Question

Case in Point: A 16-year-old female resident of western Colorado experienced pain in the left axilla and arm with numbness in the arm. One or 2 days later, she developed chills and fever, and she had multiple episodes of vomiting. She went to the emergency department of a local hospital. An examination there found she had a normal temperature, elevated pulse (100 beats per minute), normal blood pressure, and a normal chest radiograph. She reported falling from a trampoline 4 days earlier and was diagnosed as having a possible brachial plexus injury related to this incident. She was treated with analgesics and given an appointment with a neurologist.

Two days after she was seen in the emergency department, she was found semiconscious at home. She was taken to the hospital. Upon examination, she had a temperature of 32.9 °C (102.5 °F), a pulse of 170 beats per minute, blood pressure of 130/70 mm/Hg, and mental status of confusion, along with pain in the neck and generalized soreness. Less than 1 hour after her arrival at the hospital, she experienced respiratory arrest and was intubated. Numerous Gram-positive diplococci were found in a blood smear, and a chest radiograph showed bilateral pulmonary edema. She was treated with 2 g ceftriaxone intravenously and transferred to a referral hospital. There she was diagnosed with septicemia, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and possible meningitis. Sputum, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were taken for microbiologic studies. A Gram stain of CSF showed white blood cells (WBCs) but no bacteria. She was treated for Gram-positive sepsis. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, and she died later that day. Additional cultures of spinal fluid grew unidentified Gram-negative rods and Streptococcus pneumoniae. In addition, cultures of blood and respiratory aspirates produced Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, identified by a rapid microidentification method. The blood culture isolate was identified as Yersinia pestis by the reference state laboratory. It was later revealed that adjacent to the patient's residence, an extensive prairie dog die-off had recently occurred. Four of five family dogs and one of three family cats had high titers to Y. pestis F1 antigen. Investigators concluded that the patient had been infected by direct contact with abscess material from the pet cat while providing the cat's care.

Consider these issues.

1. Zoonotic infections are common; as many as 61% of organisms pathogenic to humans are zoonotic in origin
2. A key point of information in a patient examination is exposure to animals.
3. Although some zoonoses are asymptomatic or are characterized by mild symptoms, others are associated with high mortality.
4. A surge in atypical infections could reflect a larger change that has occurred in local animal populations.
5. Detection of certain infections in humans, such as West Nile, anthrax, monkeypox, and avian influenza might indicate an emerging public health threat

Answer 1

Zoonotic infections are those infections that are spread by direct or indirect contact with the animals through their direct bites, contact with body fluids or by air. These organisms can be bacteria, virus or fungi in nature.Indirect contact can be through the contaminated food or water by them or during their care.

In the above case scenario, the main source of transmission is indirect that got transmitted while caring for pet cat. The sign and symptoms of the disease varies from person to person ranging from mild to life threathening events. Some of the common symptoms are fever, diahorrea, dry cough and may also lead to severe conditions like pneumonia which may require treatment through hospitalization. These infections can become epidemic or endemic which may require active measures of prevention and treatment on mass scale. Some of the examples of these infections are rabies, anthrax, avian influenza, Ebola and west nile virus, Zika fever, Bovine tuberculosis and many more.

Some of the preventive measures that the people should be made aware about are keeping hands clean, chosing pet wisely, preventing bites from mosquitoes, ticks and flies, handling food safely, research about diseases before traveling to foreign countries. In the areas of epidemic, the group of animals thought to be the cause of spreading that particular disease causing agent should be screened properly. Adequate vaccination of the pets is also important. Not only animals but the human should also be screened for any out surge of the signs and symptoms common among zoonotic diseases. This will help to reduce and prevent the widespread transmission of infection and tends to help to save innocent lives.