Research Paper On Zoonotic Disease

Words: 762
Pages: 4

A zoonotic disease is a disease that is spread between animals and people. Zoonotic diseases can be caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. For zoonotic diseases that are caused by parasites, the types of symptoms and signs can be different depending on the parasite and the person. Sometimes people with zoonotic infections can be very sick but some people have no symptoms and do not get sick. Other people may have symptoms such as diarrhea, muscle aches, and fever. Pets can carry and pass parasites to people. Some dog and cat parasites can infect people. Young animals, such as puppies and kittens, are more likely to be infected with roundworms and hookworms. Most zoonotic diseases pose minimal threat; however, some humans are particularly at risk. Those with immature or weakened immune systems, such as infants, the elderly, and people undergoing cancer therapy, are more susceptible to zoonotic infections than others. …show more content…
While fleas cannot thrive on humans, their bites can cause itching and inflammation. Flea-infested cats may become infected with tapeworms from flea ingestion while grooming. Some feline intestinal parasites, including roundworms and hookworms, can also cause disease in people. Ringworm is not caused by a worm at all; it is a skin infection caused by a group of fungi. In cats, ringworm appears as a dry, gray, scaly patch on the skin. In humans, ringworm often appears as a round, red, itchy lesion with a ring of scale around the edge. Ringworm is transmitted by contact with an infected animal's skin or fur, either directly or from a contaminated environment. Infected cats drop fungal spores from their skin and fur; these spores. Children are particularly at risk of infection. To reduce environmental contamination, confine infected cats to one room until they are free of infection; then thoroughly clean and disinfect the