODUCTION:
Neisseria canis(N. canis )
was first described by Berger in 1962.1
The bacteriums normal habitat is the throat of the cat and dog. It is
regarded as a true Neisseria with phenotypic properties that allow its
recognition as a distinct species.2,3 Only two
previous case reports of human infection have been found by the authors.4,5
The first case of human infection with N. canis was published by Hoke and
Vedros4 in 1982. This isolate came from a cat
bite wound on a child. No other clinical details were described. In 1989 N.
canis was reported in a mixed culture that included Pasturella multocida
(P. multocida) and Eiknella corrodens from a cat bite wound on the
arm of a previously healthy 36 year old woman. The wound was inflamed and the
patient was successfully treated with amoxycillin. P. multocida
was regarded as the primary pathogen in this case.5
CLINICAL FEATURES:
The patient, a 50 year
old male normally in good health, presented with a purulent wound to the sole of
his foot, with surrounding cellulitis. The patient recalled having trod on a dog
bone a few days previously. A swab for culture was taken and antibiotics
commenced (metronidazole and amoxycillin/clavulanic acid). Seven days later he
made a complete recovery apart from some residual induration.
METHODS:
LABORATORY DIAGNOSIS:
Standard bacteriologic
techniques as outlined in the Manual of Clinical Microbiology6
were used. The Gram stain showed moderate numbers of polymorphs. A
moderate pure growth of a small gram negative coccus was obtained on aerobic
blood agar, with the formation of yellowish non-haemolytic, 2 - 4 mm slightly
flat topped colonies after 48 hours. It grew well on nutrient agar but did not
grow on MacConkey agar. The organism was a facultative anaerobe, non-capnophilic
and growth at 37oC was better than at 30oC
or 42oC. The remainder of the diagnostic tests
were consistent with the identification of N. canis, and it was
sensitive to benzylpenicillin, erythromycin, and tetracycline but resistant to
vancomycin.
A conserved segment (441
base pairs) of the isolates RNA was subject to molecular studies, using BLAST
analysis with the GeneBank7 data bank. A
significant similarity was found with a sequence of 422 matching base pairs
(95%) with GenBank Accession number L06170 - Neisseria canis ATCC 14687.
DISCUSSION:
It is considered without
doubt that N. canis was pathogenic. Currently the organism is a very rare
isolate associated with cat or dog contact, but it may be under reported. The
laboratory diagnostic clues are the isolation of an oxidase positive, gram
negative, non-fastidious coccus that is very strongly catalase positive and
forms dull yellow flat-topped non-haemolytic colonies on Day 2. It is
nitrate positive but otherwise essentially asaccharolytic and rather inert in
its biochemical reactions. It is described in the literature as galactosidase
negative, tributyrin hydrolysis negative, DNase negative, nitrite negative
and polysaccharide synthesis negative.3,6Currently
there is no reason to suspect that the organism would not be covered by the
current Australian Antibiotic Guidelines8
for the management of animal bites.
REFERENCES:
1. Berger U. Uber das
vorkommen von neissien bei einigen. Tieren. ZHyg.
1962;148:445-57.
2. Weyant RS, et al.
Identification of unusual pathogenic gram- negative aerobic and facultatively
anaerobic bacteria. 2nd Edition. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins,
1995.
3. Krieg NR, Hold JG (Eds).
Bergeys manual of systematic bacteriology, Vol 1. Baltimore: Williams and
Wilkins, 1984.
4. Hoke C, Vedros NA.
Characterization of atypical aerobic gram-negative cocci isolated from humans. J
Clin Microbiol 1982;15:906-14.
5. Guibourdenche M,
Lambert T, Riou, JY. Isolation of Neisseria canis in a mixed culture from
a patient after a cat bite. J ClinMicrobiol 1982;27:1673-74.
8. Therapeutic
Guidelines Antibiotic, 10th Edition 1998-1999. Therapeutic
Guidelines Limited, Melbourne, 1998.Author references1.
Sullivan and Nicolaides and Partners Pathology, Lismore, New South Wales2.
General Practitioner, Evans Head, New South Wales
The natural reservoir is wild and domesticated birds.
TRANSMISSION:
Transmission is by inhalation of infectious aerosols.
Intensive conditions favor spread by contact, on inanimate objects and airborne
between poultry houses. Human infections occur mainly amongst laboratory workers
and those who work with infected chickens or who give live vaccine, especially
by aerosol.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
In poultry, respiratory and nervous signs occur, including
gasping and coughing; also drooping of wings, twisting of the head and neck;
inappetence and paralysis. Egg production ceases. Petechial hemorrhages are
characteristic, especially in the preventricular mucosa. Necrosis of the
intestinal mucosa give a "bran" like appearance. Congestion and mucoid exudate
appears in the lungs and bronchi.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Usually symptoms are confined to painful conjunctivitis
lasting a few days, but fever and influenza-like symptoms for up to 3 weeks may
follow.
DIAGNOSIS:
Virus isolation or ELISA.
TREATMENT:
Symptomatic.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Hygienic precautions are needed when handling infected
birds. Avoid inoculation injuries and ensure laboratory safety. Maintain strict
hygiene in poultry sheds and quarantine of imported live birds, prohibit
importation from infected countries, sterilization of, or prohibition on, waste
food fed to poultry. Vaccination of poultry.
The causative agents are Oesophagostomum stephanostomum,
bifurcum, and aculeatum.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
The parasite lives in the intestines of various primates
and sometimes humans. These definitive hosts can sometimes serve as intermediate
hosts. It occurs mainly in Africa, but occasionally in South America and Asia.
TRANSMISSION:
Eggs passed in feces release larvae which infect the
definitive host on ingestion. The parasite invades the intestinal wall to form
nodules. The fourth stage larvae which develop in these nodules migrate to the
lumen of the large intestine to form the adult worm and complete the life cycle.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Mild infection is subclinical. Abdominal pain follows more
severe infection with diarrhea or even dysentery. Death in the NHP may ensue
from perforation of the intestine and peritonitis.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Mild infection goes unnoticed but sometimes abdominal pain,
and GI bleeding and even peritonitis occur. Granulomatous nodules in the
intestinal wall contain larvae and parasites. These may be secondarily infected
and lead to abscesses.
DIAGNOSIS:
Fecal flotation. Culture to obtain larvae for species ID.
TREATMENT:
Anthelmintic therapy.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Fecal screening of NHP's Wearing of protective clothing and
gloves. Ensure good personal hygiene. Sanitary disposal of feces is important.
Inhabits the oral cavity and upper respiratory
tract of many animals (Rabbits, rodents, dogs, cats, mice, birds, swine). Dogs
and cats are frequently healthy carriers.
TRANSMISSION:
All animals and birds may be colonized by
pasteurellas, and human infection occurs by wound infection from bites or
scratches. Animal-to-animal transmission may occur by ingestion and inhalation.
1986 case report of meningitis in a woman who kissed her dog (cultured positive
for organism) and also had dental caries which was considered to be the route of
infection.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Can cause acute pneumonia or septicemic disease
in many species. May cause chronic infection of upper respiratory and middle ear
especially in the rabbit.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Local inflammation occurs around the bite or
scratch, possibly leading to abscess formation with systemic symptoms.
TREATMENT:
Penicillin, tetracycline, or cephalosporin
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Proper treatment of bite Protective clothing (mask,gloves)
Euthanize aggressive dogs and cats. Vaccinate cattle and sheep.
Cause of malaria. Both quartan and tertian types occur in
NHP. There is a high incidence in newly imported animals. Requires anopheline
mosquitoes for transmission. Therefore zoonotic potential exists anywhere
mosquitoes have access to infected animals. Generally thought that these
conditions prevail only in Southern climates where monkeys are housed outdoors,
but mosquitoes are found in Northern as well as Southern U.S. In general, human
malaria caused by plasmodia of simian origin resembles a mild and benign
infection caused by human plasmodia. The disease is of short duration,
parasitemias are low, and relapses are rare. Must control flying insects in all
primate facilities.
INTRODUCTION
A range of pox viruses cause febrile illnesses
in man and animals with a prominent vesicular rash. The most prominent of them
was smallpox virus (variola) which caused a severe disease in man but
which has now been eliminated by intensive international vaccination.
Current interest in poxviruses centers around their possible use as vaccine
vectors.
THE VIRUS
Smallpox belongs to the
Orthopox virus
genus. Poxviruses are very large, brick-shaped viruses about 300 x 200 nm (the
size of small bacteria). They have a complex internal structure - a large
double-stranded DNA genome (about 200 kbp in size) is enclosed within a
"core" that is flanked by 2 "lateral bodies". The surface of
the virus particle is covered with filamentous protein components, so that the
particles have the appearance of a "ball of knitting wool". The entire
particle is enclosed in an envelope derived from the host cell membranes. Most
poxviruses are host-species specific, but vaccinia is a remarkable exception.
True pox viruses are antigenically rather similar, so that infection by one
elicits immune protection against the others.
Laboratory diagnosis of pox viruses may be undertaken by electron
microscopy of negatively stained vesicle fluid or lesion material. Some pox
viruses can be cultured on the chorio-allantoic membrane of chick embryos, where
they form pocks, and some can be isolated by cell-culture.
HUMAN INFECTION
Vaccinia -
a virus strain which has been used for immunization against smallpox.
It's origins are not known but it seems to be a genetically distinct type of pox
virus which grows readily in a variety of hosts. In man it causes a localized
pustule with scar formation. In immunocompromised persons or eczematous persons
it sometimes caused a severe generalised vaccinia infection. Routine immunization
of all children in RSA stopped in about mid 1980's. (Last case of
smallpox in RSA was on Transvaal-Botswana border in 1971.)
Cowpox -
is acquired by humans usually by milking cows; it then manifests as
ulcerative lesions (sometimes called "milkers nodules") on the hands
of dairy workers. It was noted to protect against smallpox and was used by
Jenner as a vaccine strain to protect persons against smallpox. Despite
its name, rodents are the main reservoir of cowpox; it spreads secondarily
to cows and domestic cats.
Molluscum contagiosum
- is a minor infectious warty papule of the skin with a central
umbilication, transferred by direct contact, sometimes as a veneral disease.
Click here to see electron micrograph
Monkey pox -
is a rare smallpox like disease of children in central Africa. It is acquired
from monkeys or wild squirrels, but does occasionally spread from man to man in
unvaccinated communities. Antigenically cross-reacts with other poxviruses. Sick
monkeys have not been identified, but apparently healthy animals have
antibodies.
Pseudocowpox
- occurs worldwide and is a disease primarily of cattle. In humans
it causes non-ulcerating "milker's nodes".
ORF - a
worldwide occupational disease associated with handling sheep and goats afflicted
with "scabby mouth". In humans it manifests as a single
painless, papulo-vesicular lesion on the hand, forearm or face.
POX VIRUSES AS
VACCINE
VECTORS
Certain poxvirus strains which cause localised
lesions or abortive infections in mammals (vaccinia) or birds (avipox) are
currently being studied as possible recombinant vaccine vectors for use in man
and domestic animals.
Genes coding for immunising antigens of a
variety of pathogens may be inserted into the large poxvirus genome, and some
undesirable genes of the pox virus may be excised. A vaccinia-based rabies
vaccine has been successfully used on wild foxes (via bait) in Europe.
Half-a-dozen others are in clinical trial.
(Query fever, Balkan influenza, Balkan grippe,
pneumorickettsiosis, abattoir fever)
AGENT:
Coxiella burnetii Multiplies only in living
cells. Stains red with Gimenez & Macchiavello stains and purple with Giemsa.
Infections in lab workers have been recognized for many years. Serious
laboratory hazard in research facilities where infected "asymptomatic"
ewes are used for projects.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Found worldwide in wild and domestic animals in
two self perpetuating cycles: 1. Wild animals, with numerous tick hosts 2.
Domestic animals - sheep, goats, cattle. Widespread in sheep in the U.S. Dogs,
cats, and chickens can also be infected. Enzootic infection among domestic
animals is the main reservoir of infection for humans.
TRANSMISSION:
Organism shed in urine, feces, milk, and
especially birth products of domestic ungulates that generally do not show
clinical disease (usually sheep and goats). Organism is resistant to drying and
can persist for months while providing extensive environmental contamination.
Aerosol is a major means of transmission. Contact with infected tissues:
placenta of the infected ewe contains 109 organisms per gram of tissue. Amniotic
and fetal tissues are highly infective. Soiled linen may infect personnel in the
laundry. One organism is considered to be enough to cause infection in humans.
Ingestion.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Two weeks to one month incubation. Febrile
illness or subacute endocarditis. No skin eruption or rash, which distinguishes
it from other Rickettsial species infections. Severe frontal headache with
retro-orbital pain, profuse sweating, myalgia, and nausea. Pulmonary involvement
in half the cases. Asymptomatic in many cases. Most cases resolve in two weeks
but may be protracted or relapsing in the elderly. Chronic endocarditis,
particularly in persons with preexisting valvular disease, is difficult to treat
and the case fatality rate may be as high as 60%.
