Different Types of Zoonotic Diseases
As we all know, our dogs and cats comfort us, give us companionship, and become members of our families. With the popularity of dog and cat ownership increasing, the inherent risk of zoonotic infections affecting the health of both pets and human family members also increases.
A zoonotic infection refers to any disease that is transmittable between animals and humans. Even well-cared-for dogs and cats may harbor intestinal parasites that can be passed to people, specifically roundworms and hookworms. In fact, the incidence of human infection with these parasites is significant, estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be in excess of 10,000 cases per year in the US. Children are especially vulnerable to contracting parasitic infections. Almost 75% of pediatricians in the US have reported cases to the CDC.
| HUMAN | |||
| Disease | Route of Transmission | Incubation Period | Signs & Symptoms |
| Brucellosis | direct contact with infected animal tissue, inhalation, ingestion (unpasteurized milk) | 1-21 days | flu-like signs; cyclic fever; arthritis, orchitis; epididymitis; hepatomegaly; neurological, endocarditis |
| Campylobacteriosis | ingestion (contaminated food, fecal-oral) | 1-10 days | diarrhea with or without blood; fever; nausea; vomiting; abdominal pain; headache; muscle pain |
| Cat Scratch Disease | direct contact (scratch or bite of cat) | 3-20 days | self-limiting; mild to severe skin rash at site of inoculation; lymphadenopathy; fever; malaise; fatigue |
| Chlamydiosis | ingestion (fecal-oral); inhalation; direct contact | unknown | fever; headache; vomiting; abortion; pelvic inflammatory disease; septicemia; hepatitis; kidney dysfunction; disseminated intravascular coagulation |
| Ehrlichiosis | ticks | 7-10 days | headache; fever; chills; myalgia; vomiting; diarrhea; conjunctivitis; cough; confusion; children may develop a rash; severe symptoms in immunosuppressed patients |
| Leptospirosis | ingestion (contaminated water); inhalation; direct contact (urine) | 7-12 days | biphasic illness; fever; headache; chills; severe leg myalgia; conjunctival injection; jaundice; aseptic meningitis; cough; dsypnea; acute renal failure; abortion |
| Listeriosis | ingestion (contaminated food); direct contact | 3-70 days | in-utero death, premature births; newborns may develop meningitis, septicemia, respiratory disease; adults may develop rash, papules after handling infected newborns, placenta; fever; nausea; diarrhea |
| Lyme Disease | ticks | 7-14 days | “bulls-eye” rash with central clearing; malaise; fatigue; fever; headache; stiff neck; myalgia; arthralgia; lymphadenopathy; chronic recurring arthritis |
| Plague | direct contact; fleas; inhalation | 1-6 days | flu-like signs; enlarged tender lymph node; rapid pneumonia; respiratory failure; toxemia; shock; death |
| Q Fever | direct contact (infected body fluids); ingestion (unpasteurized milk); inhalation; ticks | 10-40 days | flu-like signs; profuse sweating; severe headache; pneumonitis but no cough or chest pain; hepatitis; osteomyelitis; arteritis; endocarditis; neurologic signs; thrombocytopenia; in-utero death; placentitis |
| Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever | ticks | 2-14 days | fever; chills; malaise; headache; myalgia; vomiting; diarrhea; edema of the face or extremities; conjunctivitis; non-pruritic macular rash, may involve palms of hands or soles of feet; coma |
| Streptocococcosis | ingestion (contaminated food); inhalation; direct contact | hours to 3 days | phryngitis; poderma; abscesses; cellulitis; endocarditis; polyarthritis; pneumonia; septicemia; streptococcal toxic shock syndrome |
| Tularemia | ticks; deer flies; mosquitoes; direct contact; inhalation; ingestion | 1-14 days | flu-like signs; exhaustion; ulcerative lesion; enlarged painful lymph nodes; painful purulent conjunctivitis; abdominal pain; diarrhea; vomiting; chest pain; respiratory distress; pneumonia; sepsis; death |
