Q: Should I be worried about bird flu or
other diseases from animals?
A: The risk from bird flu is low for most
people, because the viruses do not usually infect humans.
Animal diseases that can be transmitted to
humans are known as zoonoses. Seniors are among the most vulnerable to
zooneses. You can get one of these diseases from a household pet.
Speaking of birds, Psittacosis is a common
bird disease known as “parrot fever.” It occurs frequently in birds such as
parakeets and cockatiels. Bacteria in bird droppings and nasal discharges can
be inhaled. Psittacosis can develop into pneumonia and other health problems.
To help prevent transmission of psittacosis,
don’t let birds fly around the house. Wash your hands after contact with birds.
Wear a dust mask and gloves when cleaning a bird cage. Antibacterial drugs are
used to treat the disease in birds and people.
Cats can carry a parasite that causes the
disease toxoplasmosis. You can get it from cat feces. Wearing gloves while you
are gardening or changing a cat’s litter box is important. Washing your hands
afterward is advised.
Few people who carry the toxoplasma parasite
become ill. Those who get sick may suffer from swollen glands and muscle aches.
Antimicrobial drugs are available to treat infected people.
Worms can infect dogs, cats and humans. Worms
live in the intestines of animals and are expelled in the stool. Yards and
homes can become contaminated from worm eggs that are passed in animal feces
and hatch in the soil.
Just one roundworm larva has been known to
damage the retina of the eye and cause blindness.
Hookworm larvae can cause painful inflammation
where they crawl just below the skin’s surface. Drugs are available to destroy
worms that infect dogs, cats and people.
People usually get salmonellosis by eating
contaminated food. But it also can be transmitted to people through pets,
particularly reptiles, baby chicks and ducklings, which commonly pass the
salmonella bacterium in their feces.
People have to be especially careful around
reptiles. You should not let them roam freely through the house. Always wash
your hands with hot, soapy water after handling reptiles or anything they
contact.
Most persons infected with salmonella develop
diarrhea, fever and abdominal cramps. Most victims recover without treatment.
The elderly are more likely to have more severe symptoms.
Ringworm, a skin and scalp disease, is caused
by fungi. People get it by touching an infected animal. Ringworm can infect
cats, dogs, horses and other animals. In humans, ringworm may produce
ring-shaped, reddish, itchy rash. Topical and oral medications may be used to
treat ringworm.
Cat-Scratch Disease (CSD) may cause fever,
fatigue, headache and swollen lymph glands. Most people get better on their own
within three weeks.
Most cat scratches don’t develop into CSD. If
you are bitten or scratched, wash the area immediately with soap and water.
Rabies, a deadly viral disease, is transmitted
through the saliva of a rabid animal, usually by a bite. Domestic animals
account for less than 10 percent of the reported animal rabies cases. If you
are bitten, immediately wash the wound with soap and water, let the wound
bleed, and get medical help at once.
Mycobacterium is one of the main infectious
germ families associated with fish and aquarium water.
A common route of this infection in humans is
through cuts or scrapes on hands or feet. People should wear rubber gloves when
cleaning the fish tank and wash their hands well afterwards.
If I haven’t mentioned this before, wash your hands often when you are
around animals.