DIAGNOSIS:
Leukopenia with a diagnostic rise in specific CF
antibodies to Coxiella phase 2. The Weil-Felix test (a test specific for typhus
and other rickettsial diseases) is negative. Liver function tests are often
abnormal. In Q fever endocarditis, there is a titer of 1:200 or more by CF or
IFA with phase 1 antigen. Isolation of the organism from blood or sputum is
rarely attempted due to zoonotic concerns.
TREATMENT:
Treatment with tetracyclines can suppress
symptoms and shorten the clinical course but does not always eradicate the
infection. Even in untreated patients, the mortality rate is usually low, except
with endocarditis. Treatment of endocarditis consists of protracted (often for
years) of antibiotic therapy; valves often need replacement.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Use male or non pregnant female sheep for
research, when possible. Q-Fever free sheep - limited practicality because
requires intense surveillance program and frequent testing. Also, serologic
status is not a useful indicator of whether the animal is shedding virus.
Personnel education and control. Physical separation of infected animals from
humans are current methods of control. Restrictions on movement of animals within
the facility (with considerations of air handling). Label all potentially
infected material and sterilize or disinfect it. Protective clothing, masks,
gloves, & shoe covers. Intensive medical surveillance and health education
program. Treatment of acute disease in humans with tetracycline. Experimental
vaccine for sheep has shown promise. Delayed hypersensitivity skin test is
available for high risk personnel.
- Rhabdovirus which causes an acute almost
invariably fatal disease.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Worldwide distribution (few countries are
exceptions) Primary reservoirs vary geographically, eg. foxes, bats, raccoons,
skunks, dogs, cats, cattle, and others. In the U.S. and Canada, wildlife rabies
most frequently involves skunks, raccoons, and bats. There has been a
progressive epizootic among raccoons in the eastern U.S. for over a decade.
Involve wild and domestic species. Mostly wild species involved, only 10% of
cases are in domestic animals 16 cases have been confirmed in nonhuman primates,
including chimpanzees, cebus, cynos, and squirrel monkeys. All source countries
of NHP's have endemic rabies. In Germany, Paarman described 25 Avian cases of
Rabies involving 11 chickens, 2 geese, 1 duck, 1 sparrow, 1 owl, 1 crow, 3
hawks, 1 kite, 1 magpie, and 4 buzzards with Negri bodies observed in only
three. In the U.S., the Great Horned Owl may shed the virus in its droppings
after consuming an infected skunk. Rodents and lagomorphs are unlikely to have
rabies. In the U.S., rabies has been reported 13 times in ferrets since 1958,
most often in pet ferrets acquired from pet shops.
TRANSMISSION:
Virus laden saliva via bite, scratch, or abrasion
Tissues and fluids in the laboratory Rabid dogs shed virus in saliva 5-7 days
before showing signs. Cat does so for only 3 days before signs. Aerosol
transmission has been documented in the laboratory and in caves where bats roost
(requires a high concentration of suspended viral particles). Animals showing
signs of rabies are usually shedding large amounts of virus.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Rabid animals of all species exhibit typical
signs of CNS disturbance, with minor variations peculiar to carnivores,
ruminants, bats, and man. The clinical course, particularly in dogs, can be
divided into 3 phases: the prodromal, the excitative, and the paralytic. The
term "furious rabies" refers to animals in which the excitative phase
is predominant, and "dumb or paralytic rabies" to those in which the
excitative phase is extremely short or absent and the disease progresses quickly
to the paralytic phase. In any animal, the first sign is a change in behavior,
which may be indistinguishable from a GI disorder, injury, foreign body in the
mouth, poisoning, or an early infectious disease. Temperature change is not
significant, and driveling may or may not be noted. Animals usually stop eating
and drinking and may seek solitude. Frequently, the urogenital tract is
irritated or stimulated as evidenced by frequent urination, erection in the
male, and sexual desire. After the prodromal period of 1-3 days, animals either
show signs of paralysis or become vicious. Carnivora, pigs, and occasionally,
horses and mules bite other animals or people at the slightest provocation.
Cattle butt any moving object. The disease progresses rapidly after the onset of
paralysis, and death is virtually certain within 10 days of the first signs.
Rabid domestic cats and bobcats attack suddenly, biting and scratching
viciously. Rabid foxes frequently invade yards or even houses, attacking dogs
and people. The irrationality of behavior that can occur is demonstrated in the
fox that attacks a porcupine; finding a fox with porcupine quills can, in most
cases, support a
DIAGNOSIS:
of rabies. Rabid foxes and skunks are responsible
for most pasture cattle losses, and have attacked cattle in barns. The rabid
raccoon is characterized by its loss of fear of man, its frequent aggression and
incoordination, and its activity during the day, being predominantly a nocturnal
animal. In urban areas, they often attack domestic dogs. Bats flying in the
daytime are probably rabid.
DISEASE IN MAN:
There is usually a history of animal bite. Pain
appears at the site of the bite, followed by paresthesias. The skin is quite
sensitive to changes of temperature, especially air currents. Attempts at
drinking cause extremely painful laryngeal spasm, so that the patient refuses to
drink (hydrophobia). The patient is restless and behaves in a peculiar manner.
Muscle spasm, laryngospasm, and extreme excitability are present. Convulsions
occur. Large amounts of thick tenacious saliva are present.
DIAGNOSIS:
Consider Rabies as a possible problem in any wild
caught or random-source laboratory animal of unknown vaccination history showing
central nervous system signs or symptoms. Virus isolation from body fluid or
tissue Fluorescent antibody (FA) staining of tissues, including cornea, frozen
skin, mucosal scrapings, as well as brain. Highly specific & rapid. Can now
detect different strains (ie skunk vs raccoon origin) via monoclonal antibody
analysis which is specific for one antigenic focus on the viral particle. The
identifiable strains correlate well with species and geographic distributions
observed. This allows identification of source and is an important epidemiologic
tool. (5 strains have been isolated from terrestrial animals; 2 skunk, 1
raccoon, 1 gray fox, 1 red fox, More than 5 have been isolated from bats.)
TREATMENT:
This very severe illness with an almost
universally fatal outcome requires skillful intensive care with attention to the
airway, maintenance of oxygenation, and control of seizures.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Virus is destroyed rapidly at greater than 50 C
and survives no more than a few hours at room temperature (Can persist for years
in frozen tissues) Vigorous first aid for bite wounds. Consult Health Authority
if suspected exposure. Postexposure immunization: Up to 50% of human rabies
immune globulin is infiltrated around the wound; the rest is administered IM.
Human Diploid Cell Vaccine (HDCV) is given as 5 injections IM at days 0, 3, 7,
14, and 28. Control disease in domestic animals by vaccination and enforced
animal control measures. Discourage keeping of wild animals as pets. Discourage
the vaccination of wild animal pets for rabies. Vaccination of high risk
personnel
Gram negative, pleomorphic bacillus. Two different agents
can cause disease: 1. Streptobacillus moniliformis (Haverhill Fever) *Named
after a 1926 outbreak in Haverhill, Mass. attributed to contaminated milk. 2.
Spirillum minus (Sodoku)
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Present in the oral and respiratory passages of a large
number of asymptomatic rodents, including Rats and Mice. Incidence of disease
appears to be low. Historically, wild rat bites and subsequent illness (usually
small children) relate to poor sanitation and overcrowding.
TRANSMISSION:
Man infected by bite of infected rodent or via contaminated
milk or food
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Rats: inapparent infection Mice: acute, systemic, fatal
disease in immunologically inexperienced mice. Surviving mice (or if endemic
disease), exhibit suppurative polyarthritis, swelling and loss of digits or
limbs.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Acute febrile disease following bite from a rodent. Can see
inflammation, lymphadenopathy, and nonspecific signs. May exhibit rash on
extremities, often soles and palms. May see arthritis with S. moniliformis.
Incubation period variable: S. moniliformis: hours to 1 to 3 days S. minus: 1 to
6 weeks Symptoms usually resolve spontaneously. Complications, if not treated
promptly, lead to pneumonia, hepatitis, enteritis, endocarditis with a 10%
fatality rate.
DIAGNOSIS:
Culture: S. moniliformis requires 10 to 20% horse or rabbit
serum and reduced oxygen tension. S. minus- won't grow in vitro. Must inoculate
culture specimens into lab animals and use dark field microscopy.
TREATMENT:
Treat with procaine penicillin G or tetracycline HCl. Give
supportive and symptomatic measures as indicated.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Bacteriologic monitoring Proper treatment of rodent bites
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIVs)-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) or HAIDS pandemic originated from lentiviruses of nonhuman primates (thus
qualifying as a zoonosis) that moved into humans in Africa. The HAIDS patients
eventually die of opportunistic infections, all potentially zoonotic. The HAIDS
infection remained parochial, first endemically and then epidemically, until the
African urbanization that occurred in each of the countries postindependence.
The latter included wars and the massive movement of soldiers (virologically
naive) from the American continent to Africa and back. The HAIDS viral ecology
coincided with African swine fever (ASF) in the Americas. Haiti became the focal
point for both infections. Some infected Haitians also became, together with
some infected drug addicts in the United States, a source of contaminated human
blood for transfusions and production of plasma derivatives.
RHODOCOCCUS EQUI INFECTION
AGENT:
Rhodococcus equi
MEANS OF TRANSMISSION:
Aerosol, Contact
Most common species associated with transmission to
humans:
House mouse is reservoir host; most commonly seen
in rodent infested urban dwellings ie New York City and other Eastern U.S.
cities. Rats and moles can also harbor the organism. Not identified as a natural
disease in laboratory rodents.
TRANSMISSION:
Mite, Allodermanyssus sanguineus, transmits to
mice or to man. Lab infections in humans via respiratory route have occurred but
lab infections due to mite bite have not been reported.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Not known in wild animals. In experimental mice
death follows pneumonia.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Illness lasting about a week is associated with
an eschar which develops at the site of the mite bite, regional lymphadenopathy
and fever. A vesicular rash over the body and limbs develops within 1-4 days.
DIAGNOSIS:
Leukopenia and a rise in antibody titer with
rickettsial antigen in CF tests. However, the Weil-Felix test is negative.
TREATMENT:
Tetracycline
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Eliminate wild mice from animal facilities
Control mites.
Dogs, wild rodents and rabbits. Reported from
most of continental U.S., highest incidence in S. Atlantic and South Central
States. 2/3 of human cases are reported in children.
TRANSMISSION:
Ixodid ticks (especially Dermacentor) or their
host species. Most rickettsias are obligate intracellular parasites of the gut
cells of invertebrates and can only survive briefly outside living cells.
Crushed ticks or mites and their feces may infect through broken skin.
Transmission from tick bite occurs only after several hours of attachment.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Subclinical only.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Fever has a sudden onset, with chills, headache,
severe muscle pains, photophobia and meningism for four weeks. A red,
morbilliform rash develops within 3-5 days of onset of fever and with
hemorrhages spreading on limbs. Enlarged liver and spleen, myocarditis, renal
tubular necrosis and bronchopneumonia occur. Damage to endothelial cells of
blood vessels by invasion of rickettsias causes thrombi and hemorrhages. Focal
liver necrosis, hemorrhages in genitalis and gangrene of the scrotum may occur.
The case fatality rate in untreated cases is 15-20%, but with prompt treatment
is about 5%.
DIAGNOSIS:
Rickettsiae can sometimes be isolated in special
laboratories from blood obtained in the first few days of illness. A rise in
antibody titer during the second week of illness can be detected by specific CF,
IFA, and microhemagglutination tests or by the Weil-Felix test. Antibody
response may be suppressed if antimicrobial drugs are given very early.
TREATMENT/PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Treatment of human disease with tetracycline or
chloramphenicol. Control ticks on newly arrived animals.
Rotaviruses cause gastroenteritis in animals and humans. They are not strictly
species-specific, and experimental cross-infections with human or animal
rotaviruses in several animal species have been confirmed. The finding of
serotypes common to man and various animal species might indicate that some
serotypes can infect both. However, the natural occurrence of cross-infections
between species and the possible role of animals in the epidemiology of the
disease in humans are still unknown.
RNA virus belonging to the genus Flavivirus (formerly group
B of the arboviruses) of the family Togaviridae; forms part of the virus complex
including Murray Valley, West Nile, and Japanese B encephalitides. There are
indications that strains of the virus isolated in different zones differ in
their capacity to produce viremia in birds, virulence in 3-week-old mice, and
neurovirulence in rhesus monkeys. By the technique of nucleotide mapping,
considerable genetic variation among the strains of the virus was demonstrated,
and it was proposed to name these geographic variants as topotypes.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
The agent is distributed from Argentina to Canada. The
disease is unknown outside the Americas.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
The clinical infection presents a wide spectrum, from an
undifferentiated febrile disease similar to influenza to severe encephalitis.
Three syndromes can be distinguished: febrile disease, aseptic meningitis, and
encephalitis. The febrile syndrome usually has a benign course, with fever and
intense cephalalgia lasting several days, followed by complete recovery. The
aseptic meningitis has a sudden onset, with fever, stiffness of the neck, and
positive Kemig and Brudzinski signs, but without neurologic dysfunction.
