The Rural Voice, 1993-01, Page 16by Dr. Ab Rehmtulla
Veterinary Laboratory Services
Many veterinarians and their
producer clients at some time may
have received laboratory reports
regarding their submissions with
the following alert: "The disease or
organism identified in this report
can cause a threat to human health.
In drawing this to your attention,
we suggest you advise the
owncr of potential human
health danger. Your
client, if concerned about
the human health aspect,
should consult with his or
her physician."
This is called a
zoonosis advisory. What
is zoonosis? In strict
terms, zoonoses are
infectious diseases of
vertebrate animals which are
directly communicable to human
beings. This definition has recently
been broadened to include exposure
Diagnostics
Zoonotic diseases
to such disease agents by indirect
means including via arthropod hosts
(ticks, biting flies, mosquitoes,
etc.). Hence, for practical purposes,
zoonotic diseases are all those with
a potential to affect both humans
and animals, and hence they can
present a hazard to people who
work with animals and/or their
environs. In a short article such as
this, it is not possit?le to
discuss all zoonotic
diseases at any length
except to mention some
of the important ones.
Zoonotic diseases can
be of bacterial, viral,
parasitic or fungal origin.
Bacterial zoonoses
include Salmonellosis,
Campylobacterosis,
Listeriosis, Erysipelas,
Streptococcus suis infections, Bru-
cellosis, Leptospirosis and Tubercu-
losis, in addition to Tularaemia,
Chlamydiosis, Q Fever and Lyme
Young, old,
pregnant
especially at
risk
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12 THE RURAL VOICE
Disease. Perhaps the best known
viral zoonosis is Rabies. Fungal
zoonotic agents include those
capable of causing systemic disease
(Blastomycosis, Histoplasmosis,
Coccidioidomycosis, Cryptocococ-
cosis, Aspergillosis, Sporothricosis)
as well as those causing ringworm
(Trichophyton, Microsporum).
Parasitic and protozoan zoonoses
include the beef and pork tape-
worms, Trichinosis, common
roundworms and hookworms of
dogs and cats, the dog heartworm,
the raccoon roundworm, Crypto-
sporidiosis and Toxoplasmosis.
While necessity for caution
when dealing with zoonotic infect-
ions for all individuals is funda-
mental, this becomes extremely
crucial in certain groups of people
such as the very young, the very
old, those under stress due to
pregnancy, malnutrition or chronic
debilitating disease, the immunode-
ficient and those on immunosup-
pressive drugs. In such individuals,
animal disease agents, even those
not usually considered zoonotic, if
exposed in large enough numbers,
can pose a real threat. Such indivi-
duals would be not only at risk of
becoming infected by organisms
not normally considered hazardous,
but often react more severely to
such exposures. As a general rule
of thumb, in context of normal farm
animal chores, persons in "vulner-
able" groups should exercise extra
care in not unduly exposing
themselves to potentially infective
agents of animal origin, as well as
undertaking strict sanitation — use
of protective clothing and good
hygienic practices.
Upon receiving a laboratory re-
port of a diagnosis with a zoonosis
caution, the producer should, in
consultation with his/her veterinari-
an, review the laboratory findings
and assess the results in light of the
prevailing disease situation on the
farm. They should also review par-
ticulars of special sanitary measures
that need to be implemented with
respect to farm personnel and casu-
al help relevant to this particular
operation. At any time, if the pro-