Pet Infections: Pathogens and Symptoms Part 1
Get unlimited access to the best preparation resource for competitive exams : get questions, notes, tests, video lectures and more- for all subjects of your exam.
Disease | Pathogen (s) | Animals involved | Mode of transmission | Symptoms |
---|---|---|---|---|
African sleeping sickness | Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense | range of wild animals and domestic livestock | transmitted by the bite of the tsetse fly | Fever, severe headaches, irritability, extreme fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and aching muscles and joints are common symptoms of sleeping sickness. Some people develop a skin rash. |
Angiostrongyliasis | Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Angiostrongylus costaricensis | rats, cotton rats | consuming raw and⟋or undercooked snails, slugs, other mollusks, crustaceans, monitor lizards, frogs and unwashed vegetables contaminated with larvae | Infection first presents with severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and weakness, which gradually lessens and progresses to fever, and then to CNS symptoms and severe headache and stiffness of the neck. |
Anisakiasis | Anisakis | whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, other marine animals | eating raw and⟋or undercooked fish and squid contaminated with eggs | Anisakiasis are abdominal pain with nausea, vomiting, abdominal distention, diarrhea, blood and mucus in stool, and mild fever. Allergic reactions with rash and itching, and infrequently, anaphylaxis, can also occur. |
Anthrax | Bacillus anthracis | commonly – grazing herbivores such as cattle, sheep, goats, camels, horses, and pigs | by ingestion, inhalation or skin contact of spores | Flu-like symptoms, such as sore throat, mild fever, fatigue and muscle aches, which may last a few hours or days. Mild chest discomfort. Shortness of breath. Nausea. Coughing up blood. Painful swallowing. |
Baylisascariasis | Baylisascaris spp. | raccoons, badgers, skunks, bears, pandas, fishers, martens, kinkajous, marmots | ingestion of eggs in feces | Nausea, Tiredness, Liver enlargement, Loss of coordination, Lack of attention to people and surroundings. Loss of muscle control. Blindness, Coma. |
Bird flu | Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 | wild birds, domesticated birds such as chickens | close contact | cough, diarrhea, respiratory, difficulties, fever (over 100.4°F or 38°C) , headache, muscle aches, malaise, runny nose, sore throat |
Brucellosis | Brucella spp. | cattle, goats | infected milk or meat | Fever, Chills, Loss of appetite, Sweats, Weakness, Fatigue, Joint, muscle and back pain, Headache. |
Bubonic plague, Pneumonic plague, Septicemic plague | Yersinia pestis | rabbits, hares, rodents, ferrets, goats, sheep, camels | flea bite | Cough, with bloody sputum, Difficulty reathing, Nausea and vomiting, High fever, Headache, Weakness. |
Cat-scratch disease | Bartonella henselae, Bartonella quintana | cats | bites or scratches from infected cats | bump or blister at the bite or scratch site, swollen lymph nodes near the bite or scratch site, fatigue, headaches, low-grade fever. |
Chagas disease | Trypanosoma cruzi | armadillos, Triatominae (kissing bug) | bite | Swelling at the infection site. Fever. Fatigue. Rash. Body aches. Eyelid swelling. Headache. Loss of appetite. |
Clamydiosis ⟋ Enzootic abortion | Chlamydophila abortus | domestic livestock, particularly sheep | close contact with postpartum ewes | Symptoms in women may include vaginal discharge or burning with urination. Symptoms in men may include discharge from the penis, burning with urination, or pain and swelling of one or both testicles. |
Variant Creutzfeldt – Jakob disease | PrPvCJD | cattle | eating meat from animals with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) | loss of memory, which is often severe, problems concentrating, confusion, feeling agitated, aggressive behaviour, loss of appetite, which can lead to weight loss, paranoia, unusual and inappropriate emotional responses |
