ZOONOTIC DISEASE: WHAT YOU DON’T

KNOW ACTUALLY CAN KILL YOU!

WHO AM I?

Daniel J. Gray, DVM

VP of Gentle Vet Animal Hospital and Cat Care Clinic

Medical Director, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary

petcare@thegentlevets.com

920.435.5000

IMPORTANT

DEFINITIONS

Aerosol transmission: means spread of a disease by breathing it in to the respiratory tract

Fecal-oral transmission: means spread of a disease through oral contact with fecal material or a substance that has been contaminated with feces

Immunocompromised: means weakened immune system (eg. Very young, very old, AIDS patients, transplant patients, cancer patients)

Zoonotic disease: means a disease of animals that also infects humans.

RABIES

• What is it?

• It is a rhabdovirus that is spread by infected animal saliva

and possibly in the feces of certain species (little brown

bat)

RABIES

• What does it do to animals?

• Furious

• Aggressive

• Bites anything that gains it’s attention

• Inability to swallow

• Encephalitis

• Paralysis

• Then death

• Dumb

• Inability to swallow

• Encephalitis

• Paralysis

• Death

RABIES

• What does it do to humans?

• Same as animals

Important note: Over the last 100 years, rabies in the United

States has changed dramatically. More than 90% of all animal

cases reported annually to CDC now occur in WILDLIFE; before

1960 the majority were in domestic animals. The principal rabies

hosts today are wild carnivores and bats.

RABIES

• What can we do to prevent it?

• If in contact w/ animals or wildlife on a regular basis =

have the rabies prophy series

• Vaccinate all at risk animals when reasonable

• Avoid getting bit

• Avoid inhalation of guano

INFLUENZA

What is it?

-A rapidly mutating virus found in migrating waterfowl

and swine

INFLUENZA

How is it spread?

-Contact with infected respiratory secretions

INFLUENZA

What does it do to our patients?

-Respiratory distress

-Diarrhea

-Sudden Death

INFLUENZA

What does it do to humans?

-Cough, sore throat, runny nose

-Muscle ache

-Extreme Fatigue

-Paves the way for life threatening complications

INFLUENZA

How do I prevent it?

- When handling suspect birds (or all birds) use

proper PPE

-Cover nose and mouth with mask

-Possible “suite” protective gear if certain strains

suspected

-Vaccination?

LEPTOSPIROSIS

• What is it?

• Bacteria that is spread by contact of contaminated fluids

or water,

• This bacteria presumably can burrow through normal

skin!

LEPTOSPIROSIS

How is it spread?

Contact with urine (or other body fluids, except

saliva) from infected animals.

Contact with water, soil, or food contaminated with

the urine of infected animals.

LEPTOSPIROSIS

• What does it do to our patients?

• Sudden death with no signs• Fever

• Liver/kidney failure

• Pain and reluctance to move

LEPTOSPIROSIS

• What does it do to humans?

• Fever

• Liver/kidney failure

• Meningitis

LEPTOSPIROSIS

• How to prevent it?

• Early diagnosis of our patients

• Strict isolation and personal protection protocol

• Avoid flood water

• Treatment with antibiotics

ROUNDWORMS

What is it?

A nematode worm spread by fecal oral contamination,

as well as infect animals through the placenta or milk

ROUNDWORMS

What does it do to animals?

Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort,

Rarely bowel perforation

Unthriftiness

ROUNDWORMS

What does it do to people

Causes ‘creeping eruptions”

Worms burrow under the skin in search of a proper

host causing terrific allergic reaction

Visceral larval migrans

Crawls into organs (eye, liver, brain) and can

cause irreparable damage to the invaded organ

(usually in children)

ROUNDWORMS

What can we do about it?

Good worming protocols

Routine fecal checks

Good fecal hygiene at the owner’s homes

Good personal hygiene when handling feces

SEOUL VIRUS

What is it?

It is a member of the Hantavirus family

SEOUL VIRUS

How is it Spread?

Particles are present in saliva, feces and urine

The feces/urine/saliva dries

Disturbed dried particles then are aerosolized

You can also get the virus with urine/feces/saliva

contact in open wounds

SEOUL VIRUS

What does it do to rodents?

It causes no symptoms in rodents!!!

SEOUL VIRUS

What does it do to Humans?

In many cases it causes no symptoms or just mild flu-

like symptoms however

In some cases it causes hemorrhagic fever or renal

failure

SEOUL VIRUS

How is it prevented?

If you can’t avoid contact with rodents then:

Use respiratory and skin ppe

QUESTIONS?

THANKS!!