Page 542 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

Important zoonotic diseases 479

disease Agent Animals Mode of Clinical signs in Action/ prevention
involved transmission humans & notes
to humans
Typhus* Rickettsia spp. Arthropod Tick, flea, mite Non-specific, fever, Control arthropod
borne disease, or louse bite. chills, etc. vectors, avoid tick
carried by Tick borne bites. ‘Typhus’ is
ticks, lice, typhus more a group of closely
etc. Reservoir common in related diseases
infections in people handling caused by different
wildlife. wildlife. species of Rickettsia
sp. transmitted
to humans by
arthropods. The most
important form of
typhus is epidemic
(transmitted from
human to human by
lice). Other forms
include murine
(endemic) typhus,
scrub typhus
(transmitted by
chigger mites) and
tick-borne typhus.
FUNGI
Ringworm* Microsporum Various Infected hairs or Skin lesions, Treat infected animals
Trichophyton spp. animals, animal fomites. hair loss, red and wash hands
contaminated circumscribed after handling. Use
bedding and areas. fungicidal washes,
equipment. in bad cases oral
medication may be
required. Severe
infections are more
common in children or
immunocompromised
individuals.
PROTOZOA
Leishmaniasis* Leishmania Wild and Direct contact Cutaneous form Control sandfly
cutaneous donovani, there domestic or via a sandfly skin lesions, vector, avoid being
(Tropical sore)/ are human and animals may bite. unhealing ulcer: bitten by infected
Visceral form animal adapted be a source visceral form, sandflies. Note that
(Kala-Azar) subspecies. of infection general malaise, some people may
transmitted weight loss, not develop clinical
by a sandfly enlarged spleen, signs. Cutanaeous
vector. lymph-adenopathy, leishmaniasis is
anaemia. more common than
the visceral form.
Skin sores develop
within a few weeks
after a sandfly bite.
People with visceral
leishmaniasis usually

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