Pleocytosis is common. The disease characterized by encephalitis also begins
suddenly, with fever and one or more signs of brain inflammation, such as
personality changes, confusion. delirium, lethargy, paresis, convulsions, and
others. The encephalitis syndrome is more frequent in elderly persons; its
frequency increases from 56% in patients up to 20 years old to 87% in those over
60. Convalescence in these cases lasts several weeks. The incubation period is
estimated at 4 to 21 days. In the United States, the case fatality rate in 2,261
confirmed clinical cases between 1955 and 1968 was 5 to 10%. The majority of
deaths were in persons over 50 years old, among whom the fatality rate can be as
high as 30% or more. During the 1962 epidemic in Tampa Bay, Florida, the highest
fatality rate (36.3%) was recorded in patients 65 years of age and older in
Pinellas County, where a large number of retired persons live. In that county
the general mortality rate was 22.2%, while the rate was 9.8% in the remaining
three counties in that area. In Central and South America, most of the small
number of recorded patients did not exhibit impairment of the central nervous
system.
THE DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
The infection is subclinical in animals. Experimental
peripheral inoculation of the virus produces viremia without clinical symptoms
in domestic and wild fowl and in various species of insectivorous bats. When the
disease occurs in man, antibodies for SLE are generally found in horses and in
some other mammals. In contrast to western, eastern, and Venezuelan equine
encephalitides, St. Louis encephalitis does not cause clinical illness in
equines. Some equines inoculated experimentally develop viremia.
SOURCE OF INFECTION AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
The basic cycle of the infection involves wild birds and
omithophilic mosquitoes. Culex salinarius, from which the SLE virus has been
isolated, could be the vector in the wild enzootic cycle. In the United States,
two different epidemiologic situations are known, depending on the habits of the
primary vector and other ecologic conditions. West of the Rocky Mountains the
disease is rural and sporadic because the vector, C. tarsalis, is sparse and the
widely scattered human population has a high rate of subclinical infection,
protecting it against reinfection. Though the vector and birds reach high
concentrations in areas flooded by irrigation water, human cases are not
numerous for the reasons given. In the south-central and north-central states of
the country, by contrast, the disease is urban-suburban in character, primarily
because the vectors are the peridomestic and domestic mosquitoes C.
quinquefasciatus and C. pipiens. These vectors proliferate where water
contaminated with organic wastes collects, that is, in poorer urban and suburban
areas deficient in environmental sanitation. The same conditions favor the
proliferation of sparrows, pigeons, and other birds that feed among household
wastes. Peridomestic birds and domestic fowl serve as amplifiers of the virus:
that fact, together with the increased density of the human population, creates
the conditions necessary for epidemics. During the 1964 epidemic in Houston, the
virus was isolated from geese, domestic pigeons, and various other species of
birds. In addition, antibodies were found in 20% of the birds, especially house
sparrows (Passer domesticus), and in almost all poultry examined. How the virus
gets into urban areas is not yet established, but it is suspected that migratory
wild birds may introduce it. As is true for many other arboviruses, the
mechanism that allows the virus to overwinter in temperate climates is not fully
known. The virus has been isolated from hibernating adult female C. pipiens,
which indicates that the virus can persist in the vector during the winter in
temperate climates. It also has been proven experimentally that low-level
transovarial transmission occurs in C. pipiens.
ROLE OF ANIMALS IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE:
Man is an accidental host of the virus and does not play
any role in the natural maintenance cycle. The basic reservoir is wild birds and
perhaps the vector mosquitoes; poultry and peridomestic and domestic birds act
as amplifiers of the virus, which circulates from one host to another by means
of mosquitoes. Wild and domestic mammals are not thought to play a role in the
virus cycle because their viremia is low-level and transitory and virus strains
isolated from them possess low virulence. In Panama, sloths inoculated with the
SLE virus developed prolonged high-titer viremia, but the role of these animals
under natural conditions has not been determined. Likewise, bats may be involved
in the virus's overwintering within enzootic foci in temperate climates, as well
as in its dissemination to epizootic foci, a subject that requires further
study.
DIAGNOSIS:
SLE may be confused clinically with other febrile diseases
or with encephalitides and aseptic meningitis caused by different agents.
Laboratory confirmation is essential. Laboratory diagnosis is based primarily on
serology. only on a few occasions has it been possible to isolate the etiologic
agent from the blood of viremic patients. Most successful isolations have been
made from the brain of patients who died a short time after contracting the
disease.
DIAGNOSIS:
is based on demonstrating serologic conversion in the
patient by comparing titers of serum samples taken during the acute phase with
those taken during convalescence. The most widely used tests are complement
fixation, neutralization (which is the most specific), and hemagglutination
inhibition. Antibodies can be detected during the first week of the disease by
the hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization tests, while the complement
fixation antibodies appear during the second or third week. In Latin American
and Caribbean countries, where infections due to several flaviviruses occur,
tests must include all of the other viruses of the group known to be present in
the area.
TREATMENT:
Vigorous supportive therapy. Such measures include
reduction of intracranial pressure (mannitol), monitoring of intraventricular
pressure, the control of convulsions, maintenance of the airway, administration
of oxygen, and attention to adequate nutrition during periods of prolonged coma.
No antiviral agent is effective for arboviral encephalitis.
CONTROL:
The only preventive measure available is control of the
vector. Programs of epidemiologic surveillance and vector control have given
satisfactory results in California against C. tarsalis, in Florida against C.
nigripalpus, and in Texas against C. quinquefasciatus. An effective vaccine is
not yet available.
(Salmonella food poisoning, enteric paratyphosis)
A common bacterial cause of food-poisoning worldwide. Over 1800 food-poisoning
serotypes of salmonella (bacterium) exist. The prevalence of individual
serotypes constantly changes. In the U.S., 5 million cases are diagnosed
annually. S. typhi, the cause of Typhoid Fever, rarely occurs in the U.S. and is
not discussed here.
RESERVOIR AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
Salmonellas are common commensals of all animals
and birds and are excreted in feces. Host-adapted strains may cause serious
illness (e.g., S. dublin in cattle, S. pullorum in chickens), but most human
food-poisoning salmonellas do not cause clinical signs in animals. The main
reservoirs for human infection are poultry, cattle, sheep and pigs. Infection in
animals is maintained by recycling slaughterhouse waste as animal feed, fecal
oral spread and fecal contamination of hatching eggs. Transmission occurs when
organisms, introduced into the kitchen in poultry carcasses, meat or
unpasteurized milk, multiply in food owing to inadequate cooking,
cross-contamination of cooked foods and inadequate storage. Person-to-person
spread is common in institutions such as hospitals. The organism inhabits the
intestinal tract of many animals including birds, cattle, sheep, pigs, lab.
animals (rats, mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, nonhuman primates) and humans.
Salmonella occurs worldwide. *The house mouse may also be a reservoir of the
infection and may play a role in human and animal salmonellosis. Humans, rarely,
and animals may be carriers and asymptomatic shedders of the organism.
*Salmonella prevalence in the U.S. canine population may be 10% or more.
*Prevalence data from 8 studies conducted worldwide indicated that a wide range
(0.6-27%) of cats were culture-positive for Salmonella. *Salmonella carriers in
newly imported Rhesus and Cynomolgus monkeys exceeded 20% in some shipments.
*Birds, reptiles, and turtles are especially dangerous sources of Salmonellosis.
94% of all reptiles harbor Salmonella. Turtles alone in 1970 may have caused
280,000 human cases of Salmonellosis. *In 1975 the FDA ruled it illegal to sell
a. Viable Turtle eggs b. Live turtles with a carapace length < 10.2cm (4
inches) c. Exceptions - Educational & scientific institutions and marine
turtles. d. Marine turtles have not been shown to be a reservoir of Salmonella
TRANSMISSION:
Indirect transmission via contaminated food and
water are the most common sources but transmission may also be by direct
contact. It is a common contaminant of sewage. Found in many environmental water
sources. Environmental contamination continues to be a potential source of
infection for lab animals and secondarily for personnel handling those animals.
*Animal feed containing animal by products continues to be a source of
Salmonella contamination, especially if the diets consist of raw meal and have
not undergone the pelleting process.
INCUBATION PERIOD:
Humans. 12-72 hours. Animals. 1-5 days.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Humans.The presence and severity of symptoms
depends on the infecting dose. Typically there is watery diarrhoea for about ten
days, possibly leading to dehydration, with abdominal pain and low-grade fever.
Septicemia and abscess formation are rare. Animals. Subclinical infection is
common and many animals may be intermittent or persistent carriers. However,
cows may suffer with fever, diarrhoea and abortion. Calves undergo epizootic
outbreaks of diarrhoea with high mortality. In pigs, fever and diarrhoea are
less common than in cattle. Infected sheep, goats and poultry usually show no
signs of infection.
PATHOLOGY:
Humans. Enteritis is a feature. Extraintestinal
infection may cause abscesses. Animals. Penetration of the infection into the
mucosa is followed by inflammation, especially ileitis, progressing to inflamed
mesenteric lymph nodes in the mesentery, possibly progressing to septicemia and
pneumonia especially in calves. Dehydration and rapid loss of weight are due to
stimulation of chloride excretion and inhibition of sodium absorption. Abortion
in cattle is caused by massive proliferation of salmonella in the placenta
leading to placental necrosis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Humans. Isolate salmonella from feces and
suspected foods using selective media followed by serotyping and, if
appropriate, phage typing. Animals. Culture feces, postmortem tissues and foods
of animal origin. Serological tests are of limited value as many noninfected
animals have titers from past infections. Humans. Usually only a self-limiting
illness occurs. Deaths from dehydration or septicemia are rare and occur usually
in infants, or debilitated or elderly patients. Animals.There is abortion in
cattle and endometritis with temporary infertility. In calves, dehydration and
septicemia may lead to death.
PREVENTION:
Humans. Educate food handlers in good kitchen
hygiene. Ensure thorough cooking of meat, refrigerate cooked foods and prevent
cross-contamination. Pasteurize all milk. Ensure personal hygiene. Reduce
contamination of poultry carcasses at abattoirs. Irradiation of meat and other
foods before purchase will reduce contamination. Animals. This is difficult and
often impractical because there are many sources of infection. Principles of
control include the following: maintain closed herds and flocks; keep animals in
small groups; purchase replacements direct from the farm of origin; avoid mixing
animals from different sources; sterilize ingredients of animal feed; provide
mains drinking water for grazing livestock; prevent access of wild birds and
rodents to animal houses; completely destock animals and thoroughly cleanse and
disinfect housing between batches; monitor poultry breeding stock and remove
excreters; disinfect hatching eggs and fumigate incubators.
TREATMENT:
Humans. Treatment of uncomplicated enterocolitis
is symptomatic only. Young, malnourished, or immunocompromised infants, severely
ill patients, those with sickle cell disease, and those with suspected
bacteremia should be treated for 3-5 days with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole
(one double-strength tablet twice a day), ampicillin (100 mg/kg IV or orally),
or ciprofloxacin 9750 mg twice daily). Animals. Treatment with antibiotics and
sulfonamides immediately diarrhoea and fever occur reduces mortality but is
contraindicated in healthy carriers in which treatment may prolong the carrier
state.
VACCINATION:
Humans. None. Animals. Vaccines are available
against S. dublin and S. typhimurium in calves. A live vaccine prepared from a
rough strain of S. dublin gives good protection in calves against both S. dublin
and S. typhimurium.
LEGISLATION:
Humans. The disease is notifiable specifically in
the USA, Australia, New Zealand and several European countries, or as
food-poisoning as in the UK. Animals. Notification of infection in food animals
is obligatory in some countries, including the UK, with statutory sampling of
animal protein for animal feed. Heat treatment of waste food applies in the UK.
A slaughter policy is claimed in Luxembourg, Germany and Czechoslovakia.
Sarcoptes is a microscopic mite that
burrows through the skin of dogs. In doing so, it causes tremendous irritation:
sarcoptic mange is one of the itchiest conditions in dogs. Although it can
affect any area of the skin, the itching is often most severe on the dog's
abdomen, chest, legs, and ears.
Where Does the Mite Come From?
The mites can be transmitted when a dog is in
contact with another infected pet dog or other member of the canine family (such
as a fox). Although the mites spend their entire lives on the dog, some mites do
fall off into the environment when the dog scratches. These mites can survive in
the environment for up to 3 weeks, and provide a source of infection for other
dogs. Also, because some dogs can harbor (and transmit) the mite without showing
signs of skin disease, all the dogs in the home of an infected dog have the
potential to be infected and to require treatment.
Can the Mite Infect Humans?
Yes. The mites prefer to live on dogs, but can
also live for at least 6 days on humans. They cause an itchy, uncomfortable skin
condition. If you are exhibiting any unusual symptoms, please see your physician
or dermatologist.
How is it Diagnosed?
The mite infestation is usually diagnosed by a
skin scraping, which is a simple in-clinic procedure performed by a
veterinarian. Since the mites can be very difficult to find, we sometimes make
the diagnosis based on the signs exhibited by the dog.
How is it Treated?
