What
are Zoonotic Diseases?
Zoonotic diseases are
illnesses caused by organisms (viruses, bacteria and parasites) that can be
transmitted between animals and humans.
Direct contact with sick animals is not always necessary for zoonotic
disease transmission. For example,
people can be exposed to roundworms through contact with feces-contaminated
soil, even if the infected animal is nowhere around.
Some zoonotic
diseases are well known, such as rabies and salmonellosis. However, other diseases like leptospirosis
are also zoonotic and not well recognized by the general public.
Why
are Children at Risk?
Anyone can contract a
zoonotic disease, but children are at a higher risk for several reasons:
·
Compared
to adults, children tend to have more direct contact with areas that might be
contaminated by animal waste – such as the ground, grass, sandboxes and
standing water.
·
Children
are less likely to wash their hands before eating and they are more likely to
put their hands in their mouths
·
A
child’s immune system may not be able to fight off an infection if an exposure
occurs. This can also hold true for an
adult that has a compromised immune system – such as those undergoing
chemotherapy.
What
animals transmit Zoonotic diseases?
Any animal is capable of
transmitting a zoonotic disease.
·
Rabies
virus can be transmitted by dogs, cats, bats, raccoons, goats, sheep and a
variety of other domestic and wild animals.
Certain
animals tend to be associated with specific zoonotic disease.
·
Cats
can transmit Bartonella a bacteria
that causes “cat-scratch disease”.
·
Salmonella can be transmitted to humans through
contact with several animal species most notably reptiles, birds and some
rodents.
·
Dogs
and cats can have intestinal parasites, such as roundworms and hookworms that
can be transmitted to humans.
How
Can Children Be Protected from Zoonotic diseases?
Petting zoos, classroom
pets and other interactive animal habitats are valuable educational tools, but
it is imperative that children are properly supervised during these
interactions to reduce their risk of being exposed to zoonotic diseases. Because children are at a higher risk, it may
be beneficial to eliminate contact with certain animals, such as reptiles,
amphibians, baby chicks and ducklings to prevent exposure to potential zoonotic
diseases.
The Center
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended this precaution as an
option for children under 5 years.
However, avoidance is not always possible or practical. Therefore, organizations like the CDC,
National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, and American
Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) are trying to education the public about
the best ways to protect children, adults and pets from exposure to zoonotic
diseases.
The good
news is that you don’t have to get rid of your pet lizard or abandon trips to
the petting zoos to protect your children.
There are a few basic precautions that can reduce the risk of someone
being affected.
·
Keeping your own pets healthy and parasite
free is a perfect way to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases. Bringing your pet to the vet twice a year,
staying current on vaccines and using effective parasite control are all methods
of achieving this goal.
·
Washing
hands thoroughly after handling pets, before eating/drinking, before preparing
food, after using the restroom or removing dirty shoes or clothes is
imperative. Even if you don’t remember
touching anything. Soap and water are
preferable for hand washing especially when hands are visibly dirty. After washing hands, it’s important not to
dry them on your clothing.
·
Teach
children to avoid direct contact with wild animals.
·
Keep
litterboxes clean, and pick up after your dog.
Ideally, gloves should be worn when handling animal’s urine or feces.
·
Don’t
eat, drink or smoke in areas where animals are .
·
Don’t
let animals lick your mouth and don’t share food with them
·
When
at a petting zoo or other place where touching animals is encouraged – always
remember to have children wash their hands (even if they did not touch
anything), not to eat/drink anything until they have left the animal area and
washed their hands and avoid putting anything into their mouths.
Pet obesity is a growing problem in our pet populations. Although spaying and neutering provides many
health benefits for our dogs and cats, it reduces their caloric requirements by
20-25% as compared to intact pets. This
can lead to weight gain if the diet is not changed accordingly. Neutered pets need fewer calories but they
actually may have bigger appetites because they lack sex hormones which can
serve to suppress appetite. So, your pet
acts hungry and you want to feed them leading to weight gain!
