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About
Melissa Kaplan
by Melissa Kaplan
Advance
Care Directives
Chronic
Neuroimmune Diseases
Lyme Disease & Coinfections
Blogs:
Lizards-in-Scarves
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Zoonotic diseases are
those that can be passed from animal to animal--thus from your pets to
you. Salmonella, toxoplasmosis, Lyme disease, rabies, and bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE, better known as "mad cow disease") are
some of the most publicized zoonoses.
Knowing that there is
the possibility of becoming infected with a zoonoses is half the battle.
Being smart about the steps you take to reduce the risk to you, your families,
students and others you--and your pets--come into contact with is the
other half. The articles here will help you find out what you need to
know to best take care of, and make the best decisions, for your pets--and
humans.
Please note that I am
using the term pets rather than reptiles or herps
for a reason: all animals, including dogs, cats, parrots, rabbits, etc.,
may carry one or more zoonotic organism. While the following articles
were written and selected with herp keepers in mind, the precautions and
concerns extend to all animals kept as pets or encountered when interacting
with animals of all types in all situations.
Pet owners and all parents,
regardless of the types of pets they keep or their children come into
contact with, must educate themselves. Physicians are not adequately
trained to recognize, let alone treat, the hundreds of most common zoonotic
diseases.
Salmonella
"Today, there are more than 100 cases of reptile-associated
salmonellosis reported annually in Los Angeles County. Human salmonellosis
associated with lizards was not seen ten years ago. This increase in salmonellosis
is due to the massive influx of green iguanas being imported from Central
America. Iguana farms and wholesalers often use antibiotics to prevent
disease in the lizards, thus increasing antibiotic resistant strains of
salmonella. Iguanas are flown to the southern United States and distributed
to wholesalers. To prevent human outbreaks and associated health care
costs, regulations regarding these reptiles may be warranted, similar
to the current regulation of pet turtles. (Title 17, Section 2612.1)."
County of Los Angeles (California) Department of Public Health, Veterinary
Public Health's Overview
of Zoonoses.
"The population
attributable fraction for reptile or amphibian contact was 6% for all
sporadic Salmonella infections and 11% among persons <21 years old.
These data suggest that reptile and amphibian exposure is associated with
approximately 74,000 Salmonella infections annually in the United States."
Reptiles,
amphibians, and human Salmonella infection: a population-based, case-control
study. Clin Infect Dis. 2004 Apr 15;38 Suppl 3:S253-61
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More on Reptile-Related
Salmonella
Recent
additions:
Salmonella
Infection (eMedicine)
Salmonella:
Then and Now
Aerobic
bacterial oral flora of garter snakes
If you touch a turtle, wash your hands!
Interview with the CDC: Dr. Jonathan Mirmen
Isolation
of Salmonella strains from reptile faeces and comparison of different
culture media
Kids,
Reptiles & Salmonella
Outbreak
of salmonellosis in a zoologic collection of lorikeets and lories
Pet
Snakes May be Source of Salmonella
Prevalence
and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella spp. in pet mammals,
reptiles, fish aquarium water, and birds in Trinidad
Public
Health Implications of Fecal Shedding of Salmonella in Iguanas
Reptile
Associated Salmonellosis - Selected States 1996-1998
Reptile-Associated
Salmonellosis - Selected States 1998-2002
Reptile-Related Salmonellosis
Salmonella and Other Zoonoses: The
Basics
Salmonella and Reptiles:
Veterinary Recommendations
Salmonella
Citations in the Veterinary and Medical Literature
Salmonella's Main Drug Hits Resistant Strain In U.S.
States Hatch Warning Labels for Reptiles
Pros and cons of long-term probiotics
use in green iguanas
The Fright of the Iguana: Pet Reptiles Pose Risk
of Salmonella Infection for Their Owners
Other Sources
of Salmonella
Alfalfa Sprouts: Health Food or Health Risk?
Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella in milk
Humans May Contract Salmonella From Pet Treats
Household
Contamination with Salmonella enterica
Produce Handling and Processing Practices
Salmonella Infection
(eMedicine)
Sprout
Safety: FDA Warns High-Risk Groups: Don't Eat Alfalfa Sprouts
Salmonella and Vegetables
Pet Treats a Source of Salmonella
Other Zoonoses
Animal-borne
Epidemics Out of Control: Threatening the Nation's Health
Anthroponoses,
Zoonoses, and Sapronoses
Cryptosporidum
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome & Other Autoimmune
Disease in Animals
Dinner,
Pets and Plagues: Wildlife Trade Leading to Ecodisaster
Exotic
Animals Give Exotic Diseases to People and Domestic Animals
Infectious
threats from exotic pets: dermatological implications
Potential Zoonoses in Exotic Pets
Produce Handling and Processing Practices
Zoonoses in house pets other than dogs, cats and
birds.
