Topics in Animal Health and Welfare Zoonotic diseases and Toxicology

Influenza (Swine)

Influenza virus, H1N1, H3 subtype

H1N1 what does H and N stand for

H=Hemagluttinoin, N=Neuraminidose

Clinical Signs of Influenza in Pigs

Fever + Lethargy, Lack of appetite, Weight loss, Nasal Discharge, Coughing and Dyspnea

Swine Influenza in Humans

Similar symptoms to pigs, if passed from Human to Human this is a major concern

Avian Influenza affects

Chickens, Turkeys = Clinical disease, Ducks and waterfowl = subclinical disease

Low pathogenicity symptoms of Avian influenza

Lethargy, No appetite, Nasal dischard, sneezing, Reduction in egg production

High pathogenicity symptoms of Avian Influenza

H5N1, near death if not death

2019 Avian Influenza

Repeated cases in poultry = endemic

2024 Avian Influenza

Spread to cattle, high pathogenicity, cattle presented with low milk production and thick yellow milk, known as a foreign animal disease.

Leptosporosis Etiology

Leprospira sp., spiral shaped bacteria

How is leptosporosis transferred

Spread through the urine, aborted fetuses, or afterbirth of infected animals, primarily transmitted by drinking contaminated substance.

What species does leptosporosis affect

Cattle, sheep, goats, horses, pigs, dogs, and wildlife

Leptosporosis signs in ruminants?

Abortions, decreased fertility, decreased milk yield

Leptosporosis signs in Dogs?

Fever, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, liver and kidney damage

Leptosporosis is spread to humans by

Ingestion, aerosolized or direct contact with urine or reproductive tissue

Leptosporosis in humans symptoms

Can range from mild to severe disease causing flu-like symptoms, liver or kidney failure, CNS disease

Listeriosis Etiology

Bacteria, Listeria monocytogenes, this bacteria can survive in macrophages

How is Literiosis spread

Through the environment mainly in soil and plants

How are cattle infected with Literiosis

Eating contaminated corn silage (high pH allows bacteria to multiply in silage)

Symptoms of Literiosis in cattle

CNS, encephalitis, facial paralysis, circling, head pressing, abortions, mastits, death, infected animals shed organism in feces

Listeriosis is transmitted to humans by?

Ingestion of bacteria in food, raw meat, unpateurized dairy products, lunch meat, hot dogs, cantaloupe, or contaminated after pasteurization

Listeriosis signs in humans

Primarily an issue in pregnant women, newborns, elderly, and immuno-compromsied people, pregnant women show no signs of illness but fetal death during second half of gestation, immuno-compromised can develop septicemia or encephalitis, and even death

Q (queary) fever Etiology

Bacteria Coxiella burnetti

Species affected by Q fever

Sheep, Goats, and sometimes catlle

Signs of Q fever in animals

Most animals don't show clinical signs, but may casue abortions, or abortion storms

How is Q fever spread

Large number of bacteria shed in placenta, amniotic fluids, and aborted fetuses, milk, urine, and feces, forms an endospore like body and is resistant to antibiotics

Q fever transmission to humans

Inhalation of contaminated barnyard sut, ingestion of milk, direct contact, rarely through tick bite (vector)

Q fever symptoms in humans

Flu-like symptoms, pneumonia, liver disease, bone or heart damage, miscarriage, placentitis

Salmonellosis Etiology

Bacteria Selmonella sp.

Clinical signs of Salmonellosis in animals

septicemia (bacteria in blood), pneumonia, abortion, calves can show scours, joint infections, gangrene of feet, tips of ears and tails

Clinical signs of salmoellosis in humans

Food poisoning or direct contact, severe dehydrating diarrhea, high fever, vomiting, cramps, generalized aching, most serious in young children, elderly and immune suppressed

Salmonella Heidelburg

multi drug resistant strain, affects humans and mostly dairy calves, linked to WI dairy calves

Toxoplasmosis Etiology

Toxoplasma gondii - a single celled parasite (protozoan)

Toxoplasmosis infection in animals

Cats become infected by eating infected rodents, birds, or things contaminated with cat feces, cats then shed parasite for up to 2 weeks, Oocytes must mature for 1-5 days before becoming infective

Toxoplasmomsis in other animals than Feline

Other animals may also have the infective organism in their meat (lambs, goats, pork, and game meat - parasite within the muscle

How can Toxoplasmosis be transmitted

Undercooked meat, literbox, garden, sandbox, unwashed or undercooked vegatables, sheep or goat aborted fetuses and placentas

Toxoplasmosis in humans

Primarily a concern in immunocompromised and pregnant women, immunocompromised can lead to encephalitis, myocarditis, death, in pregnant women it can cause congential infection of the fetus, abortion, disabilities.

