ZOONOSES

(Block I posting Medical & Dental Students )

Definition:
Zoonoses are diseases mainly of vertebrate
animals that can also be transmitted to man.
The animal may either be asymptomatic or
symptomatic.

Mode of Transmission:
The knowledge of the mode of transmission is a
prerequisite for effecting prevention and control
of disease.

Direct contact: The occupation of an individual

may enhance direct contact with animals and their
products eg. Farming, animal husbandry, etc.
Diseases such as brucellosis, anthrax, Q fever,
toxoplasmisis, erysipeloid
may be contacted.
Inhalation: of aerosols of infected animal excreta,
secretions or other products
eg. Q fever, brucellosis, pulmonary anthrax.

Mode of Transmission-2:

Ingestion of infected food and milk

product eg. Meat, fish, eggs, milk and
dairy products, eg. Unpasteurized milk
as a sources of zoones

Unpasteurized milk as a sources of zoones

DISEASES

ORGANISMS

Tuberculosis (bovine)

Mycobacterium tuberculosis, bovis.

Brucellosis

Brucella abortus (cattle)

Brucella melitensis (sheep & goat)

Salmonellosis

Salmonella typhimurium
Salmonella dublin
Other salmonella species

Q fever

Coxiella Burnetti

Listerosis

Listeria monocytogenes

Campylobacter Infection

Campylobacter jejuni

Mode of Transmission-3:

Saliva - as a result of bites or licks from

infected animals eg. Rabies, rat-bite
fever.
Feaces:- contaminating foods, soils or
surfaces.
inhaled as droplets, eg. Salmonellosis,
hydatid, toxocaria or ornithocosis.
Urine: Leptospirosis - direct infection
- indirectly while swimming

Mode of Transmission-4:

Blood and tissues

lab workers, Zoo workers etc.

Arthropod vectors.

Bacterial Zoonoses

Tuberculosis
Organisms may be present in milk. Human
acquire the infection by drinking the infected
unpasteurized milk, resulting in infection of the
cervical glands and abdomen (TB. Abdomen).
Salmonellosis
Sources - poultry, cattle, pigs, rodents,
chickens and turkeys are good reservoirs of
infection.

Bacterial Zoonoses-2
Brucelosis
Causative organisms:

Brucella abortus from cattle

Brucella melitensis from goats and

sheeps

Brucella suis from pigs.

Brucella abortus
predilection for erythritol in bovine (but not in
human) placenta
localized in mammary glands of cattle - a
source of infection to man.
Farmers, vets - acquire infection by direct
contact with product of conception of cattles.
drinking unpasteurized milk from infected cows.
Laboratory accidents
Abraded skin, conjunctiva or alimentary tract
are other portals of entry.

Brucella melitensis
Causes Mediteranean or Malta fever:
Frequently present in unpasteurized milk
or cheeze products from goat and sheep
in Mediteranean and Middle East
countries.

Brucelosis: Pathogenesis
Organisms are intracellular parasites of
RES in bone marrow, liver, spleen
lymphnodes.
From these sites the bacteria pass into the
blood.
No person to person spread.

Brucelosis: Presentation
Acute Brucellosis
Incubation period : 2 - 3/52 due to Br. melitensis but mainly Br.
abortus.
high fever, headache, sweating, fatigue, join pains, splenomegaly
Subacute brucellosis
due to persistence of infection with Br. abortus for more than
1/52
recurrent attacks, lassitude in apparently well-looking patient.
Chronic brucellosis
last for many months or years
recurrent episodes of headache, flu-like illness, lassitude,
anxiety and depression
Subclinical brucellosis also occurs where there is no active
infection but patient has raised antibody titres. This is common in
Vets and farmers.

Brucelosis: Complication

Death by suicide
Endocarditis
Thrombophlebitis
Meningoencephilitis
Chronic arthritis
Granulomata in liver, bone marrow &
spleen

DD at this stage is Sarcoidosis.

Brucelosis: Laboratory Diagnosis

Low Blood Counts - with characteristic neutropenia
and a lymphocytosis.
Blood culture - positive in 20% of cases, Br.
metilensis is easier to cultivate than Br.
abortus which requires increase CO2 in atmosphere.
The Organism are Small GN non-capsulated,
coccobacilli or short rods.
Liver biopsy for isolation and histology in Blood
culture negative cases.