Zoonotic Diseases: Animals In The
Classroom (PDF)
Zoonotic
Diseases - Are Reptiles the Real Threat to Human Health?
Zoonoses
From Reptiles and Their Parasites
General Zoonoses
Information
Confronting
Zoonoses, Linking Human and Veterinary Medicine
Health Pets, Healthy People
(CDC)
Parasitic
Pathways: Animal Diseases (CDC)
Pets Pose Health Hazards, Experts Warn
Pets
and Pet Health - MedlinePlus Collection
Veterinarians
Safeguard Children's Health
Wildlife,
Exotic Pets, and Emerging Zoonoses
Zoonoses:
Animals Can Make You Sick
Human Health Concerns/Microbial
Resistance
Animal-Borne
Diseases
Dead
Bugs Don’t Mutate
Excessive/Inappropriate Use of Antimicrobial
Products
Human Health Concerns
Hygiene
Hypothesis Shields Kids From Heart Disease Later On
Miracle
Drugs vs. Superbugs
Salmonella's Molecular Mimics May Spark Arthritis
The Problem with Gram-Negative Bacteria
Parent
and Pediatrician Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Pet-Associated
Hazards
Veterinarians
Safeguard Children's Health
Reptile Salmonella Transmitted Through Platelet
Donations From Apparently Healthy Owner of Asymptomatic Boa
Preventing
Infection
Cutting
Through the Cutting Board Brouhaha
Dirt on Soap
Food for
Thought: Lessons from a case of toxic ice cream
Hand-Transmitted Infection
How to Disinfect
your Salad, Sponges and Sinks and Rags, Oh My!
Wash Your Hands!
Precautions You Can Take To Prevent Contamination
Researcher urges less use of anti-bacteria products
Tracking
and Tackling Foodborne Germs
Useful Tips for Maintaining A Healthy Home
Vinegar
and Hydrogen Peroxide as Disinfectants
Wash-Resistant
Bacteria Taint Foods
West Nile Virus and Mosquito Control
Preventing
Zoonotic Diseases in Immunocompromised Persons: The Role of Physicians
and Veterinarians
Putting
it all into some perspective...
Doctor's Group Questions Antibacterial Soaps
Researcher urges less use of anti-bacteria products
Too Clean Is No Good
Triclosan: Antimicrobial May Not Kill All Germs
Who Speaks for the Microbes?
Hand
Sanitizer Alert
- That alcohol-based hand sanitizer you're using may not be strong enough
to kill surface organisms
Recommended Reading
Parasite Rex.
Carl Zimmer, 2000.
Repulsive they
may be to us, but Mother Nature cares not a whit for our feelings about
parasites. She's concerned only with how successful those deadly freeloaders
are in the evolutionary struggle, and, by any measure, parasites are thriving
winners. This is a ghastly state of affairs for sufferers of river blindness,
sleeping sickness, malaria, and more; fortunately, in the outlands of
biology, a specialty called parasitology labors to understand and combat
the organisms causing such afflictions. This is the field Zimmer unblinkingly
explores, replete with scenes of dissections that expose the worms, flukes,
and single-celled organisms that invade a host. Gross! But as Zimmer estimably
explains how tough life is from the parasite's perspective, such as the
relentless battle with the host's immune system, the reader begins to
concede parasites their niche in the ecological system. Further, Zimmer
usefully discusses parasites' behaviors, especially their defenses against
antibodies, as evolutionary adaptations reaching back to the primeval
epochs of life's history. A well-organized and well-presented survey of
parasites' life cycles and the debilitations they cause. (ALA Booklist,
August 2000, v96 i22, p2090)
Salmonella uses molecular staples to change structure
of infected cells
Further information
on Salmonella and other zoonoses from reptiles and other pets,
as well as in food and food processing, can be found in the (U.S.) Centers
for Disease Control (CDC)'s National
Antibiotic Monitoring System and FoodNet
websites. Additional medical and related information can be found through
PubMed and Scirus.
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