Page 540 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

Important zoonotic diseases 477

disease Agent Animals Mode of Clinical signs in Action/ prevention
involved transmission humans & notes
to humans
Leptospirosis* Leptospira Different Direct contact Fever, Test stock. Avoid
interogans serovars with infected photophobia, splashing urine in
serovars have specific animals, aching joints, eyes. Boil milk. Care
host species, especially urine, urinary tract when attending cases
wildlife and abortion fluids. infection. of abortion. Test stock
domestic Also indirect There may be and treat. Vaccination
stock. contact via soil jaundice and for livestock is
and water. haemoglobinuria. available. Some
strains are endemic
in rodents and are
present in waterways
(Weil’s disease)
Listeriosis Listeria Widespread. Food borne. May cause Wash vegetables
Monocytogenes abortion or birth in clean water,
defects in unborn hygiene. Be careful
child. with chilled produce
(salads, soft cheeses
soft cheeses, some
sea food etc.) and
delicatessen meats
if pregnant or
immunosuppressed.
Meliodosis* Burkholderia Widespread Contamination Systemic disease, Look after wounds
pseudomallei in wild and of wounds. fever, chills, death. and avoid walking
(previously domestic bare foot in areas
Pseudomonas animals, soil contaminated with
pseudomallei) contamination animal faeces.
especially in Whitmore’s disease,
rice paddies. more common in the
tropics. Vaccines in
development.
Plague* Yersinia pestis Rodent, flea Flea bite, Bubonic and Control rodent
life cycle. inhalation of pneumonic forms. population and fleas.
fomites. Enlarged lymph Avoid overcrowding,
nodes, fever contaminated air
and malaise and bedding. General
respiratory disease, hygiene. Vaccination
death. available, antibiotics.
Psittacosis Chlamydophila/ Birds. Inhalation, Flu-like symptoms Take care when
Chlamydia psittaci direct contact. Can be more handling dead or
(parrot fever). severe pneumonia sick birds. Undertake
asthma-like. avian necropsies in a
Oxytetracycline is biosafety cabinet.
the treatment of
choice as a lot of
other antibiotics
will not work.

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