| ANIMAL | |||
| Disease | Species With Zoonotic Potential | Incubation Period | Clinical Signs |
| Brucellosis | dogs | variable | abortions; stillborn or weak newborns; retained placentas; placentitis; orchitis; epidiymitis; arthritis; lameness |
| Campylobacteriosis | dogs, cats | 3-25 days | mucoid, watery, or blood-flecked diarrhea |
| Cat Scratch Disease | cats | 2-16 days | no natural occurring disease reported |
| Chlamydiosis | cats | 3-10 days | fever; conjunctivitis; ocular discharge; corneal ulcers; rhinitis |
| Ehrlichiosis | dogs | 1-20 days | fever; lethargy; anorexia; petechiae; lameness; edema in hind legs; bleeding disorders |
| Leptospirosis | dogs | 4-12 days | hemorrhagic syndromes; kidney disease |
| Listeriosis | dogs, cats | 10 days to 3 weeks | depression; anorexia; facial paralysis with profuse salivation, torticollis; strabismus; circling; incoordination; head pressing; abortions; death |
| Lyme Disease | dogs | 2-5 months | lameness; arthritis |
| Plague | dogs, cats | 1-6 days | high fever; extremely swollen lymph nodes; severe pneumonia; septicemia |
| Q Fever | dogs, cats | 1-3 weeks | typically asymptomatic |
| Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever | dogs | 2-14 days | fever; anorexia; depression; lymphadenopathy; dyspnea; diarrhea; vomiting; joint or muscle pain; edema of the face or extremities; petechiae of oral or ocular membranes; ataxia; paraparesis; seizures; renal failure; coma |
| Streptocococcosis | dogs, cats | varies | mastitis; metritis; placentitis; abortion; septicemia; wound infection; polyarthritis; pleuritis; endocarditis; abscesses; pneumonia; meningitis; pyoderma; toxic shock; death |
| Tularemia | dogs, cats | 1-10 days | sudden high fever with lethargy and anorexia; stiffness; reduced mobility; tachycardia; tachypnea; prostration and death; miliary white necrotic foci of liver, spleen or lymph node |
| HUMAN | |||
| Disease | Route of Transmission | Incubation Period | Signs & Symptoms |
| Cryptococcosis | inhalation (infected pigeion droppings) | unknown | typically asymptomatic |
| Dermatophytosis | direct contact | 7-14 days | “ringworm” raidsed, inflamed, pruritic, circular lesion with central clearing; alopecia; thick, discolored nails; may disseminate in immunosuppressed patients |
| Sporotrichosis | direct contact; inhalation | 3-12 weeks | cutaneous form most common; nodule or pustule at site of inoculation; progresses to slow-healing ulcerations; infection follows lymphatic vessles |
| ANIMAL | |||
| Disease | Species With Zoonotic Potential | Incubation Period | Clinical Signs |
| Cryptococcosis | dogs, cats | unknown | chronic rhinitis; sinusitis; lymphadenopathy; non-pruritic nodules on face; CNS disease; ocular lesions; osteomyelitis |
| Dermatophytosis | dogs, cats | 2-4 weeks | young animals most susceptible; small circular areas of alopecia; flakey skin; most species non-pruritic |
| Sporotrichosis | dogs, cats | 1 month | cutaneous form most common; nodules develop into slow-healing ulcers; supperative lymphadenitis |
| HUMAN | |||
| Disease | Route of Transmission | Incubation Period | Signs & Symptoms |
| Acariasis (Mange) | direct contact | 1-4 days | severe pruritis on arms, chest, abdomen, thighs; macules, papules, pustules; possible severe painful dermatitis with allergic reactions and chronic lesions |
| Baylisascariasis | injestion (fecal-oral) | 7-30 days | symptoms vary with number and location of larvae; fever; nausea; lethargy; hepatomegaly; pneumonitis; neurological signs; brain damage; blindness; death |
| Cysticercosis | ingestion (fecal-oral) | 10 days to years | symptoms vary with number and location of larvae; chronic headaches, seizures most common; stroke; focal neurological signs; blurred vision; death |
| Echinococcosis | ingestion (fecal-oral) | months to years | signs associated with mass lesion; liver and lungs most common; abdominal pain; vomiting; jaundice; liver failure; cough; chest pain; blindness; seizures |