Prevention of Toxoplasmosis

Proper meat handling, using protective gear for gardening, scoop litter boxes regualarly and disinfect regularly with boiling water, Pregnant women and immuno-compromised, avoid litter boxes, gardening, and small ruminant birthing

Zoonotic disease definition

Diseases naturally transmitted between animals and humans

Anthrax Etiology

Bacteria Bacillus anthracis, spore forming gram+ bacteria

Transmission of Anthrax to animals

ingestino of spores, possible inhalation of spores, herbivores generally ingest spores from soil or on pasture plants, especially common after heavy rainfall or flooding

Anthrax in cattle

Clinical signs = sudden death, hemorrhagiv exudates from mouth, nose and anus

Anthrax treatment in cattle

Treatable with antibiotics in early stages of infection, but often not detected early enough

Anthrax post-mortem

no rigor mortis, blood doesn't clot

Anthrax spore formation

Induced by exposure to oxygen, spores can survive decades, Vegatative organisms die within days if in an unopened decomposing carcass, DO NOT open a carcass if it is suspected to have Anthrax

Anthrax in people

3 forms = Cutaneous, Intestinal, inhalation

Cutaneous Anthrax in people

Caused by direct contact or vector (biting fly)

Intestinal Anthrax in people

Caused by oral ingestion = eating contaminated meat, symptoms vary from malaise and GI symptoms to shock coma and death

Inhaled Anthrax in people

Caused by breathing in spores, seen in meat handlers (wool sorter's disease) symptoms start as fever malaise and cough and progress to respiratory distress, septicemia, and shock within days

Anthrax in humans treatment

Can be treated with antibiotics if caught early enough

Bioterrorism

The intentional use of micro-organisms to bring about ill affects, or death to animals, humans or crops

Brucellosis "Bangs Disease" Etiology

bacteria, Brucella sp.

Brucellosis species affected

Cattle, pigs, sheep goats, and dogs, cats are relatively resistant to Brucella infections, and horses can show "fistulous withers" or "poll evil"

Brucellosis in animals

generally typified by late-term abortions and inflammatory lesions in the male reproductive tract, organisms can enter across the mucous membranes, most infected cows with shed brucells in their milk for life, can lead to hygromas on the knee joints

Brucellosis in humans "Undulant Fever"

Severity of disease depends on the infecting strain, B. melitensis (sheep and goats -not in the US), B. suis (pigs), B. abortus (cattle), B. canis (dogs), B. Ovis (rams - not known to be zoonotic)

Brucellosis transmission for humans

Historically via unpasteurized milk or dairy products, inhalation, contact with placental tissue and vaginal secretions of infected animal

Brucellosis clinical signs in humans

Incubation Period = 1-2 months, Intermittent "undulating" fever, headaches, chills, depression, profound weakness, weight loss, chronically can be debilitating

Tuberculosis (TB) Etiology

Bacteria, Myobacterium bovis found in cattle, dogs, swine, birds, sheep humans and primates

TB in cattle

Cattle typically inhale the infectious agents through lungs leading to pulmonary TB, can spread to many visceral organs in the animal's body - white tail deer, cattle movement

TB in humans

Clinical signs depend on the organ system involved, most common are either polmonary or skin lesions on face or extremeties

Vesicular Stomatitis Etiology

Vesiculovirus, resembles foot and mouth disease when it occurs in cattle, ruptureof the oral vesicles leads to pain excessive salication and inappetance, coronary band lesions lead to lameness

What is Vesicular Stomatitis

Blisters/vesicles of the mouth

Tranmission of Vesicular Stomatitis to humans

Primarily by direct contact

Vesicular Stomatitis in humans

Flu-like symptoms, less commonly the oral vesicles and cerival lymphadenopathy (neck lymphnodes)

Dermatophytosis "Ringworm" Etiology

Different genera of fungi called the "dermatophytes" 2 major groups, anthrophilic and zoophilic

Ringworm in animals

Affects many speices, lesions typically are thickened, gray colored area of alopecia and ulcerations

Sarcoptic Mange Etiology

Caused by sarcoptes saciei, a mite

Sarcoptic Mange affects who?

