Pet Ownership: Risky Business : Part 2

by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

(Page 2 of 3)

In humans, respiratory symptoms of cough and chest pain usually predominate, but other symptoms may include fever, chills, malaise, vomiting, and muscular pain.

Typical symptoms in an infected bird may include poor eating habits or droopy feathers. On the other hand, the bird may show no symptoms. Wearing a surgical or dust mask and rubber gloves while cleaning the bird's cage will help protect against contracting psittacosis. A blood test can confirm the diagnosis of psittacosis, and antibiotics are an effective treatment for the disorder in both humans and birds.

Lyme disease was first identified in the mid-1970s in the town of Old Lyme, Conn. (See the July-August 1988 FDA Consumer, Ticks Carry Lyme Disease Across U.S.) According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, the disease has been reported in all but seven states, but is most prevalent on the East Coast.

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi, which is transmitted to humans and other animals by tiny deer ticks. These ticks pounce on white-tailed deer, field mice, and other wild animals whose bodies are full of these bacteria. The tick sucks blood from these animals, becomes infected with the bacteria, and moves on to other animals or humans, biting and infecting them. You may also catch the disease from the family pooch, which can act as a tick trolley if an infected tick being transported by the dog latches on to you. However, keep in mind that only a small percentage of these pinhead-sized ticks are infected with the bacteria.

Because Lyme disease symptoms are vague and numerous and may mimic the symptoms of other diseases, doctors are increasingly relying on two blood tests to help with diagnosis the ELISA and Western Blot test. The first sign of the disease is usually a bull's-eye insignia a small red pimple that later expands to form a ring-shaped rash. Other symptoms include flu-like aches in the joints, chronic fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, and a rash. Treatment with antibiotics in early stages is imperative to prevent the disease from progressing to more serious states linked to arthritic, cardiac and neurological disorders.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever now found in all parts of the country despite its name is primarily transmitted by the American dog tick. You can pick up the disease if bitten by an infected tick either from your dog or in the woods. Symptoms include headache, fever, and skin rash. As with Lyme disease, early diagnosis and treatment with antibiotics is crucial to prevent development of more serious consequences.

Rabies currently is common in certain wild animals, including raccoons, skunks, foxes, bobcats, and bats. (See September 1983 FDA Consumer, Raccoon-Borne Rabies Spreads.) Rabbits and rodents, including squirrels, are seldom infected with rabies. Worldwide, people most commonly are infected with rabies through bites from unvaccinated dogs. On the east coast of this country, where canine rabies has been controlled, the main source of infection is wildlife or cat bites.

Though rabies is most often transmitted by a bite from an infected animal it can also be spread through contact of an animal's saliva with an open wound. Animals can harbor and transmit the rabies virus long before the animal itself shows signs of illness.

Rabies is almost always fatal. Vaccination of pet cats and dogs is imperative to keep the disease from spreading both to humans and to other animals.

If you are bitten by a cat or dog, check with the owner to make sure the animal's rabies vaccine is current. Most states require that, regardless of their vaccination status, the dog or cat be quarantined for a number of days to double-check for signs of rabies. In the case of a bite by a wild animal, a rabies vaccine should be administered as a precaution.

To try to prevent infection after a bite, clean the wound immediately with a strong jet of water, soap or detergent, and a solution of alcohol or iodine. In some cases, this cleansing will get rid of the virus, but it is always necessary to consult with a physician immediately to see if you need a series of rabies shots.

Cat Scratch Fever. The cause of this disease has not been positively identified, but the source of infection is a cat scratch or bite. The resulting sore at the site of the scratch is slow to heal, and after one to three weeks, lymph nodes may swell and become tender and painful. Although uncomfortable, the disease is rarely serious. If it lingers, however, check with a physician, who may prescribe antibiotics.

More Familiar Infection

Animals also can be the source of some more familiar infections. Isadore Rosenfeld, M.D., clinical professor of medicine in the cardiology division of New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and author of Modern Prevention: The New Medicine, offers this example: Children in a particular family are plagued by sore throats, which, cultures show, are caused by streptococcal bacteria. Penicillin is administered and the infections are cured, only to reappear after a few weeks. There must be a carrier in the family, but who is it. Finally, someone thinks to look at the throat of the family dog, and the culprit is found.

Similarly, Salmonella bacteria may be transmitted to humans by animals. Salmonella infections cause mild to severe gastroenteritis, inflammation of the stomach and intestine that may cause diarrhea and vomiting. But such an infection can have much more serious consequences in very young children and the elderly, as well as in those whose immune systems are compromised, such as AIDS patients.

About the Author

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FDA is A United States government body that oversees medical devices, including contact lenses, intraocular lenses, excimer lasers and eyedrops. In the US, these products must be approved by the FDA before they can be marketed.