| Giardiasis | ingestion (contaminated water, fecal-oral) | 1-25 days | sudden onset of diarrhea with foul-smelling stools; abdominal cramps; bloating; flatulence; nausea; fatigue; dehydration; chronic infections may occur |
| Larva Migrans (cutaneous) (Hookworms) | direct contact | 7-14 days | pruritus; winding threadlike cutaneous lesion with erythema and swelling |
| Larva Migrans (visceral, ocular) (Roundworms) | ingestion (fecal-oral) | weeks to months | severe in young children; fever; cough; hepatomegaly; pneumonia; ocular invasion; vomiting; weakness; anorexia; arthralgia; myalgia; lymphadenopathy |
| Leishmaniasis | sand flies | 7 days to years | cutaneous: papule; ulcer; may be chronic; visceral: prolonged undulant fever; splenomegaly; hepatomegaly; fatal if untreated |
| Toxoplasmosis | ingestions (fecal-oral, undercooked meat) | 5-23 days | flu-like signs; fetal death; congenital abnormalities, hydrocephaly, microcephaly); severe in immunocompromised patients; encephalitis |
| Trichuriasis | ingestions (fecal-oral) | variable | often asymptomatic; may develop chronic diarrhea; abdominal pain; nausea; vomiting; flatulence; headache; weight loss; anemia; children may develop rectal prolapse |
ANIMAL
| Disease | Species With Zoonotic Potential | Incubation Period | Clinical Signs |
| Acariasis (Mange) | dogs, cats | 10-60 days | pruritic; secondary pyoderma; depressions; anorexia; chronic infection may lead to yperkeratotic lesions |
| Baylisascariasis | dogs | 10-20 hours | usually asymptomatic |
| Cysticercosis | dogs, cats | 10 days to 6 months | severity of clinical signs depend upon number and location of larvae; neurological signs |
| Echinococcosis | dogs, cats | unknown | asymptomatic |
| Giardiasis | dogs, cats | 5-14 days | adults may be asymptomatic; young animals: diarrhea or soft stools; poor hair coat; flatulence; weight loss or failure to gain weight |
| Larva Migrans (cutaneous) (Hookworms) | dogs, cats | 7-20 days | disease will vary with parasite burden and age of the animal; sever in puppies; diarrhea; anorexia; emaciation; weakness; poor hair coat; anemia; interdigital dermatitis; death |
| Larva Migrans (visceral, ocular) (Roundworms) | dogs, cats | 30 days | severe in puppies and kittens; lack of growth; loss of condition; “potbellied” appearance; parasites in vomit and feces; pneumonia; diarrhea |
| Leishmaniasis | dogs, cats | 3 months to years | cutaneous form; non-pruritic exfoliative dermatitis around eyes, ears; cutaneous lesions; fever; anemia; lymphadenopathy; weight loss; ocular lesions; splenomegaly |
| Toxoplasmosis | cats | unknown | usually asymptomatic; lethargy; persistent fever; anorexia; incoordination; paralysis; retinal detachment; death |
| Trichuriasis | dogs | 10-12 days | usually asymptomatic; mucoid or hemorrhagic diarrhea; weight loss; unthriftiness; anemia |
| HUMAN | |||
| Disease | Route of Transmission | Incubation Period | Signs & Symptoms |
| Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis | direct contact (abraded skin, bites); inhalation | 5-21 days | usually asymptomatic or mild self-limiting flu-like signs; aseptic meningitis; meningoencephalitis; orchtis; arthritis; ocular lesions; neurological |
| Rabies | direct contact (infective saliva into break in skin, on mucous membranes); organ transplant | 1-3 months | headache; fever; malaise; abnormal behavior; paresis or paralsis; difficulty swallowing; delirium; convulsions; death |
ANIMAL
| Disease | Species With Zoonotic Potential | Incubation Period | Clinical Signs |
| Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis | dogs | 5-6 days | usually asymptomatic, glomerulonephritis; weight loss; ruffled fur; hunched posture; ascites; blepharitis; death |
| Rabies | dogs, cats | 1- days to 6 months | restlessness; anorexia or increased appetite; vomiting; fever; ataxia; incoordination; ascending paralysis; increased aggression; death |