Can affect people and more than 100 different mammals and marsupials

Sarcoptic mange transmission

transmitted by direct contact with an infected indicidual

Sarcoptic mange symptoms

extreme itching (pruritis) and dermatitis

Sarcoptic mange or Scabies in humans

casues extreme itchiness

Treatment of sarcoptic mange

treatment with topical permathrins in people, treamtent with Lyme sulfer dips, Ivermectin, and revolution in animals

Roundworms

Toxocara sp. of dogs and cats

Symptoms of Roundworms

Pot bellied, GI symptoms, poor growth and more prominant in puppies and kittens

Treatment of Roundworms

Anthelmintic durgs (pyrantel, fenbendazole, others)

Roundworms Transmission

Primarily in children putting feces contaminated items in mouth

Roundwoms in humans

Can cause visceral disease and Liver damage, also can affect the eyes of younger hosts causing blindness, tumors etc.

Hookworms Etiology

Ancylostoma sp., Unicaria sp. and primarily affects cats and dogs

Transmission of hookworms

In utero or while still nursing, oral ingestion of contaminated soil, skin penetration when in contact with contaminated soil

Signs of hookworms in animals

diarrhea, anemia, weight loss, death in young puppies and kittens

Transmission of hookworms to human

oral ingestion or direct contact with contaminated soil

Signs of hookworms in humans

Cutaneous Larvval Migrans, Raised tracts where the larvae are traveling

Giardia etiology

Flagellate protozoan Giardia

Contagious Ecthyma (Contagious Pustular Dermatitis) Etiology

Parapoxvirus

Contagious Ecthyma signs in animals

Lesions on lips, skin, legs, vuvla, udder, with crusty exudate, very painful, Affected animals cannot eat, and if on udder, may abandon offspring

Ecthyma/Orf in Humans

Lesions commonly found on hands and arms, direct contact with exudates from infected sheep and or goats, chronic can last for weeks to months and may require surgical removal

Crytosporidiosis "Crypto" Etiology

protozoa Crytosporidium parvum

crytosporidosis transmission

Contact with feces

Crytosporidosis in Humans

Diarrhea and abdominal pain, flu-like symptoms for up to 6 weeks

E coli or Colibacillosis Etiology

Toxin producing bacteria Escherichia coli specific type that causes serious illness in humans = O157:H7

E. Coli in humans O157:H7 signs

watery diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic uremia syndrome (HUS)

Quercus sp.

affects cattle, sheep and horses, comes from oak, toxin = Gallotannin, leaf buds and acorns

Clinical signs of Quercus toxicity

Gallotanin = Gallic acid = Kidney toxic, 1-2 days = decreased appetite and black stool, 3-7 days =weakness organ failure, high mortality

Quercus treatment

remove rom access to oaks, activated charcoal, oil, cathartics, fluids to correct dehydration, for low-grade chronic exposure

Amaranthus retroflexus

Pigweed, Red root pigwee, unknown toxin but affects kidneys and heart, no treatment

Xanthium

Comes from Cocklebur, burs may contaminate whole cottonseed, toxin =carboxyatractyloside is hepatotoxic

Cocklebur clinical signs

increased heart and respiratory rate, vomiting, drunk walk, paralysis, hepatic, necrosis, GI irritations, Treatment = supportive care and avoid

Festuca

Tall fescue, a major forage grass, toxic principle is an endophyte, Acremonium coenophialum, is toxic not the plant itself. Acremonium produces argovaline which causes fescue toxicity

Festuca clinical signs

fescue foot, summer slump cattle on pasture, decreased intake and gain, dry gangrene of feet, tail, ear, etc. Horses can abort fetuses, retain placenta, have prolonged gestation.

Festuca treament

none