Pet-, Animal-, and Vector-borne Infections

Introduction

Zoonoses are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. They can be acquired via insect vectors, food, and direct or indirect contact with animals. More than 250 zoonoses have been described, and they are caused by a wide variety of pathogens, including viruses, rickettsia, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Some of the diseases are rare, such as rabies and plague; others, such as cat-scratch disease, are common. The transmission of zoonotic diseases is both diverse and dynamic. Although illnesses such as salmonellosis and campylobacteriosis are by far the most common zoonotic infections in humans and are transmitted most often by food, there is a small risk of acquiring illness from pets and wildlife.

Because many pet- and wildlife-related zoonoses are acquired via fecal-oral or direct contact routes, the inquisitive nature of children puts them at a higher risk for infection than adolescents and adults. It is important for pediatricians to be aware of zoonoses, especially those related to direct pet contact, because approximately 56% of United States households contain at least one pet. Pet ownership has many psychological and social benefits and should not be discouraged, with the exception of households that contain immunocompromised individuals or children younger than age 5 years, which should not have reptiles because of the risk of salmonellosis.

This review discusses the epidemiology, animal reservoirs, transmission, clinical syndromes, laboratory features, treatment, and prevention of toxoplasmosis, rabies, cat-scratch disease, Lyme disease, and rat-bite fever. Additionally, brief overviews of animal bites and enteric infections are presented, as are tables on zoonoses related to dogs, cats, rodents, birds, and exotic pets (Table 1⇓ ); animal bite-related zoonoses (Table 2⇓ ); and vector-borne diseases (Table 3⇓ ).

Toxoplasmosis