The likelihood of a cure with Sarcoptes is
excellent. The mites can be killed with a series of medicated dips, sprays,
injections, oral medications, or a topical medication. Most of these treatments
are performed several times, over 3 to 8 weeks, in order to kill all the life
stages of the mite. In some cases, the dog's immediate environment is also
treated to reduce the risk of contagion. It is also a good idea to wash the
dog's bedding after every treatment. Because the itching can be so intense,
anti-inflammatory medications are also sometimes prescribed. Some dogs become
more itchy a day or two after the first treatment, but the treatments should
reduce the itching significantly within 2 weeks.
Schistosomiasis infects more than 200 million persons
worldwide. The causative agents are Schistosoma mansoni, haematobium, and
japonicum.
RESERVOIRS AND INCIDENCE:
Humans are the reservoir for S. mansoni and haematobium. S.
japonicum infects cattle, water buffalo, horses, dogs, cats, rodents and
monkeys. Intermediate hosts are species of snails (Biomphalaria and Bulinus). S.
mansoni occurs in Africa, South America and some Caribbean islands (including
Puerto Rico); S. haematobium in Africa and the Middle East; and S. japonicum in
China, Japan, the Philippines, and South East Asia.
TRANSMISSION:
Cercariae in contaminated water penetrate human skin,
especially in irrigated fields or rivers. In the body the parasite migrates via
the liver to the superior mesenteric vein where maturation takes place in about
6 weeks. Eggs are disseminated throughout the body via the blood, released into
the intestinal lumen and excreted. In water miracidia develop and penetrate the
snail, which in turn excretes cercariae into the water.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, anemia, and emaciation occur.
Cattle have hematuria.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Penetration of larvae through the skin causes an itchy
rash. With heavy infection, penetration of the parasite through the skin gives
rise to local dermatitis and pruritus followed by pneumonitis when the parasites
reach the lung. The deposition of ova provokes the growth of small multiple
granulomata throughout the body. Eventually intestinal and hepatic fibroses
develop. With S. japonicum, acute symptoms include fever, abdominal pain, cough,
weight loss, diarrhea and dysentery. Chronic infection may result in symptoms
months to years later, with enlarged liver and spleen, cirrhosis, ascites, and
fits due to cerebral involvement.
DIAGNOSIS:
Definitive diagnosis is made by finding the characteristic
eggs in excreta or by mucosal or liver biopsy. Screening for infection is
possible by skin or serologic tests, but neither is sufficiently sensitive or
specific to justify treatment.
TREATMENT:
Praziquantel, metrifonate, or oxamniquine.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Dispose of feces and urine so that viable eggs will not
reach bodies of fresh water containing intermediate snail hosts. Reduce snail
habitats by removing vegetation or by draining and filling. Treat snail-breeding
sites with molluscicides. Prevent exposure to contaminated water (e.g., wear
rubber boots and gloves). To minimize cercarial penetration, towel dry,
vigorously and completely, skin surfaces wet with suspected water. Apply 70%
alcohol immediately to the skin to kill surface cercariae. Provide water for
drinking, bathing, and washing clothes from sources free of cercariae. Rapid
treatment of patients to prevent disease progression and to reduce transmission
by reducing egg passage.
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The type species is Shigella dysenteriae, other agents are
S. flexneri, S. boydii, and S. sonnei. The first three species are subdivided
into serotypes.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:
Worldwide.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
It is seen most often in preschool-age children. A new
serotype introduced into tropical areas where the population is undernourished
provokes disease in all age groups, particularly children, the elderly, and
debilitated individuals. Generally, the incubation period is less than 4 days.
The disease begins with fever and abdominal pains, followed by diarrhea and
dehydration for 1 to 3 days. A second phase of the symptomatology can last for
several weeks. The main symptom is tenesmus; in serious cases, stools contain
blood, mucus, and pus. The symptomatology is usually variable. In many
countries, strains of Shigella resistant to sulfonamides and to several
antibiotics have been observed.
THE DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
A clinical picture similar to that in man occurs in
monkeys.
SOURCE OF INFECTION AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
The principal reservoir of the infection for man is other
humans that are sick or carriers. The sources of the infection are feces and
contaminated objects. The most common mode of transmission is the fecal-oral
route. Outbreaks comprising numerous cases have had their origin in a common
source of infection, such as foods contaminated by hands or feces of carrier
individuals. Insects, particularly flies, can also play a role as mechanical
vectors. Bacillary dysentery is a serious disease with high mortality in
nonhuman primates in captivity, but there is doubt that monkeys can harbor the
etiologic agent in their natural habitat. Monkeys probably contract the
infection by contact with infected humans. The infection spreads rapidly in
nonhuman primate colonies because the monkeys defecate on the cage floor and
also often throw their food there.
ROLE OF ANIMALS IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE:
Of little significance. Cases of human bacillary dysentery
contracted from nonhuman primates are known. The victims are mainly children. In
highly endemic areas, dogs may shed Shigella temporarily. The etiologic agent
has also been isolated from horses, bats, and rattlesnakes. Nevertheless,
animals other than nonhuman primates play an insignificant role.
DIAGNOSIS:
Definitive diagnosis depends on isolation of the etiologic
agent by culture of fecal material on selective media. Serologic identification
and typing are important from the epidemiologic viewpoint.
TREATMENT:
In humans, treatment of dehydration and hypotension is
lifesaving in severe cases. The current antimicrobial treatment of choice is
trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (one double-strength tablet twice a day), or
ciprofloxacin (750 mg twice a day; contraindicated in children and pregnant
women). Parental hydration and correction of acidosis and electrolyte
disturbances are of primary importance.Antispasmodics (e.g., tincture of
belladonna) are helpful when cramps are severe. Drugs that inhibit intestinal
peristalsis (paregoric, diphenoxylate with atropine) may ameliorate symptoms but
prolong fever, diarrhea, and excretion of Shigella in feces. Appropriate
precautions should be taken both in the hospital and in the home to limit spread
of infection.
CONTROL:
In man, control methods include a) environmental hygiene,
especially disposal of human waste and provision for potable water; b) personal
hygiene; c) education of the public and of food handlers about the sources of
infection and methods of transmission; d) sanitary supervision of the
production, preparation, and preservation of foods: e) control of flies; f)
reporting and isolation of cases and sanitary disposal of feces; and g) search
for contacts and the source of infection. A live, streptomycin-dependent
vaccine, administered orally in three or four doses has given good protection
against the clinical disease for 6 to 12 months. Its use is indicated in
institutions where shigellosis is endemic. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics
must be avoided tn order to prevent the emergence of multiresistant strains and
to ensure that these medications remain available for use in severe cases. In
animals, control consists of a) isolation and treatment of sick or carrier
monkeys: b) careful cleaning and sterilization of cages; c) prevention of
crowding in cages: and d) prompt disposal of wastes and control of insects.
The second larval stage (plerocercoid or sparganum) of the
pseudophyllidean cestode of the genus Spirometra (Diphyllobothrium, Lueheela).
Several species of medical interest have been described: Spirometra mansoni, S.
mansonoides, S. erinacei-europaei, S. theileri, and S. proliferum. These are the
most commonly accepted species at the present time, but it should be noted that
they are difficult to differentiate and that the taxonomy remains in doubt. The
definitive hosts are mainly domestic and wild canids and felids. The development
cycle requires two intermediate hosts. The first is a copepod (planktonic
crustacean) of the genus Cyclops. which ingests coracidia (free, ciliated
embryos) that develop from Spirometra eggs when they reach the water with the
feces of dogs or cats (definitive hosts). In the tissues of the copepod, the
coracidium turns into the first larva, or procercoid. When a second intermediate
host ingests an infected copepod, the procercoid develops into a second larval
form, the plerocercoid or sparganum. The plerocercoid larva can be harbored by
many vertebrates, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals (rodents
and insectivores), man, nonhuman primates, and swine. Fish do not become
infected. Some researchers believe that the second intermediate host is usually
an amphibian, but can vary according to region. Numerous species of vertebrates
become infected with plerocercoids by feeding on amphibians, but they may also
develop plerocercoids after ingesting water containing copepods infected by
procercoids (first larva). Several animal species that are not definitive hosts
function as paratenic or transport hosts, since the larvae they acquire by
feeding on animals infected with plerocercoids encyst again after passing
through the intestinal wall and migrating to other tissues. This transfer
process is undoubtedly important in the life cycle; but the fact that many
species of secondary hosts can be infected directly by ingestion of copepods
containing procercoids is probably no less important. When the sparganum reaches
the intestine of the definitive host, it attaches to the mucosa; in 10 to 30
days, it matures into an adult cestode, completing the cycle. The adult S.
mansonoides reaches about 25 cm in length in the intestine of the definitive
hosts (cat, dog). The sparganum found in the tissues of the secondary
intermediate hosts and paratenic hosts, including man, varies from 4 to 10 cm in
length.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION AND OCCURRENCE:
Sparganosis is found throughout the world, but human
infection is not common. Just over 450 cases are known, mostly from Japan,
China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In the United States, about 60 cases have been
described# in Latin America and the Caribbean, the disease has been recorded in
Uruguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Belize, and Puerto Rico; about 30
cases have been diagnosed in Africa. Infections in the Far East are attributed
to plerocercoid larvae of Spirometra mansoni: in the United States, to S.
mansonoides; in Europe, to S. erinacei-europaei; and in Africa, to S. theileri.
However, as has already been mentioned, species identification can be difficult
and therefore uncertain.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
The incubation period, determined in a study of 10 patients
who ate raw frog meat, lasts from 20 days to 14 months. The most common
localizations of the sparganum are subcutaneous connective tissue and
superficial muscles. The lesion is nodular, develops slowly, and can be found on
any part of the body. The main symptom is pruritus, sometimes accompanied by
urticaria. The lesion is painful when there is inflammation. The patient may
feel discomfort when the larva migrates from one location to another. The
subcutaneous lesion resembles a lipoma, fibroma, or sebaceous cyst. Ocular
sparganosis occurs mainly in Vietnam, Thailand, and parts of China. Its main
symptoms consist of a painful edema of the eyelids, with lacrimation and
pruritus. A nodule measuring I to 3 cm forms after 3 to 5 months, usually on the
upper eyelid. Migration of the sparganum to internal organs can give rise to the
visceral form of the disease. The preferred localizations are the intestinal
wall, perirenal fat, and mesentery; vital organs are rarely affected. When the
plerocercoid invades the lymphatic system, it produces a clinical picture
similar to that of Eosinophils are abundant in the was near the parasite;
examination of blood samples reveals mild leukocytosis and increased
eosinophilia. An infrequent but serious form is proliferative sparganosis caused
by Spirometra proliferum. The sparganum of S. proliferum is pleomorphic, with
irregular branches and proliferative buds that detach from the larva and migrate
to different tissues in the host, where they repeat the process and invade other
organs. The life cycle of S. proliferum is not known.
THE DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
The adult cestode, which lodges in the intestine of the
definitive host, generally does not affect the health of the animal. In cats,
however, it may produce weight loss, irritability, and emaciation, together with
an abnormal or exaggerated appetite. Infection by the larvae or spargana can be
clinically apparent when their number is large and especially when they invade
vital organs. In the intermediate host, the disease is almost always
asymptomatic if the number of parasites is relatively small.
SOURCE OF INFECTION AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
Sparganosis is maintained in nature primarily by
contamination of natural or artificial bodies of water (lagoons, marshes, lakes,
and others) with feces from felids and canids infected with Spirometra spp.
Contamination of water with eggs of Spirometra spp. leads to the infection of
copepods and, consequently, of the second intermediate hosts that ingest these
crustaceans. An important means of infection is the transfer of the second larva
(sparganum, plerocercoid) from one secondary host to another, which increases
the number of animal species and individuals infected. The common route of
infection is ingestion; various mammal and bird species become infected by
feeding on parasitized frogs or snakes. The high rate of infection in wild pigs
in Australia may be due to this mechanism, although it may also stem from
ingestion of copepods with drinking-water from lagoons. In any case,
contamination of the water by wild canids (definitive hosts) that share the
habitat assures that the cycle is perpetuated. The infection rate in man is low,
compared to the rate in other animals. Man acquires sparganosis mainly by
ingesting larvae contained in raw or undercooked meat of animals infected with
spargana, such as amphibians, reptiles, birds, and wild mammals. Another mode of
infection, also by larval transfer, is by contact. In Vietnam and Thailand,
frogs are popularly believe to have an antiphlogistic effect, and their muscles
are applied as poultices. This custom is responsible for ocular sparganosis. It
is also probable that man can acquire sparganosis via drinking-water by
ingesting copepods infected with procercoids (first larvae). Man is an
accidental host and does not usually play any role in the life cycle of the
parasite. However, under ecologic conditions in some regions of central Africa,
it is suspected that man acts as an intermediate host. In this region, hyenas
are the definitive hosts of Spirometra, and man is apparently the only host
infected with spargana. In these circumstances, the infection cycle is
maintained as a result of tribal custom of letting hyenas devour human corpses.
DIAGNOSIS:
Specific diagnosis can be made only by removing the nodular
lesion and confirming the presence of the plerocercoid. Attempts have been made
to identify the species of Spirometra larvae by infecting dogs and cats via the
digestive route. For reasons already mentioned, differentiation of species has
proven difficult. Diagnosis in definitive hosts infected with adult cestodes can
be made by coprologic examination or autopsy.
