Zoonotic Diseases Quiz

Zoonotic Diseases

• Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans.
• Examples include: Rabies, Leishmania, Tularemia, Toxoplasmosis, Lyme Disease, BSE ("Mad Cow"), Tapeworms, Roundworms, Hookworms, Bird Flu, Giardia, Leptospirosis.
• Other examples: Cryptosporidiosis, Brucellosis, West Nile Virus, Q-fever, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Encephalitis viruses, Chagas disease, Listeriosis, Salmonella, Ringworm, Nipah virus, Erysipelas, E. Coli, Campylobacter, and Histoplasmosis.

Zoonotic Diseases Commonly Associated with Livestock & Poultry

• Diseases associated with livestock and poultry include: Fienzas (swine, poultry, humans), Salmonella, E. coli, Psittacosis, Q-fever, and Brucellosis.

Rabies Virus

• Reservoir: Bats, raccoons, cats, dogs
• Agent: Virus
• Transmission: Saliva of infected animals
• Human symptoms: Seizures, paralysis, fever
• Treatment: Supportive; often fatal

Routes of Transmission

• Direct contact: Bites, scratches, contact with infected tissues (e.g., rabies, Q fever)
• Indirect contact: Food, water, or touching infected objects (fomites) (e.g., Salmonella, E. coli, Giardia)
• Aerosolization: Inhalation or contact with respiratory droplets (e.g., Brucellosis, Psittacosis)
• Vector-borne: Animals as reservoirs (e.g., mosquitoes, ticks, fleas; Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, West Nile Virus)

How Zoonotic Diseases are Transmitted

• Airborne
• Fecal-oral
• Direct contact
• Foodborne
• Arthropod vector (insect-borne)

Bacterial Diseases

• Examples include: Tetanus, Rat-Bite Fever, Leptospirosis, Tularemia, Campylobacterosis, Salmonella, and E. coli.
• A mixture of zoonotic agents and other agents may be found in field/water/non-vendor animals.

Leptospirosis

• Humans become infected through contact with infected animal urine, water, soil or food that is contaminated with urine from infected animals.
• Symptoms: May occur in two phases (Phase 1: high fever, headache, chills / Phase 2: muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, red eyes, abdominal pain, pain, diarrhea, rash)

Fungal Diseases

• Dermatomycosis (Ringworm):
• Agent: Trichophyton or Microsporum
• Reservoir: Rodents (mainly), dogs, and cats (mainly)
• Transmission: Contact with infected animals or surfaces containing fungal spores

Helminth Infections

• Common in pets and wild animals
• Spread by fecal-oral transmission
• Roundworm, Hookworm, Whipworm
• Persist in soil and are transmissible without direct animal contact.

Toxoplasmosis

• Reservoir: Pigs, cats, rats, deer, lambs
• Agent: Toxoplasma gondii (single-celled parasite)
• Transmission: Touching infected cat feces, eating undercooked meat, or drinking contaminated water.
• Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms
• Recurrent abortion in pregnant women
• Treatment: Medications if needed
• Newborn babies infected can suffer eye and brain damage

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)

• Also known as "Mad Cow Disease"
• Reservoir: Cattle
• Agent: Prion
• Transmission: Eating infected beef
• Human symptoms: Neurological disorders
• Treatment: Supportive; usually fatal

Lyme Disease

• Agent: Borrelia burgdorferi (bacterium)
• Reservoir: Deer
• Transmission: Blacklegged ticks feeding on deer and then biting humans
• Symptoms: Rash, arthritis, fever, swollen lymph nodes, neurological signs, heart problems
• Treatment: Antibiotics (early treatment is most effective)

Ringworm

• Reservoir: Any surface contaminated with fungus
• Agent: Several kinds of fungus
• Transmission: Touching contaminated surfaces (e.g., animals) such as cat/dog hair etc.
• Symptoms: Skin rash in a ring shape; can appear on skin, scalp, groin area, and feet
• Treatment: Medicated creams, keeping the area clean and dry

H1N1

• Pandemic declared 6/11/2009
• Nevada had 406 cases, no deaths
• Virus; no vaccination
• Antiviral drugs; vaccine available fall of 2009
• Source: Swine flu parties

Avian Influenza ("Bird Flu")

• Lethal variant of the flu virus
• Major threat to the world's population
• Related to the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic
• Reappeared in the past decade; growing concern of another pandemic
• Caused by a virus (Latin for poison) which normally only infects birds.

Introduction to Bird Flu

• No bird flu in the U.S. currently.
• U.S. doesn't import poultry products from other countries.
• Bird flu isn't transmitted via eating poultry that has been cooked properly.
• Ensure all poultry products are refrigerated and cooked thoroughly before eating.

Possible Impact of Avian Flu on Humans

• Pneumonia, severe respiratory disease, and eye infections can result from H5N1 infections.
• This virus can infect young and healthy people, unlike most flu viruses that primarily affect the elderly and young children.

Possible Effects of Avian Influenza

• Quarantine measures (schools, transportation closures, halting the economy)
• Food transport could stop; food supply would run out in days.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• PPE protects against exposure to zoonotic diseases.
• Includes: Dedicated facility clothing (long-sleeved lab coat), gloves, safety glasses, and shoe coverings.
• Protects animals from human-transmitted zoonotic agents.

Zoonotic and Infectious Disease Prevention in the Field

• Field-specific awareness and education.
• Vaccinations (e.g., rabies, tetanus)
• Potable water
• Mosquito and tick bite prevention.
• Hand hygiene (washing and sanitizing).
• Limit exposure to infected animals and fecal material.

Test your knowledge on zoonotic diseases with this quiz. Answer questions about transmission methods, reservoirs, and specific diseases that affect humans and animals. Challenge yourself and see how well you understand the complexities of zoonoses.