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Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018
| Contributor Information
MEDSCAPE EDITORIAL COLLABORATIONS
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Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018 | Contributor Information
Image from iStock
Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018 | Contributor Information
We Love Our Animals and Pets, But…
Many people interact with animals in their daily lives, both at home and away from home. An estimated 6 out of every 10 infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals—these are known as "zoonotic diseases" or "zoonoses."[1] In this slideshow, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reviews outbreaks of enteric diseases linked to contact with animals. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria caused infections in humans and animals that were associated with several outbreaks, which is a serious concern.
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Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018 | Contributor Information
Multidrug-Resistant Campylobacter jejuni and Pet Store Puppies
Campylobacter bacteria cultured from specimens collected from ill people and dogs were resistant to most commonly recommended, first-line antibiotics.[2] Most ill people in this outbreak had purchased puppies from a major pet store chain, and some were employees at this chain. A total of 113 people with laboratory-confirmed infections or symptoms consistent with Campylobacter infection were reported from 17 states.[2]
Clinicians should advise patients who own dogs to wash their hands after handling pets or cleaning up dog feces. Patients with suspected or confirmed Campylobacter infections in this outbreak should also be encouraged to take their pets to their veterinarians for an examination and mention the outbreak.[2]
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Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018 | Contributor Information
Salmonella Agbeni and Pet Turtles
Reporting showed that 66 people from 18 states became infected in 2017 with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Agbeni following contact with pet turtles.[3] Children aged 5 years or younger are more likely to get sick from Salmonella and to have a more severe illness.[3] Turtles can carry Salmonella even when they appear healthy and clean. Interviews revealed that many people who became sick had contact with turtles or their habitats, including their tank water. Reptiles and amphibians are not recommended as pets in households with children younger than 5 years.[3]
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Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018 | Contributor Information
Salmonella and Live Poultry in Backyard Flocks
In 2017, CDC recorded the largest number of human Salmonella infections ever from contact with backyard poultry flocks.[4] The outbreaks affected 1120 people from 48 states, resulting in 249 hospitalizations and one death. Backyard flocks are currently very popular across the United States. Pediatricians and clinicians should ask families about backyard flock ownership if a patient presents with a gastrointestinal illness, such as vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. If families maintain a flock, they should make sure to practice regular handwashing; not allow children younger than 5 years to touch live poultry, their eggs, or be around their coops without close adult supervision; and keep poultry outside of the home.[4]
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Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018 | Contributor Information
Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Heidelberg and Dairy Calves
Clinicians, especially those practicing in rural areas, should be aware of transmission of Salmonella from cattle, especially calves.
From 2015 through 2017, an outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg infections in 15 states sickened 54 people who sell, transport, or care for dairy calves. Bacteria from ill people and calves were resistant to most commonly recommended, first-line antibiotics. These multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections were associated with an increased proportion of hospitalizations. Clinicians should consider multidrug-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg infection in the differential diagnosis of patients with exposure to cattle, farms, or farm workers and symptoms compatible with salmonellosis (eg, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps).[5]
Image courtesy of CDC.Gov
Illnesses Linked to Contact With Pets and Farm Animals
Kate Cloonan; Laura Whitlock, MPH | March 12, 2018 | Contributor Information
One Health: Connecting Human, Animal, and Environmental Health
A "One Health approach" encourages collaboration between experts working across human, animal, and environmental health, with the goal of improving the health of all people and animals.[6] Recognizing that the health of people is connected to the health of animals and the environment, CDC uses a One Health approach by working with physicians, veterinarians, ecologists, and many others to monitor and control public health threats and to learn about how diseases spread among people, animals, and the environment.[7]
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Contributor Information
Kate Cloonan
Health Communication Student
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health
Atlanta, Georgia
Disclosure: Kate Cloonan has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
Laura Whitlock, MPH
Health Communication Specialist
Outbreak Response and Prevention Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Atlanta, Georgia
Disclosure: Laura Whitlock, MPH, has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One Health. January 17, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/ Accessed January 24, 2018.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Campylobacter. Multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Campylobacter infections linked to contact with pet store puppies. January 31, 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/campylobacter/outbreaks/puppies-9-17/index.html Accessed February 5, 2018.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multistate outbreak of Salmonella Agbeni infections linked to pet turtles, 2017. November 16, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/agbeni-08-17/index.html Accessed January 24, 2018.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multistate outbreaks of human Salmonella infections linked to live poultry in backyard flocks, 2017 (final update). October 19, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/live-poultry-06-17/index.html Accessed January 24, 2018.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Multistate outbreak of multidrug-resistant Salmonella Heidelberg infections linked to contact with dairy calves. November 22, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/heidelberg-11-16/index.html Accessed January 24, 2018.
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