Cryptococcosis | Cryptococcus neoformans | commonly – birds like pigeons | inhaling fungi | Fever, Malaise Pleuritic chest pain, Cough, usually nonproductive, Hemoptysis, Headache, Vision changes, Nausea and vomiting, Mental status changes, Meningitis, Seizures, Coma |
Cryptosporidiosis | Cryptosporidium spp. | cattle, dogs, cats, mice, pigs, horses, deer, sheep, goats, rabbits, leopard geckos, birds | ingesting cysts from water contaminated with feces | Watery diarrhea, Dehydration, Lack of appetite, Weight loss, Stomach cramps or pain, Fever, Nausea, Vomiting |
Cysticercosis and taeniasis | Taenia solium, Taenia asiatica, Taenia saginata | commonly – pigs and cattle | consuming water, soil or food contaminated with the tapeworm eggs (cysticercosis) or raw or undercooked pork contaminated with the cysticerci (taeniasis) | Abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation may arise when the tapeworms become fully developed in the intestine, approximately 8 weeks after ingestion of meat containing cysticerci. |
Dirofilariasis | Dirofilaria spp. | dogs, cats, wolves, coyotes, foxes, jackals, monkeys, raccoons, bears, muskrats, rabbits, leopards, sea lions, beavers, ferrets, reptiles | mosquito bite | People with symptoms can have cough, including coughing up blood, chest pain, fever, and pleural effusion, excess fluid between the tissues that line the lungs and the chest cavity. |
Eastern equine encephalitis, Western equine encephalitis, and Venezuelan equine encephalitis | Triple E, Western equine encephalitis virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus | horses, donkeys, zebras, birds | mosquito bite | Severe cases of EEE (involving encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain) begin with the sudden onset of headache, high fever, chills, and vomiting. The illness may then progress into disorientation, seizures, or coma |
Ebola virus disease a haemorrhagic fever | Ebolavirus spp. | chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, shrews, forest antelope and porcupines | through body fluids, organs and ticks | Symptoms of Ebola include. Fever. Severe headache. Muscle pain. Weakness. Fatigue. Diarrhea. Vomiting. Abdominal (stomach) pain. |
Other haemorrhagic fevers (Marburg viral haemorrhagic fever, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever) | Varies – commonly viruses | varies (sometimes unknown) – commonly camels, rabbits, hares, hedgehogs, cattle, sheep, goats, horses and swine | infection usually occurs through direct contact with infected animals | The haemorrhagic fevers are severe acute viral infections, usually with sudden onset of fever, malaise, headache and myalgia followed by pharyngitis, vomiting, diarrhoea, skin rash and haemorrhagic manifestations. The outcome is fatal in a high proportion of cases more than 50% |
Echinococcosis | Echinococcus spp. | commonly – dogs, foxes, jackals, wolves, coyotes, sheep, pigs, rodents | ingestion of infective eggs from contaminated food or water with feces of an infected, definitive host and⟋or fur | Pain in the upper right part of the abdomen, Bloody sputum, Chest pain, Cough, Fever, Severe skin itching. |
Foodborne illnesses (commonly diarrheal diseases) | Campylobacter spp. , Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. , Listeria spp. , Shigella spp. and Trichinella spp. | animals domesticated for food production (cattle, poultry) | raw and⟋or undercooked food made from animals | Common symptoms of foodborne illness are diarrhea and⟋or vomiting, typically lasting 1 to 7 days. Other symptoms might include abdominal cramps, nausea, fever, joint⟋back aches, and fatigue. |
Gnathostomiasis | Gnathostoma spp. | dogs, minks, opossums, cats, lions, tigers, leopards, raccoons, poultry, other birds, frogs | raw and⟋or undercooked fish or meat | During this early phase, many people have no symptoms or they may experience fever, excess tiredness, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain. This phase may last for 2 or 3 weeks. |
Giardiasis | Giardia lamblia | beavers, other rodents, raccoons, deer, cattle, goats, sheep, dogs, cats | ingesting spores and cysts in food and water contaminated with feces | Common symptoms include: fatigue. nausea. diarrhea or greasy stools. loss of appetite. vomiting. bloating and abdominal cramps. weight loss. excessive gas. |