CONTROL:
Human sparganosis can be prevented by avoiding ingestion of
contaminated water that has not been treated, and by making sure that meat that
might contain spargana is sufficiently cooked. In the Far East, public health
education should emphasize the danger of using the tissue of frogs or other
cold-blooded animals for medicinal purposes.
distributed worldwide with sporadic outbreaks.
Saprophyte that grows on soil or vegetation. Has been reported in horses, dogs,
cats and many other species. 19 cases of Sporotrichosis have been reported in
man following contact with feline abscesses or ulcers (12 of these were
veterinarians).
TRANSMISSION:
Penetrating injury, or contact with plant or
soil. Transmission from feline to man by direct contact with lesions
(penetrating injury NOT required). Inhalation can lead to pulmonic disease.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Lesions can be anywhere but are usually located
on distal extremities, head, or base of tail. Appear as draining puncture
wounds, cellulitis. Can ulcerate and become nodular with seropurulent exudate.
May cavitate and expose muscle and bone. May lead to disseminated disease which
is usually fatal
DISEASE IN MAN:
The most common clinical form is cutaneolymphatic;
it begins with a nodule or pustule at the point where broken skin allowed
inoculation. The infection may remain confined or may eventually spread and
produce SC nodules along the enlarged lymph ducts. These nodules may ulcerate,
and a gray or yellowish pus appears. Disseminated forms, which are rare, may
give rise to localizations in different organs, especially the bones and joints,
as well as in the mouth, nose, kidneys, or the SC tissue. Pulmonary
sporotrichosis can be confused with TB.
DIAGNOSIS:
Biopsy and histo fungal culture cytology of
impression smear of exudate. Organisms are numerous in cats but are difficult to
detect in man, horses, and dogs. Organism can also be found in feces of infected
cat. Antigen tests are used to diagnose disseminated disease.
TREATMENT:
Potassium iodide, Amphotericin B, or itraconazole.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Gloves when handling infected animals. Wash with
iodine or chlorhexidine.
Coagulase-positive strains of Staphylococcus aureus that produce enterotoxins.
Very few coagulase-negative stains are enterotoxigenic. The toxin is preformed
in the food involved. To date, six types of enterotoxins are known: A, B, C, D,
E, and F; of these A is the most prevalent in outbreaks. Enterotoxin F is
implicated in toxic shock syndrome (TSS). Some strains can produce two or even
three different enterotoxins. The toxins are heat-resistant and can withstand a
temperature of 100oC for 30 minutes.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:
Worldwide.
THE DISEASE IN MAN:
The incubation period is short, generally 3 hours after ingestion of the food
involved. The interval between consumption of the enterotoxin and the first
symptoms can vary from 30 minutes to 8 hours, depending on the quantity of toxin
ingested and the susceptibility of the individual. The major symptoms are
nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, and diarrhea. Some patients may show low
pyrexia (up to 38oC). More serious cases manifest prostration, cephalalgia,
abnormal temperature, and lowered blood pressure, as well as blood and mucus in
the stool and vomit. The course of the disease is usually benign and the patient
recovers without medication in 24 to 72 hours. Recently, a toxic shock syndrome
has been described. Symptoms consist of vomiting, diarrhea, high fever,
erythroderma, edema, renal insufficiency, and toxic shock. Most patients are
women who become ill during their menstrual period. The above-described symptoms
also are observed in association with abscesses and osteomyelitis caused by S.
aureus. A staphylococcal enterotoxin designated F was isolated from 94% of these
patients strains of S. aureus from nine patients with toxic shock were examined,
and production of enterotoxin F was confirmed in eight of them; only 42% of 50
strains isolated from other hospitalized patients produced this toxin. Toxin F
production was not found in 48 strains originating from animal clinical
specimens. Of 24 strains from healthy human carriers, 25% produced the toxin.
SOURCE OF INFECTION AND MODE OF TRANSMISSION:
The principal reservoir of is S. aureus is the human carrier. A high proportion
(from 30 to 35%) of healthy humans have staphylococci in the nasopharynx and on
the skin. A carrier with a respiratory disease can contaminate foods by sneezing
coughing, or expectorating. Similarly, he may contaminate foods he handles if he
has a staphylococcal skin lesion. However. even if not sick himself, the carrier
may spread the agent by handling food ingredients. utensils, and equipment. or
the finished food product. According to different authors, the proportion of
enterotoxin-producing S. aureus strains of human origin varies between 18 and
75%. The proportion of toxigenic strains isolated from various sources (human,
animal, and food) is very high. Strains of human origin predominate in
epidemics, but animals are also reservoirs of the infection. Milk from cow
udders infected with staphylococci can contaminate numerous milk products. Many
outbreaks have been produced by consumption of inadequately refrigerated raw
milk or cheeses from cows whose udders harbored staphylococci. The largest
outbreak affected at least 500 students in California between 1977 and 1981 and
was traced to chocolate milk. In developing countries, where refrigeration after
milking is often inadequate, milk and milk products may be an important source
of staphylococcal intoxication. According to recent investigations, a high
proportion of strains isolated from staphylococcal mastitis produce enterotoxin
A, which causes many outbreaks in humans. In several investigations it was
possible to isolate from skin lesions and cow's milk the S. aureus phage type
80/81, which is related to epidemic infections in man. One of the studies proved
that phage type 80/81 produced interstitial mastitis in cows. The same phage
type was found among animal caretakers, which indicates that the bacterium is
intertransmissible between man and animals and that the latter may reinfect man.
Infected fowl and dogs may also give rise to and be a source of staphylococcal
poisoning in man. One subject that deserves special attention is the appearance
of antibiotic-resistant strains in animals whose food includes antibiotics.
Concern exists over the possible transmission of these strains to man. On
several occasions, resistant stains have been found both in animals (cows,
swine, and fowl) and in their caretakers, with the same antibiotic resistance.
Moreover, "human" strains (phage typed) have on occasion been isolated from the
nostrils and lesions of other species of domestic animals. A variety of foods
and dishes may be vehicles of the toxin. If environmental conditions are
favorable, S. aureus multiplies in the food and produces enterotoxins. Once
made, the toxin is not destroyed even if the food is subjected to boiling while
being cooked. Consequently, the toxin may be found in the food whereas
staphylococci are not. An important causal factor in food-borne intoxications is
holding food at room temperature, which permits multiplication of staphylococci.
Lack of hygiene in food handling is another notable factor. Frequently,
outbreaks of food poisoning may be traced to a single dish.
THE ROLE OF ANIMALS IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE:
Most outbreaks are caused by human strains, and to a lesser degree by strains
from cattle and other domestic animals. Animal products -- such as meat, ham,
milk, cheese, cream, and ice cream -usually constitute a good substrate for
staphylococcal multiplication. Milk pasteurization offers no guarantee of safety
if toxins were produced before heat treatment, as the toxins are heat-resistant.
Outbreaks have been caused by reconstituted powdered milk, even when the dried
product contained few or no staphylococci.
DIAGNOSIS:
The short incubation period between ingestion of contaminated food and
appearance of symptoms is the most important clinical criterion. Laboratory
confirmation, when possible, is based above all on demonstration of the presence
of enterotoxin in the food. Biological methods (inoculation of cats with
cultures of the suspect food, or of rhesus monkeys with the foodstuffs or
cultures) are expensive and not always reliable. As substitutes, serologic
methods such as immunodiffusion, immunofluorescence, hemagglutination
inhibition, and, recently, ELISA are increasingly used. In febrile patients,
blood cultures are indicated. Isolation of enterotoxigenic staphylococcal
strains from foods and typing by phage or, more recently, by immunofluorescence
have epidemiologic value. Quantitative examination of staphylococci in processed
or cooked foods serves as an indicator of hygienic conditions in the processing
plant and of personnel supervision.
TREATMENT:
In humans, treatment usually consists of replacement of fluids and electrolytes
and, very rarely, management of hypovolemic shock and respiratory embarrassment.
If botulism is suspected, polyvalent antitoxin must be administered.
Historically, antimicrobial drugs have not been recommended unless a specific
microbial agent producing progressive systemic involvement can be identified.
Preliminary data now suggest that ciprofloxacin, 500 mg every 12 hours for 5
days, may shorten the duration of diarrhea and lead to a more rapid resolution
of symptoms. Antimotility drugs may relieve cramping and decrease diarrhea in
mild cases. Their use should be limited to patients without fever and without
dysentery (bloody stools), and they should be used in low doses.
CONTROL:
It includes the following measures: a) education of persons who prepare food at
home or commercially in proper personal hygiene; b) exclusion from handling food
of individuals with abscesses or other skin lesions; and c) refrigeration of all
foods to prevent bacterial multiplication and formation of toxins. Foods should
be kept at room temperature as little time as possible. The veterinary milk
inspection service should supervise dairy installations, ensuring that
refrigeration units function correctly and are used immediately after milking,
and that milk is refrigerated during transport to pasteurization plants. The
veterinary meat inspection service should be responsible for enforcing hygienic
regulations before and after slaughter as well as during handling and production
of meat products. Control of hygienic conditions in meat retail establishments
ts also important.
Molecular Phylogenetic Evidence for Noninvasive Zoonotic
Transmission of Staphylococcus intermedius from a Canine Pet to a
Human
Tanner M.A., Everett C.L., Youvan D.C.
Kairos
Scientific Inc., Santa Clara, California 95054, USA
rRNA-based molecular phylogenetic techniques were used to identify the
bacterial species present in the ear fluid from a female patient with otitis
externa. We report the identification of Staphylococcusintermedius
from the patient and a possible route of transmission. Analysis of 16S
ribosomal DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms indicated that the
dominant species present was S. intermedius. A pet dog owned by the
patient also was tested and found to harbor S. intermedius. In
humans, the disease is rare and considered a zoonosis. Previously, S.
intermedius has been associated with dog bite wounds, catheter-related
injuries, and surgery. This study represents the first reported case of a
noninvasive infection with S. intermedius.
The causative agents are various streptococci species,
including Streptococcus suis and S. zooepidemicus.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Pigs are the reservoir of S. suis.
TRANSMISSION:
Humans are infected with S. suis by handling infected meat.
S. zooepidemicus has occurred in persons in direct contact with domestic animals
and from drinking raw milk.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
S. suis epizootics may occur in pigs with high mortality,
heralded by signs of meningitis including depression, fever, incoordination and
paralysis. Suppurative arthritis may occur. More usually the disease is
subclinical. S. zooepidemicus may cause mastitis in cattle.
DISEASE IN MAN:
S. suis causes fever and occasionally meningitis. S.
zooepidemicus may cause upper respiratory tract symptoms, cervical adenitis,
pneumonia, endocarditis and nephritis. A fatality rate of 8% has been reported
for S. suis, with residual deafness in a high proportion of survivors.
DIAGNOSIS:
isolation and culture
TREATMENT:
Benzathine Penicillin G. For persons allergic to
penicillin, erythromycin is an effective alternative. However, increasing
reports of resistance from Europe threatens its clinical utility.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Exercise caution in handling pig meat. Dress all wounds to
avoid contamination. Pasteurize milk.
Strongyloidiasis is caused by
infection with Strongyloides stercoralis.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
The condition is an infection of
humans, but dogs, cats, and primates have been found naturally infected. The
disease is endemic in tropical and subtropical regions; although the prevalence
is generally low, in some areas disease rates exceed 25%. In the USA, the
disease is endemic in southern wet areas.
TRANSMISSION:
The parasite is uniquely capable
of maintaining its life cycle both within the human host and in soil. Infection
occurs when filariform larvae in soil penetrate the skin, enter the bloodstream,
and are carried to the lungs, where they escape from capillaries into alveoli
and ascend the bronchial tree to the glottis. The larvae are then swallowed and
carried to the duodenum and upper jejunum, where maturation to the adult stage
takes place. The parasitic female, generally held to be parthenogenetic, matures
and lives embedded in the mucosa, where its eggs are laid and hatch.
Rhabditiform larvae, which are noninfective, emerge, and most migrate into the
intestinal lumen to leave the host via the feces. The life span of the adult
worm may be as long as 5 years. In the soil, the rhabditiform larva metamorphose
into the infective (filariform) larvae. However, the parasite also has a
free-living cycle in soil, in which some rhabditiform larvae develop into adults
that produce eggs from which rhabditiform larvae emerge to continue the life
cycle. Internal autoinfection takes place in the lower bowel when some
rhabditiform larvae, instead of passing with the feces, develop into filariform
larvae that penetrate the intestinal mucosa, enter the intestinal lymphatic and
portal circulation, are carried to the lungs, and return to the small bowel to
complete the cycle.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Young dogs and cats have thin
skins which allow massive infection to penetrate, giving severe dermatitis,
inappetence, coughing and even bronchopneumonia. Vomiting occurs, as does severe
dermatitis during the period of larval penetration.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Pruritic dermatitis is seen at
sites of larval penetration. Diarrhea, epigastric pain, nausea, malaise, weight
loss, coughing, rales, transient pulmonary infiltrates are also seen. In the
hyperinfection syndrome, autoinfection is greatly increased, resulting in a
marked increase in the intestinal worm burden and in massive dissemination of
filariform larvae to the lungs and most other tissues, where they can cause
local inflammatory reactions and granuloma formation. Severe diarrhea,
bronchopneumonia, and ileus can result.
