Humans and animals share a special and close bond, especially when it comes to our beloved pets and our livestock. But think twice before giving your parakeet an affectionate peck on the beak, letting your dog lick your face or cuddling up with your new kitten until your pet has received a clean bill of health from an animal healthcare professional.
Why? Well, your cute pets or farm animals might just be harbouring a zoonotic disease, which is an infection that is transferred between animals and humans. And be aware that there are some diseases that we can transmit to our beloved animals, too.
Unwanted diseases
“The best-known zoonotic disease is rabies, which is transmitted from an infected mammal – usually a dog – to humans and can be fatal if not treated immediately. So, avoid stray dogs and those exhibiting erratic behaviour,” says Dr Nandipha Ndudane, the president of the South African Veterinary Council (SAVC). Tick bite fever is another well-known zoonotic disease that is prevalent in southern Africa.
Some zoonotic diseases to be aware of:
- Rift Valley fever is transmitted mainly via mosquitoes to livestock or humans (humans can also be exposed to it indirectly through infected animal carcasses).
- Salmonellosis (caused by the Salmonella bacterium) can be transmitted to humans via contaminated poultry or dairy products or to workers in contact with infected animals.
- Anthrax is a deadly disease that can be transmitted from infected livestock or wildlife to humans – by law, all cattle have to be vaccinated against anthrax in South Africa.
- Aspergillosis is a fungal disease that can be transmitted to humans, especially those working in animal production, through infected poultry or other birds, including pet birds.
- Q fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii, a bacterium that is transmitted to farmworkers by cattle, sheep and goats.
- Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic infection that can be contracted through contact with cat faeces and is particularly dangerous to pregnant women.
- Cryptosporidiosis is a gastrointestinal condition caused by a parasite living in the intestines of humans and pets and is spread through contact with infected stools.
- Cat scratch fever is a bacterial infection that can be passed to humans through a cat scratch or bite.
- The herpes B virus (which often manifests in fever blisters) can be transmitted from macaque monkeys to humans via a bite or a scratch.
In the home, kittens and puppies can carry ringworm, which poses a danger to immunocompromised pet owners. Also, birds such as budgies and parrots can transmit psittacosis – or parrot fever – to humans, resulting in flu-like symptoms or severe pneumonia.
Furthermore, cattle tuberculosis (caused by Mycobacterium bovis) can be transmitted between humans and animals through unpasteurised milk, infected animal carcasses or meat that hasn’t been cooked properly. Another zoonotic disease is brucellosis, a bacterial infection causing flu-like symptoms that not only affects livestock but also humans who are in contact with infected animals and contaminated animal products or who consume unpasteurised milk from infected livestock. Unlike flu, however, brucellosis can become chronic and debilitating if not diagnosed and treated timeously.
Would you like to read the rest of this interesting article? Get the Winter edition #346 Animaltalk magazine from retailers now or order a digital or printed copy from www.coolmags.co.za.
