Page 556 - The Veterinary Laboratory and Field Manual 3rd Edition

Important zoonotic diseases 493

generally transmitted by the human louse and Additional information about any of the diseases
is not strictly a zoonotic disease. The murine listed can be obtained through your local or
(mouse) form can also be transmitted by lice. national public health and veterinary authorities.
Fleas may also act as vectors for rickettsial dis- Some key references are provided below. Owing
ease. Signs in animals: There may be no signs or to the changing nature of some pathogenic agents
there may be fever and general malaise. it is important to seek the most up to date advice
Diagnosis: Evidence of the arthropod vector. with regard to disease prevention and control. For
Serum and whole blood from human patients for the most up to date guidelines on testing for spe-
serology. PCR can also be used. Control: Control cific diseases in livestock species check the online
the arthropod vector and avoid being bitten. edition of the OIE Manual of Diagnostic Tests and
Doxycycline has been found effective in treatment. Vaccines for Terrestrial Animals. 2

visceral larva migrans Endnotes

Cause: Toxocara canis (also Toxocara cati, Toxascaris 1 See Chapter 6 for more explanation of the FAT =
leonina) Epidemiology: This is the common asca- fluorescent antibody test and the ELISA.
rid helminth of the dog (cat) and most puppies 2 http://www.oie.int/standard-setting/terrestrial-
are born infected with it. Puppies and to a lesser manual/access-online/.
extent dogs pass parasite eggs out in their faeces. 3 HA = Haemagglutination tests, FAT and ELISA
(see Chapter 6 and index).
Humans, especially children, become infected
accidentally when playing in the environment,
when holding infected puppies, or by ingest- Bibliography
ing contaminated soil or dog faeces containing
the infective stage. The worm larvae migrate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018)
through the intestinal tract into the liver, lungs https://www.cdc.gov/.
and sometimes the brain and eyes. Cork, S.C., Hall, D., Liljebjelke, K. (eds) (2016)
One Health Case Studies: Addressing Complex
Signs in animals: There may be few signs unless Problems in a Changing World. 5M Publishing.
the infection is large in dogs. Puppies (and kit- Sheffield.
tens) may have diarrhoea and a swollen belly. In Krause, D.O., Hendrick, S. (eds) (2011) Zoonotic
heavy infections, there may be sudden death fol- Pathogens in the Food Chain. CABI, Oxford.
lowing blockage of the intestine or neurological Krauss, H., Weber, A., Appel, M., Enders, B., Isenberg,
signs due to aberrant migration of larvae. H.D., Schiefer, H.G, Slenczka, W., von Graevenitz,
A., Zahner, H. (2003) Zoonoses. Infectious
Diagnosis: Worm eggs in dog (and cat) faeces. Diseases Transmissible from Animals to Humans,
3rd edn. ASM Press, Washington DC.
Control: General hygiene. Routine worming of OIE (World Organization for Animal Health) http://
dogs and puppies. Puppies (and kittens) should www.oie.int/standard-setting/terrestrial-manual/
be dosed with a suitable anthelmintic every access-online/.
2 weeks from 2 weeks of age until 4 months old and World Health Organization (2018) http://www.who.
then 6 monthly. Bitches (and female cats) should int/topics/zoonoses/en/.
be wormed before whelping and then 6 monthly. Zinsstag, J., Schelling, E., Waltner-Toews, D.,
Whittaker, M., Tanner, M. (eds) (2015) One
Note: Due to the risk of hydatids, dog faeces Health: The Theory and Practice of Integrated
are considered potentially dangerous. Gloves Health Approaches. CABI, Oxford.
should be worn when handling dog faeces.

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