DIAGNOSIS:
Diagnosis requires finding the
larval stages in feces or duodenal fluid. ELISA and IFA serologic tests are
being developed.
TREATMENT:
Thiabendazole, albendazole,
mebendazole, cambendazole, ivermectin, or levamisole.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Rigid attention to hygienic
habits, including use of footwear in endemic areas. Sanitary disposal of feces.
Fecal exams of monkeys, dogs, and cats in quarantine.
Monkeys. In 1966 23 human cases were reported in the U.S.
among personnel who worked with monkeys affected at 3 primate centers. A
serologic study carried out on 263 monkeys of Asian origin (Macaca) revealed a
15% rate; in 55 African Green Monkeys, the rate was 76%.
TRANSMISSION:
Aerosols or vectors. Human cases in the laboratory have
resulted from contamination of abrasions or scratches.
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
Lesions occur primarily on the face, consisting of raised
areas with a central scab. Papules ulcerate, scab and heal.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
There is a fever for a few days, with headache and
prostration and a single skin vesicle. Cytoplasmic inclusions are seen in skin
lesions. Within 3 weeks of onset, the lesion spontaneously regresses.
DIAGNOSIS:
EM of skin scrapings or viral isolation.
TREATMENT:
Symptomatic.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Mosquito control. Asian and African monkeys should be
housed separately. Wear protective clothes.
Two major clinical groups
1. Intestinal Tapeworms: T. Saginata, T. Soluim, Diphyllobothrium,
Hymenolepsis, Dipylidium Caninum -humans are the definitive hosts and adult tape
worms live in the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Somatic Tapeworms: T. Solium, Echinococcosis, sparganosis, coenurosis
-humans are intermediate hosts and larval stage parasites are present in the
tissues.
Taenia solium (Pork
Tapeworm)
-humans are the only definitive host. Pigs are the usual intermediate
hosts (although dogs, cats and sheep may harbor the larval forms.(cystercicosis)
-exist worldwide but most prevalent in Mexico, Africa, SE Asia, Eastern Europe
and South America
-Occurs in industrialized nations largely as result of immingration from above
Two distinct types of disease,
depending on the stage of the parasite that is ingested.
1. Intestinal T. Solium:
The adult tapeworm develops in the intestine, causing symptoms such as abdominal
pain, weight loss, and weakness. Eggs of T. solium are also passed in the
feces. Eggscan be detected with greater frequency by applying clear cellulose
acetate tape to the perianal skin and examining the tape as for pinworm. (T.
solium eggs are indistinguishable from eggs of T. saginata (beef tapeworm));
diagnostic differentiation between the two species requires recovery of mature
proglottids from the stool.
2. Cysticercosisis(Somatic T.
solium)-ingestion of T. solium eggs.
A. Uninfected person- ingestion may occur by consumption of food
contaminated by egg-containing feces from an infected person.
B. Infecteded persons with an intestinal worm, ingestion may occur
by autoinfection
involving hand-to-mouth fecal carriage or by regurgitation of egg-laden
proglottids into the duodenum or stomach.
Most infections are encountered in developing countries, where intestinal T.
solium infections occur frequently. Experience in the United States has
demonstrated, however, that cysticercosis may develop in those who have never
traveled abroad if family members, domestic workers, or others infected with T.
solium are a source of infectious eggs.
The ingested eggs hatch in the
stomach and upper intestine, and the resultant oncospheres circulate in the
blood to various tissues. Cysticerci develop most often in subcutaneous tissue,
skeletal muscle, and the brain, as well as in other organs, includi ng the eyes,
heart, liver, and lungs. Developing cysticerci elicit little host reaction, but
as the cysticerci begin to degenerate, usually after several years, inflammation
develops. Ultimately, the cysts, which range from 0.5 to about 2.0 cm in
diameter, undergo necrosis and may become calcified.
CLINICAL FEATURES:
Clinical signs and symptoms
depend on the organ compromised by the cysticerci, the specific localization of
a cysticercus within the organ, the state of inflammation surrounding the
cysticerci, and the viability of the cestode. The most serious forms of
cysticercosis are those with ocular, cardiac, and neurologic involvement. In
endemic regions, cysticercosis is the most common cause of seizure disorders.
LABORATORY FINDINGS AND IMAGING STUDIES:
CT and MRI has facilitated the recognition of CNS cysticercosis, has helped
delineate the various forms of neurocysticercosis, and has provided a means for
assessing the adequacy of therapy. Cysticerci may be present in the brain
parenchyma, within the ventricles, at the surface or the base of the brain, or
within the subarachnoid space. The manifestations -variable, depending on the
site of lesions and the evolution of inflammatory reactions, include seizure
disorders and focal deficits, hydrocephalus, arachnoiditis, and intracranial
hypertension.
CT may miss early lesions,
which have the same x-ray density as the brain, but hypodensity and
contrast-enhancing ring lesions are seen with the development of inflammation
around
the cyst. As sclerosis occurs, a cystic lesion develops, and the cyst wall may
calcify. Ultimately, degenerated cysts are replaced by small (1 to 4 mm in
diameter) calcified lesions
within the brain [see Figure 4].
Definitive diagnosis of
cysticercosis only by biopsy of a cyst. Cysts in subcutaneous tissue and muscle,
which have a puffed-rice appearance on radiographs after calcification, should
be sought. Neurocysticercois is supported by the finding of characteristic
multiple cystic or calcified lesions on CT scans in a patient from an endemic
area. Serum and CSF for antibody, is available through the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ELISA testing for antibody, however, may
be negative in about 20 percent of patients with cysticercosis, falsely
positive in those with echinococcosis. An enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer
blot assay for antibody is highly sensitive in patients who have several
enhancing intracranial lesions; it is less sensitive in those who have only one
lesion or calcified lesions. Stool examination for Taenia eggs may detect
concurrent infection with the tapeworm but is not directly pertinent to the
diagnosis of cysticercosis.
TREATMENT:
1. Ingested Cysterci:
Therapy for adults infected with intestinal pork tapeworm consists of
praziquantel (5 to 10 mg/kg, given once).
2.Cysticercosis
A. Pts with calcified soft tissue or CNS lesions do not require medical therapy.
B. Viable Cysts. Some uncertainty regarding efficacy of medical treatment.
Albendazole 15 mg/kg/day in three divided doses for eight to 28 days, or
praziquantel 50 mg/kg/day in three divided doses for 15 days. Treatment
may cause inflammatory reactions to develop around cysticerci. For
patients with neurocysticercosis, corticosteroids (e.g., dexamethasone, 4 to 16
mg/day, or prednisone, 60 to 100 mg/day) are usually given one to two days
before and during treatment with albendazole or praziquantel to minimize
inflammatory reactions. Patients who take anticonvulsant medications should
continue to use them during treatment for cysticercosis, but many patients can
stop taking antiseizure medications after cysticercosis therapy. CT scanning
should be repeated three to six months after therapy to determine whether any of
the cysts are still viable, and therapy should be repeated if viable cysts
remain.
C. Surgical for ocular cysticercosis and spinal cysticercosis inflammation
from medical treatment can cause irreversible damage. These lesions best
managed surgically.
Ventricular obstruction may require V-P shunting/ventriculostomy
FISH TAPEWORM
Humans acquire fish tapeworm infection by ingestion of inadequately cooked fish
containing the infective plerocercoid stage of parasitic Diphyllobothrium
species, including D. atum.76 The growing popularity of raw fish dishes, such as
sushi, sashimi, seviche, and Dutch green herring, has increased the risk of
acquiring diphyllobothriasis or anisakiasis. Freshwater fish, including pike and
yellow perch caught in the United States, may harbor Diphyllobothrium species,
as may anadromous salmon. Diphyllobothrium species other than D. latum are found
in Pacific salmon and Alaskan blackfish. Human infections are often
asymptomatic, although some patients experience anorexia, nausea, or weight
loss. Because D. latum competes with the host for vitamin B12, megaloblastic
anemia and neuropathy from vitamin B12 deficiency may develop. Diagnosis is made
by finding the operculated eggs in the stool or by recovering proglottids in the
stool after a saline purge. Therapy is with praziquantel (5 to 10 mg/kg, given
once), which is investigational for this use.
BEEF TAPEWORM
T. saginata, or beef tapeworm, causes an intestinal infection in persons who
have eaten undercooked beef containing cysticerci. The infection is usually
asymptomatic, although abdominal pain, weight loss, increased appetite, or
passage of proglottids may be experienced. As noted, the detection of eggs in
the feces or on the perianal skin is diagnostic of tapeworm infection, but
differentiation between Taenia species requires identification of the
proglottids. Therapy consists of praziquantel, as given for T. solium intestinal
infection. Infection with T. saginata does not lead to cysticercosis in humans.
DWARF TAPEWORM
Hymenolepis nana, a tapeworm measuring 25 to 40 mm long and 1 mm wide, has a
broad geographic distribution.76 In the United States, it is most commonly
encountered in persons living in the southern states, in institutionalized
patients, and in children. Unlike the other tapeworms, the larval and adult
stages of H. nana develop in the same host. Infection is spread by the
fecal-oral route and occurs when eggs, which are immediately infectious, are
ingested. An oncosphere hatches from an egg and penetrates the intestinal villi,
where it develops into a cerocyst; the cerocyst reenters the lumen of the small
intestine and develops into an adult worm. Eggs are liberated from the distal
segments of the adult worm, which lives for about one year. The eggs may cause
internal reinfection. Light infection is usually asymptomatic; diarrhea and
abdominal pain may accompany heavy infection. Diagnosis is made by finding
eggs in feces. Therapy consists of praziquantel, which is given once in a dose
of 25 mg/kg.(investigational)
Prevention
Adequate cooking of beef, pork or fish (54-56 degrees C for 5 minutes) will
destroy cysterci. Refrigeration or salting for prolonged periods also
kills cysterci. General preventive measures include inspection, proper
disposal of human and animal waste.
Toxoplasma gondii - 4 to 7
microns long. 2-4 wide - Subphylum Apicomplexa, Family Eimeriidae
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Infection in humans and lower
animals is widespread. An estimated 500 million humans have been infected with
the organism. Serologic surveys in the United States using the SABIN-FELDMAN DYE
TEST have demonstrated T. gondii infection in 30-80% of cats. Significance -
Presumably all serologically positive cats have shed toxoplasma oocysts and
could re-shed organisms during reinfection or reactivation. Life cycle consists
of: 1. Definitive host (felids: intestinal infection with shedding of oocysts;
only host in which sexual form develops.) - Domestic cat predominates as
reservoir for zoonotic transmission in the home and laboratory environment. 2.
Intermediate hosts - *Mice, rats, hamsters, G. pigs, rodents, rabbits, dogs,
sheep, cattle, & NHP's. - These have not proved to be important in zoonotic
infection in the laboratory animal environment (organism replicates asexually in
extraintestinal sites only).
TRANSMISSION:
Fecal-Oral: Ingestion of meat
containing cysts or tachyzoites or ingestion of oocysts Oocysts become infective
after sporulation - occurs in 2 to 3 days. Transmission to man occurs via a.
Eating raw or undercooked meat containing cysts. b. Ingesting sporulated oocysts
from cat feces. c. Transplacentally. 1/3 of US human population has serologic
evidence of past infection.
DISEASE IN CATS:
Most postnatally acquired
infections in cats are ASYMPTOMATIC. Prepatent period variable - 3 days to
several weeks. Shedding occurs for 1-2 weeks - PUBLIC HEALTH HAZARD. Oocyst
shedding reactivated by induction of hypercorticism or superinfection with other
feline microorganisms.
DISEASE IN MAN:
The infection is very common in
humans, but clinical disease is of low incidence and occurs only sporadically.
Postnatal infection - Less severe disease and commonly presents as a generalized
lymphadenopathy that may resolve without treatment in a few weeks. Congenital
infection results in systemic disease often with severe neuropathological
changes. Rarely, serious ocular or systemic toxoplasmosis can be acquired by
older individuals or reactivated in immunocompromised individuals. Clinical
Signs include fever, skin eruption, malaise, myalgia, arthralgia, cervical
lymphadenopathy, pneumonia, myocarditis, meningoencephalitis, and
chorioretinitis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Serology, isolation, microscopic
demonstration of organisms in smear or section. Paired serum samples taken one
or more weeks apart. a. IFA: serial titers of suspected infections. b. Sabin-
Feldman Dye Test: most sensitive test, but rarely used. c. ELISA. The
demonstration of cysts does not establish a causal relationship to clinical
illness, since cysts may be found in both acute and chronic infections. However,
only finding tachyzoites in blood or body fluids confirms active infection.