Brucelosis: Laboratory Diagnosis-2

Serology: Standard agglutination test

Paired sera to demonstrate a rising titre (> 4 fold)

of brucella agglitinins, in standard phenol - saline
agglutimin tests.
Actute - High titres in 2nd - 3rd wk. (> 1/80).
Subacute and chronic

difficult interpretation

other test:
1. 2-mercapto ethanol test
2. Brucella complement fixation test (CFT)
3. Anti - human globulin test (AHG or Coombs test)

Brucelosis: Rx:
1.

Tetracycline + Streptomycin x 1/12,

Thereafter tetracycline x 1/12

2.

Cotrimoxazole x 2 -3/12

Brucelosis: Prevention
Pasteurization of milk
Vaccination of female calves
Monitoring of cattle for infection (milk-ring
test with a acethylene blue
Stained antigen to detect antibody in milk).
Eradication of brucella-infected cattle.
Protective clothes, goggles for vets.

Leptospirosis
Animal reservoir of leptospira
Small wild animals such as rodents, volves
Larger farm on domestic animals such as
pigs, cattle and puppies.
Habitat: Stagnant water and wet soil especially
when pH is alkaline contamination by
infected animal urine.

Classification:
Order Spirochaetales.
Family Leptospiraceae.
3 genera
Leptospira (the only pathogenic to animal
and man).
Leptonema.
Turneria.

Leptospira: two species

Leptospira interrogans comprises the
parasitic and pathogenic leptospires. It
has 23 serogroups, eg Leptospira
icterohaemorrhagiae; Leptospira hardjo.
Leptospira biflexia contains all strains
found in the environment but cause no
disease.

Leptospires

6 - 20m long, 0.1m diameter

Passes through filters.
Gram-negative, stains poorly.
Visualised by Giemsa or silver
impregnation.
Best vied by dark-ground or electron
microscopy.

Cycle of Infection: may involve

more than one animal species

Leptospira spirochactes in wet source

penetrate abraded or intact skin or
conjunctiva, Mucous membrane of new
animal host or man.
Invasion of blood and localize in sites eg.
Kidneys, resulting in Leptospiruria which
maintains the cycle.
Human to human spread rare.
A vasculitis resulting in damage to
endothelial cells of small blood vessels.

Leptospirosis
majority asymptomatic
People at risk of infection
wet occupation eg. Rice farmers, miners
Leisure seekers - swimming in
contaminated water, playing with infected
Pet dog.
Incubation period : 7 - 12 days

Clinical features
Influenza-like illness characterised by
sudden onset of
Headache.
Muscle pain (lower back & calf)
Fever, occasional rigor.
Conjunctival suffusion.
Skin rash.

Clinical features
Severe cases may follow a biphasic
course:
=>Bacteraemic followed by
=> immune phase:- return of severe
headache, rigor & meningism. Bleeding;
jaundice & renal impairment.
Typically, bilirubin concentration is markedly
raised.Other LFTs also raised.
Prognosis good with adequate prompt Rx.

3 main serogroups of leptospira

Leptospira canicola serogroup (canicola fever
infection in children playing with puppies, pigs).
Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae sero
group/reservoir - rats.
Weil's disease
Classical characteristics - fever, jaundice
subconjunctival
Haemorrhages and proteinuria
severe heptonenal failure
death
Leptospira lebdomadis serogroup - cattle, field
mice volves.

Lab. Diagnosis
Dark-ground microscopy
Blood
Urine
Blood culture - positive during first weeks of
illness.
=>Special culture media such as Fletcher's or
Korthoff's media
=>Guinea-pig inoculation.
Urine culture - positive result during 2nd
week.
Serology - CFT and Micro-agglutinins

Rx: - Benzyl penicillin

Tetracycline/erythromycin in penicillinallergic patients (within 4/7 disease).
Prevention: Protective clothing for those at occupational risk
Rodent control
Disinfection of infected premises
Prophylatic Benzylpenicilline for those with cuts,
abrasions.

Anthrax
Bacillus anthracis - aerobic Gram - positive
spore-forming bacillus.
Anthrax is a disease primarily of sheep and
cattle.
Spores - survive for many years in contaminated
soil infection
mainly an occupational hazard in handless of
contaminated hides, hair and
products of cattle, the wool of sheep and bone
real

Anthrax : Presentation
A) Cutaneous anthrax characterized by
"Malignant pustule'
Coagulation necrosis of the centre of the pustule
result in the formation of
a dark eschar, which is later surrounded by
a ring of vesicles containing serous fluid and
an area of oedema and induration.

