Pet Infections: Pathogens and Symptoms Part 3
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Disease | Pathogen (s) | Animals involved | Mode of transmission | Symptoms |
---|---|---|---|---|
Saint Louis encephalitis | Saint Louis encephalitis virus | birds | mosquito bite | The majority of infections result in mild illness, including fever and headache. When infection is more severe the person may experience headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions and spastic paralysis. |
Swine influenza | any strain of the influenza virus endemic in pigs (excludes H1N1 swine flu, which is a human virus) | pigs | close contact | Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness, shortness of breath, and general discomfort. |
Taenia crassiceps infection | Taenia crassiceps | wolves, coyotes, jackals, foxes | contact with soil contaminated with feces | Headaches, Nausea, and Vomitting |
Toxocariasis | Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati | dogs, foxes, cats | ingestion of eggs in soil, fresh or unwashed vegetables and⟋or undercooked meat | Least serious of the three syndromes and is believed to be due to chronic exposure. Signs and symptoms of covert toxocariasis are coughing, fever, abdominal pain, headaches, and changes in behavior and ability to sleep, Upon medical examination, wheezing, hepatomegaly, and lymphadenitis are often noted. |
Toxoplasmosis | Toxoplasma gondii | cats, livestock, poultry | exposure to cat feces, organ transplantation, blood transfusion, contaminated soil, water, grass, unwashed vegetables, unpasteurized dairy products and undercooked meat | fever swollen lymph nodes, specially in the neck, headache muscle aches and pains sore throat |
Trichinosis | Trichinella spp. | rodents, pigs, horses, bears, walruses, foxes, crocodiles, birds | eating undercooked meat | symptoms usually start two to eight weeks after infection, Diarrhea, Abdominal pain, Fatigue, Nausea and vomiting |
Tuberculosis | Mycobacterium bovis | infected cattle, deer, llamas, pigs, domestic cats, wild carnivores (foxes, coyotes) and omnivores (possums, mustelids and rodents) | milk, exhaled air, sputum, urine, faeces and pus from infected animals | Coughing that lasts three or more weeks, Coughing up blood, Chest pain, or pain with breathing or coughing, Unintentional weight loss, Fatigue, Fever, Night sweats, Chills, Loss of appetite |
Tularemia | Francisella tularensis | lagomorphs (type A) and rodents (type B) | ticks, deer flies, and other insects including mosquitoes | skin ulcer that forms at the site of infection usually an insect or animal bite, Swollen and painful lymph glands, Fever Chills, Headache, Exhaustion |
West Nile fever | Flavivirus | birds, horses | mosquito bite | symptoms and signs of West Nile virus include fever, headache, body aches, skin rash, and swollen lymph nodes. Severe symptoms and signs may include stiff neck, sleepiness, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis. Most cases of West Nile virus infection are mild and go unreported. |
Zika fever | Zika virus | chimpanzees, monkeys, apes, baboons | mosquito bite, sexual intercourse, blood transfusion and sometimes bites of monkeys | fever, rash, joint pain, conjunctivitis, or red eyes, muscle pain, headache pain behind the eyes vomiting |
Cat Scratch, Toxoplasmosis | Bartonella | Cat | Infection cannot be transmitted between people, leads to swelling around scratch site, fatigue. Risk to pregnant woman, pass the infection on to unborn baby. But severe congenital toxoplasmosis is rare. | Bump or blister at the bite or scratch site, swollen lymph nodes near the bite or scratch site, fatigue, headaches, low-grade fever. fever swollen lymph nodes, specially in the neck, headache muscle aches and pains sore throat |
Hantavirus | Hantavirus spp. | Rodents | other infection transmitted to humans from rats include Leptospirosis, rat bite fever and a type of Meningitis | Hantavirus can cause a range of diseases in humans from mild, flu-like illness to severe respiratory distress and kidney disease |
Airborne | Psittacosis | Parrots | That can be passed to people who own⟋work with exotic birds. | High fever, Diarrohea, eye infection and bright red spots |
Salmonella | Salmonella | Reptiles | Reptiles can put young children at risk to rare form of Salmonella infection | Snakes, carry the infection on their skin and shed it in their faeces Mild cause a mild illness with fever, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. |
Lyme disease, Rabis | Borrelia | Dogs | Common symptom is a red rash around tick bite, flu like. It cause high fever and aggressive behaviour but it can also spread to the brain and nervous system, and can be fatal. |