TREATMENT IN MAN:
The treatment of choice is
pyrimethamine plus either trisulfapyrimidines or sulfadiazine. Folinic acid is
given to avoid the hematologic effects of pyrimethamine-induced folate
deficiency.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Freezing of meat to -20oC (-4oF)
for 2 days or heating to 60oC (140oF) kills cysts. Under appropriate
environmental conditions, oocysts passed in cat feces can remain infective for a
year or more. Thus, children's play areas should be protected from cat and dog
feces. Cats a. Daily cleaning of litter pans (since oocysts not infective for 2
to 3 days) b. Wear gloves c. Wash hands before eating d. Should only be fed dry,
canned, or cooked meats Pregnant women should have their serum examined for
Toxoplasma antibody. If the IgM test is negative but an IgG titer is present and
less than 1:1000, no further evaluation is necessary. Those with negative titers
should take measures to prevent infection by avoiding contact with cat feces and
avoid working in soil or gardens that could be contaminated by cats, etc. and by
thoroughly cooking meat. Hands should be washed after handling raw meat and
before eating or touching the face.
Swine, dogs, cats, rats and many
wild animals. Worldwide. In the U.S., there has been a marked reduction in the
prevalence of trichinosis both in humans and pigs; prevalence in commercial pork
now ranges from nil to 0.7%. Fewer than 100 human cases are reported annually
and usually have been as a result of eating homemade sausage and other meat
products using pork, horse meat, or arctic mammals.
TRANSMISSION:
In the natural cycle, larvae
develop into adult worms in the intestines when a carnivore ingests parasitized
muscle. Pigs generally become infected by feeding on uncooked scraps or, less
often, by eating infected rats. In humans, infection occurs by eating
insufficiently cooked meat. In the epithelium of the small intestine, larvae
develop into adults. Gravid female worms then produce larvae, which penetrate
the lymphatics or venules and are disseminated via the bloodstream throughout
the body. The larvae become encapsulated in skeletal muscle.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Usually subclinical.
DISEASE IN HUMANS:
Clinical disease in humans is
highly variable and can range from inapparent infection to a fulminating, fatal
disease depending on the number of larvae ingested. Sudden appearance of muscle
soreness and pain, together with edema of upper eyelids are common early and
characteristic signs. These are sometimes followed by subconjunctival, subungual
and retinal hemorrhages, pain and photophobia. Thirst, profuse sweating, chills,
weakness, prostration and rapidly increasing eosinophilia may follow. GI
symptoms may also occur. Remittent fever, cardiac and neurologic complications
may appear. Lastly, death due to myocardial failure may occur.
DIAGNOSIS:
Serologic testing and muscle
biopsy.
TREATMENT:
Treatment is principally
supportive, since in most cases recovery is spontaneous. Mebendazole,
thiabendazole, or albendazole can be given.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Cooking (at 77oC [171oF] or
above) destroys the parasite. Freezing meat up to 15 cm at 5oF for 30 days or
-13oF for 10 days will destroy the parasite. Thicker pieces need to be frozen at
the lower temperature for at least 20 days. These temperatures will not kill the
cold-resistant Arctic strains, however. Gamma irradiation will kill the
parasite. Prevent pigs from gaining access to rats or uncooked offal.
Several species of Trichostrongylus including
Trichostrongylus axei, T. affinis, T. colubriformis, and many others. RESERVOIRS
AND INCIDENCE: The reservoirs of most of the species of Trichostrongylus are
domestic and wild herbivores. Trichostrongylids are very common parasites in
domestic ruminants and their distribution is worldwide.
TRANSMISSION:
The sources of infection are soil and vegetation, in which
the eggs deposited with the animal host's feces develop in a few days to the
infective larval stage. Man and animals are infected orally. Man acquires the
infection mainly by consuming raw vegetables contaminated with the infective
larvae. Another important factor in transmission is the preparation and use of
animal manure as fuel.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
In horses, these worms produce a chronic catarrhal
gastritis and may result in weight loss. The lesions comprise nodular areas of
thickened mucosa surrounded by a zone of congestion and covered with a variable
amount of mucus. The lesions may be rather small and irregularly circumscribed,
or may coalesce and involve most or all of the glandular portion of the stomach,
and erosions and ulcerations may be seen. In ruminants, gastritis with
superficial erosion of the mucosa, hyperemia, and diarrhea may result. Protein
loss from the damaged mucosa and anorexia cause hypoproteinemia and weight loss.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Most cases asymptomatic. Severe infections - diarrhea,
blood in stool, abdominal cramps, and emaciation.
DIAGNOSIS:
:Flotation and fecal culture (identification of larvae used
to distinguish between species).
TREATMENT:
Pyrantel pamoate, mebendazole, or levamisole.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Regular deworming of animals. Preventive measures for
humans consist of improved food, environmental, and personal hygiene. In endemic
areas, raw vegetables or other foods should not be eaten. Pasture management is
important. Most of the larvae die in a field left ungrazed for a month.
TB is caused by the gram positive, acid fast, aerobic,
bacillus of the Mycobacterium genera. The most common species of mycobacteria
are: 1. M. bovis (cattle, dogs, swine) 2. M. avium (birds, swine, sheep) 3. M.
tuberculosis (man, nonhuman primates, cattle, dogs, swine, psitticines). 4. M.
marinum, fortuitum, platypolcitis (fish) Note: Atypical mycobacterium, M.
scrofulaceum, M. kansasii, and M. intracellulare have been reported in NHP's and
are also present in soil and water. They can cause pulmonary disease refractory
to treatment in man, and are most often seen in immunocompromised people.
Specific reagents can be used to skin test for these bacteria. TB continues to
be a major cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. One billion
people are infected with the tubercle bacillus, and there are 8 million new
cases and 3 million deaths annually. Cases of active tuberculosis are increasing
in the United States after years of decline. A provisional total of 23,720 cases
was reported by the end of 1990. Case rates increased 4.4 percent between 1988
and 1989, and perhaps another 1 percent in 1990. Overall rate was 9.5 per
100,000 in 1989, with the Middle Atlantic and Pacific regions reporting the
highest rates, 36 percent and 34 percent, respectively, above the U.S. total.
The lowest rates were in the West, North, Central, and Mountain regions. Rates
continue to be higher among urbanites, minorities, the poor, the homeless,
substance abusers and persons infected with HIV. All three types are capable of
causing disease in man although M. tuberculosis (variety hominis) is by far the
most common. Nonhuman primates can carry all three types but most infections are
caused by M. tuberculosis variety hominis. While most nonhuman primates are
capable of contracting TB, Old World species appear to be more susceptible to
the disease than New World species and great apes. Most cases of TB in monkeys
are thought to arise from human contact. Animals may be imported from areas of
the world where the incidence of the disease is high and where contact between
humans and simians is frequent. In close confinement the disease can spread
rapidly.
TRANSMISSION:
Mycobacterium bacilli are transmitted from infected animals
or infected tissue primarily via the aerosol route. May also be contracted via
ingestion or cutaneous inoculation of the bacilli. Personnel caring for infected
animals as well as those performing necropsies on infected animals are at risk
for contracting the disease. Exposure to dusty bedding of infected animals,
coughing of infected animals, and aerosolization of the organism during
sanitation procedures may also be sources of the disease in the lab environment.
Once within the body the organism may spread throughout the lungs, lymphatics,
blood vascular system, and many visceral organs.
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
The signs of TB may be insidious with only slight
behavioral changes noticed, followed by anorexia and lethargy. Often animals die
suddenly while appearing to be in good condition. Other signs which might be
seen include diarrhea, suppuration of lymph nodes, ulceration of the skin, and
palpable splenomegaly and hepatomegaly. The organ of predilection is the lung
but lesions may also be seen in the pleura, intestines, lymph nodes, liver,
kidney, spleen, and peritoneum. Under the surface of these tissues are
yellowish-white to gray nodules filled with caseous material which may rupture
and produce cavitation. Although skeletal involvement in primates is rare,
tuberculosis of the spine may cause paralysis of the hindlimbs (Pott's disease).
DISEASE IN FISH:
In infected fish, granulomatous lesions are usually
observed.
DISEASE IN MAN:
In humans the clinical signs depend on the organ system
involved. The most familiar signs related to pulmonary TB are cough, sputum
production, and hemoptysis. The patient may be asymptomatic for years. General
signs may include anorexia, weight loss, lassitude, fatigue, fever, chills and
cachexia. Skin lesions are characterized by ulcers or by papular lesions
progressing to dark suppurative lesions. TB may affect virtually every other
organ system with signs or symptoms relating to the individual system. Miliary
TB is most often seen in the very young and old people.
DIAGNOSIS:
The diagnosis of TB is often difficult. Four tests are
commonly used for presumptive diagnosis: 1. Intradermal TB test - Mammalian
tuberculin 2. Radiography 3. Acid fast stained sputum smear 4. ELISA
Confirmation by culture, histopath, or animal inoculation.
TREATMENT:
Regimens currently accepted in the USA include isoniazid
combined with rifampin, with or without pyrazinamide.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
Multifaceted and includes: personnel education wearing of
protective clothing when handling nonhuman primates a regular health
surveillance program for humans and nonhuman primates isolation and quarantine
of suspect animals rapid euthanasia and careful disposal of infected animals
Vaccine - A vaccine, BCG, is available (Bacille Calmette-Guerin, strain of M.
Bovis) a. Used in humans quite often in G. Britain b. Used in high risk groups
c. Effective, but it causes the patient to have a positive TB test. Personnel
working with NHP's who convert to a positive skin test should be referred for
appropriate medical treatment and follow up and should not work with animals
until shown to be noninfectious.
- Francisella tularensis, a small
pleomorphic, gram-negative, nonmotile rod or coccobacillus that can survive
several weeks in the external environment.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Common often fatal septicemic
disease of rabbits, squirrels, muskrats, deer, bull snakes, sheep, wild rodents,
cats and dogs. Major reservoirs are RABBITS, TICKS, MUSKRATS. Has been reported
in NHP's at an urban zoo. Natural infection in laboratory animals and zoonotic
transmission from them has NOT been reported.
TRANSMISSION:
handling tissue of infected
animals (direct contact with UNBROKEN skin is sufficient). Reported human
infections due to a cat bite and scratch and a NHP bite also reported.
transmitted by biting insects inhalation, ingestion
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
Clinical signs usually occur
alongside heavy infestation with ticks, and include sudden high fever, anorexia
and stiffness, eventually leading to prostration and death. In sheep, pregnant
ewes may abort. Affected dogs have soft nodular swellings under the skin.
Miliary foci of necrosis occur in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Severe
lesions in the lung involve widespread consolidation with edema and pleurisy.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Fever, headache, and nausea begin
suddenly, and a local lesion-a papule-develops and soon ulcerates. Regional
lymph nodes may become enlarged and tender and may suppurate. The local lesion
may be on the skin of an extremity (ulceroglandular disease) or in the eye.
Pleuropulmonary disease may develop from hematogenous spread or may be primary
after inhalation. Following ingestion of infected meat or water, an enteric (typhoidal)
form may be manifested by enteritis, stupor, and delirium. In any type of
involvement, the spleen may be enlarged and tender and there may be nonspecific
rashes, myalgias, and prostration. A case fatality rate of 5-10% mainly from the
typhoidal or pulmonary form exists.
DIAGNOSIS:
Culture (requires specialized
laboratory and dangerous, therefore, not recommended) A positive agglutination
test (>1:80) develops in the second week after infection and may persist for
several years.
TREATMENT IN MAN:
streptomycin + tetracycline.
Chloramphenicol may be substituted for tetracycline.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
wear impervious gloves while
handling animals or tissues cook the meat of wild rabbits and rodents thoroughly
vaccine available for high risk personnel avoid bites of flies, mosquitoes, and
ticks and avoid drinking, bathing, swimming in untreated water in endemic areas.
VESICULAR STOMATITIS
AGENT:
Vesicular stomatitis virus
Means of transmission to humans:
Vector, contact, aerosol
Most common species associated with transmission to humans:
Vibrios other than Vibrio cholerae that cause human disease
are Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio alginolyticus. All are
halophilic marine organisms. Infection is acquired by exposure to organisms in
contaminated, undercooked, or raw crustaceans or shellfish and warm ( 20o C)
ocean waters and estuaries. Infections are more common during the summer months
from regions along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico in the United
States and from tropical waters around the world. Oysters are implicated in up
to 90% of food-related cases. V. parahaemolyticus causes an acute watery
diarrhea with crampy abdominal pain and fever, typically occurring within 24
hours after ingestion of contaminated shellfish. The disease is self-limited,
and antimicrobial therapy is usually not necessary. V. parahaemolyticus may also
cause cellulitis and sepsis, though these findings are more characteristic of V.
vulnificus infection. V. vulnificus and V. alginolyticus-neither of which is
associated with diarrheal illness-are important causes of cellulitis and primary
bacteremia, which may follow ingestion of contaminated shellfish or exposure to
sea water. Cellulitis with or without sepsis may be accompanied by bulla
formation and necrosis with extensive soft tissue destruction, at times
requiring debridement and amputation. The infection can be rapidly progressive
and is particularly severe in immunocompromised individuals-especially those
with cirrhosis-with death rates as high as 50%. Patients with chronic liver
disease and those who are immunocompromised should be cautioned to avoid eating
raw oysters. Tetracycline at a dose of 500 mg four times a day is the drug of
choice for treatment of suspected or documented primary bacteremia or cellulitis
caused by Vibrio species. V. vulnificus is susceptible in vitro to penicillin,
ampicillin, cephalosporins, chloramphenicol, aminoglycosides, and
fluoroquinolones, and these agents may also be effective. V. parahaemolyticus
and V. alginolyticus produce betalactamase and therefore are resistant to
penicillin and ampicillin, but susceptibilities otherwise are similar to those
listed for V. vulnificus.