Anthrax : Presentation
B) Pulmonary anthrax ("woolsorter's diseases)
high mortality due to:=> intense inflammation.
=>

haemrrhage.

=> septicaemia.

Anthrax :
Diagnosis
Swab on BA
Rx: Penicillin
Prevention
vaccination
Burrying infected animal in quick hire.

Listeriosis
Listeria monocytogenes
GPB sometimes confused with streptococci or
diphtheroids.
Causes infection in different animal species - cattle,
pigs, rodents, birds fish and
Occasionally man is infected.
Habitat - faeces of animals, soil.
Infection
=> by direct contact
=> eating soft cheeses
=> sexually.

Listeriosis : Clinical syndromes

1. Perinatal listeriosis
Influenza like illnes
Acquired during pregnancy rarely cause stillbirth
Prematurity with granulomatous pneumoniae
Respiratory distress and septicaemia
Neonatal meningitis after 5/7 of birth.
2. Febrile illness in vets, abattoir workers, butchers, poultry
workers
Or other farm workers DD. Influenza.
3. PUO, pneumonia or meningo-encephalits in
immunocompromise adults.
Splenectomized patients
Lymphoma

Listeriosis :
Lab. Diagnosis
Blood culture
CSF culture
Skin lesion -> culture
HVS in mothers with Neonated meningitis
Using BA.
Rx:
Ampicillin
Ampicillin and Genticin for mothers

Plaque
Yersinia pestis (plague bacillus)
- a short GNB, non-sporing, non-motile
- Occurs singly, in pairs or, when in liguid culture,
in chains.
- Pleomorphic.
- Grows aerobically & anaerobically at 0-37oC

Reservoir - Rodents esp. rats

Rattus rattus ( black rats)
Spread - Rat to rat
- Rat to human
Vector
- Rat flea Xenopsylla cheopsis.

Plaque
Incubation period
2 - 6 days
Bubonic Plaque: tender lymphadenopathy esp.
the inguinial
Febrile
Spread - blood

Haemorrhage

Death - the Black Death.

Pneumonic plaque
Spread - from person to person in epidemic
plaque by respiratory droplets

Plaque
Lab. Diagnosis
Sputum
Lymph node aspirate M/C/S
Characteristic GN bipolar staining coccobacilli
BA prolong culture
Rx: 1) Streptomycin
2) Chloramphenicol
3) Tetracycline
Prevention
Quarantine measure
Rodent control

Viral Zoonoses

Rabies
Lassa fever
Marburg virus disease
Yellow fever
Newcastle disease

Rabies
a lethal form of encephalitis.
Due to rabies virus which affects a wide
range of animal species.
Transmitted via the bite of an infected animal
but not always a dog.
Clinical features
Incubation period: long usually from 4 to 12
weeks , may even be longer. The nearer the
wound is to the head, the shorter the IC.
Spread : wound to CNS via nerves.

Symptoms: excitement, tremor, convulsions,

spasm of muscles of swallowing
(hydrophobia).
Prognosis: fatal, death following a
convulsion.
Pathology: main changes are the typical
intracytoplasmic inclusion within neurones
known as Negri bodies.
In West Indies and Central and South
America, anther type occurs as ascending
myelitis with paralysis and lesions are found
in the ganglion cells of the spinal cord. It is
spread by the bite of infected vampire bats.

Rabies
Epidemiology
Rabies is a natural infection of dogs, cats,
bats and carnivorous wild animals such as
foxes, wolves, it sometimes affect cattle.
Vehicle of transmission: saliva of infected
animals.
Incidence: few.

Rabies -Virology:
Rhabdovirus; one serotype
RNA virus
Bullet shape; enveloped , helical-coiled nucloprotein.
Haemaglutinates goose erythrocytes.
Grow in hamster kidney and chick embryo cell
tissue cultures with eosinophilic cytoplasmic
inclusions but usually without CPE.
Pathogenic for mice and other laoratory
animals.

Rabies:
Diagnosis
Vaccination
Vaccine fisrt developed by Pasteur in 1885
Post-exposure- wound care; combined
passive and active immunisation.
Semple vaccine

Protozoal Zoonoses
Toxoplasmosis
Babesiosis
Leishmaniasis
Trypasmosomiasis

Thank you