Most cases of visceral larval
migrans (VLM) are due to Toxocara canis, an ascarid of dogs and other canids,
but in a few cases Toxocara cati in domestic cats has been implicated and rarely
Baylisascaris procyonis of raccoons.
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
The reservoir mechanism for T.
canis is latent infections in female dogs which are reactivated during
pregnancy. Transmission from mother to puppies is via the placenta and milk. The
life cycle of T. cati is similar, but transplacental transmission does not
occur. Human infections are sporadic and occur worldwide.
TRANSMISSION:
Infection is generally in
dirt-eating young children who ingest T. canis or T. cati eggs from soil or sand
contaminated with animal feces, most often from puppies. Direct contact with
infected animals does not produce infection, as the eggs require a 3 to 4 week
extrinsic incubation period to become infective; thereafter, eggs in soil remain
infective for months to years. In humans, hatched larvae are unable to mature
and continue to migrate through the tissues for up to 6 months. Eventually they
lodge in various organs, particularly the lungs and liver and less often the
brain, eyes, and other tissues, where they produce eosinophilic granulomas up to
1 cm in diameter.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
The first indication of infection
in young animals is lack of growth and loss of condition. Infected animals have
a dull coat and often are "potbellied". Worms may be vomited and are
often voided in the feces. In the early stages, pulmonary damage due to
migrating larvae may occur; this may be complicated by bacterial pneumonitis, so
that respiratory distress of variable severity may supervene. Diarrhea with
mucus may be evident. In severe infections of puppies, verminous pneumonia,
ascites, fatty degeneration of the liver, and mucoid enteritis are common.
Cortical kidney granulomas containing larvae are frequent in young dogs.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Migrating larvae induce fever,
cough, wheezing; hepatomegaly, and sometimes splenomegaly and lymphadenopathy
are present. The acute phase may last 2-3 weeks, but resolution of all physical
and laboratory findings may take up to 18 months. Leukocytosis is marked due to
eosinophils. Hyperglobulinemia occurs when the liver is extensively invaded.
Ocular toxocariasis results in a eosinophilic granuloma of the retina that may
be mistaken for retinoblastoma.
DIAGNOSIS:
ELISA, no parasitic forms can be
found by fecal exam.
TREATMENT:
Thiabendazole, Mebendazole, or
Ivermectin. Corticosteroids, antibiotics, antihistamines, and analgesics are
given for symptomatic relief. Treatment for Ocular Toxocariasis includes the
above plus vitrectomy and laser photocoagulation.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Disease in humans is best
prevented by periodic treatment of puppies, kittens, and nursing dogs and cats.
Children should be supervised to prevent pica; their hands should be washed
after playing in soil and sand; and play areas should be protected from animal
feces.
WEST NILE VIRUS
AGENT:
West Nile Virus
Means of transmission to humans:
Vector
Most common species associated with transmission to humans:
Affects mangabeys, rhesus, cynos, vervets, stumptails, and patas monkeys. Latent
infection in African species that can infect Asian primates and U.S. born
African primates.
TRANSMISSION:
Need further clarification of the epidemiology of this disease. Role of insect
vectors has not been determined. Aerosol transmission has been proven
experimentally. *Transmission to humans from monkeys has not been recorded. The
virus can affect man usually after accidental skin puncture.
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
Subcutaneous benign tumors (Histiocytomas) that may reach several cm. in
diameter. They usually regress spontaneously in 3 to 6 weeks.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Lesions similar to those seen in monkeys
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Usual care should be exercised by animal handlers, including wearing of
protective clothing.
RNA virus, Family Togaviridae, (Group B Arbovirus)
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
all primates susceptible; major Public Health problem in
Central and S. America and Africa.
TRANSMISSION:
mosquito vector: Aedes and Hemagogues
DISEASE IN NONHUMAN PRIMATES:
There is high fever and vomiting, with jaundice, oliguria,
and generalized hemorrhages. Microglobular fatty degeneration of liver cells
occurs with disruption of the hepatic lobule and necrosis of midzonal liver
cells, producing so called "Councilman" bodies. Degeneration and necrosis of the
kidney tubules occurs. There are hemorrhages in tissues.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Most cases have fever, severe headache and backache,
jaundice and albuminuria, followed by full recovery with a week, but in severe
cases there is a second episode of fever, prostration, jaundice, renal failure
and generalized hemorrhages. Microglobular fatty degeneration of liver cells
occurs with disruption of the hepatic lobule and necrosis of midzonal liver
cells, producing so called "Councilman" bodies. Degeneration and necrosis of the
kidney tubules occurs. There are hemorrhages in tissues. The case fatality rate
among indigenous populations of endemic regions is <5%, but may exceed 50% among
nonindigenous groups and in epidemics.
DIAGNOSIS:
Virus isolation or serology.
TREATMENT:
Consists of limiting food to high-carbohydrate, high-protein liquids, IV glucose
and saline, analgesics and sedatives, and saline enemas.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Monkeys should originate from a yellow fever free area, or be maintained in a
double-screened mosquito-proof enclosure, or have been immunized against yellow
fever. For humans, mosquito control, vaccination, and adherence to PHS
quarantine standards.
(Plague, Pest, black death, pestilential fever)
The second pandemic of plague, known then as the "Black Death,"
originated in Mesopotamia about the middle of the 11th century, attained its
height in the 14th century and did not disappear until the close of the 17th
century. It is thought that the Crusaders, returning from the Holy Land in the
12th and 13th centuries, were instrumental in hastening the spread of the
disease. Again the land along trade routes was primarily involved and from them
the infections spread east, west, and north. During the course of the disease,
25,000,000 people perished, a fourth of the population of the world.
AGENT:
a gram negative coccobacillus
RESERVOIR AND INCIDENCE
Endemic in wild rodents in Southwestern U.S., as
well as in Africa and Asia. Most important reservoirs worldwide are the domestic
rat, Rattus rattus, and the urban rat, Rattus norvegicus. Human infections have
increased since 1965 and usually result from contact with infected fleas or
rodents. The disease is also associated with cats, goats, camels, rabbits, dogs
and coyotes. Dogs and cats may serve as passive transporters of infected rodent
fleas into the home or laboratory.
TRANSMISSION:
Contact with infected rodent fleas or rodents.
Fleas may remain infected for months. Note: a protein secreted by the Yersinia
is a coagulase that causes blood ingested by the flea to clot in the
proventriculus. The bacillus proliferates in the proventriculus, and thousands
of organisms are regurgitated by obstructed fleas and inoculated intradermally
into the skin. This coagulase is inactive at high temperatures and is thought to
explain the cessation of plague transmission during very hot weather. Pulmonary
form spread by airborne or droplet infection. Human infections from non-rodent
species usually result from direct contact with infected tissues, by scratch or
bite injuries, and handling of infected animals. Several recent reports have
detailed human plague associated with exposure to domestic cats. Exposure can be
from inhalation of respiratory secretions of cats with pneumonic plague or by
contaminating mucous membranes or skin wounds with secretins or exudates.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
dogs usually have a brief self-limiting illness
cats usually exhibit severe and often fatal infection, with fever,
lymphadenopathy, hemorrhagic pneumonia, and encephalitis. rodents may carry the
disease asymptomatically or develop fatal disease. infected rats and squirrels
frequently die unless they are from an enzootic area and have acquired immunity.
DISEASE IN MAN:
Incubation period 2 to 6 days. In humans the
disease is called Bubonic, Septicemic, or Pneumonic plague depending on the
pattern of distribution of the infection. Bubonic is the most common form
causing fever and swollen, tender lymph nodes (called Buboes). Pneumonic plague
is systemic plague with lung involvement. Mortality may exceed 50%. Plague is
also called the "black death" because disseminated intravascular
coagulation takes place and areas of skin undergo necrosis.
DIAGNOSIS:
Impression smears of aspirates or blood stained
with gram or Giemsa. Organisms have a typical "safety pin" appearance
culture of the organisms can be performed, by reference lab FA of smear is
confirmatory. Serology via Complement fixation, passive hemagglutination, and
immunofluorescence (IFA)
TREATMENT:
streptomycin with tetracycline or chloramphenicol.
PREVENTION\CONTROL:
Wild rodents should be controlled and fleas
should be eliminated. It is important to control rodents and fleas for outdoor
housed animals. Sentinel animal programs used in endemic areas. Endemic areas of
the U.S. include California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Masks gowns, and
gloves should be worn when handling cats suspected to be infected and all
contaminated surfaces disinfected. Notify Health Department of suspected cases
Vaccines available for high risk personnel.
Ubiquitous in nature, isolated
from dust, soil, water, milk. Natural infections occur in man, birds, rodents,
rabbits , guinea pigs, mice, cats, nonhuman primates, sheep, swine, goats.
TRANSMISSION:
direct contact, or fecal
contaminated food or water cause most transmission from animals to man. Human
cases of have been reported in association with disease in household pets,
particularly sick puppies and kittens. The most important source of Y.
enterocolitica infection may be pork, as the pharynx of pigs may be heavily
colonized.
DISEASE IN ANIMALS:
guinea pigs, rabbits, and
hamsters exhibit poor condition and enlarged lymph nodes. Subacute clinical
signs are common, with diarrhea and weight loss, possibly death within 2 weeks
to 3 months. Chinchillas are very susceptible to infection with Y.
enterocolitica. In sheep, abortions, epididymitis and orchitis occur with high
mortality. In cattle, abortion and pneumonia occur. Nonhuman primates exhibit an
ulcerative colitis. Histopathological lesions include acute inflammation of the
terminal ileum with mesenteric lymphadenitis occurs. Sometimes abscesses develop
in the liver, spleen, and lungs. Usually self-limiting, but there is a fatality
rate of 5-7%.
DISEASE IN MAN:
acute watery diarrhea, mesenteric
lymphadenitis which can be confused with appendicitis, fever, headache,
pharyngitis, anorexia, vomiting erythema nodosum (in about 10% of adults),
post-infectious arthritis, iritis, cutaneous ulceration, hepatosplenic
abscesses, osteomyelitis and septicemia.
DIAGNOSIS:
fecal culture using cold
enrichment technique. Serologic diagnosis can be made by an agglutination test
or by ELISA.
TREATMENT:
usually resistant to penicillin
and its derivatives. Agents of choice are the aminoglycosides and cotrimoxazole.
Both are usually sensitive to the tetracyclines.
PREVENTION/CONTROL:
Control rodents and prevent
contamination of food and water by rodents and birds. Pasteurize milk. Cook pork
thoroughly. Personal hygiene is important.
Acknowledgements
Boxer Parade Magazine, Summer
1979 Vol 2 Issue 1
Neisseria
canis infection: a
case report
Sandie Safton,
Gavine Cooper, Michael Harrison,
Lynne Wright and Paul Walsh
Resident Report --
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Dept. Of Internal Medicine
Spiral
Bacteria in the Human Stomach: The Gastric Helicobacters
Andre
Dubois, M.D., Ph.D.
Digestive Diseases Division, Department of Medicine,
Uniformed Services University of the
Health Sciences
Bethesda, Maryland,USA
Zoonotic
diseases -- Michael S. Rand, DVM, ACLAM; Brent Martin, DVM, ACLAM
Bat lyssaviruses are of the particular
significance. Bats maintain circulation of all lyssavirus genotypes except one (Mokola
virus). In the Americas, after successful implementation of rabies control in
the terrestrial mammals by regular vaccination of dogs and oral vaccination of
wild canids and raccoons, bats are the main source of human rabies. In the New
World bats maintain circulation of classic rabies virus only (lyssavirus
genotype 1), but in the Old World bats harbor at least 9 genotypes, including 4
novel, recently discovered at the territory of the former Soviet Union (one
isolated in the KR, and another was isolated in the neighboring province of
Tajikistan). These lyssaviruses obviously circulate among bats, as was shown for
other non-rabies bat lyssaviruses. Nevertheless, all studied bat lyssaviruses
(such as European bat lyssaviruses type 1 and 2, Duvenhage virus and Australian
bat lyssavirus) cause human rabies. In general, the number of human rabies cases
after exposure to bats is underestimated more significantly than human rabies of
carnivore origin.
Non-rabies bat lyssaviruses are antigenically
distinct from rabies virus, which is the basis for all commercially available
anti-rabies biologicals (vaccines and immune globulins). Consequently, these
biologicals protect against non-rabies lyssaviruses incompletely. This fact
increases the significance of the goal to study host range, distribution and
circulation properties of such viruses. Additionally, there is the need to
evaluate the protective effect of anti-rabies biologicals available in the KR
against these non-rabies lyssaviruses.