Wild Life
Contents
Introduction
General Precautions
Wildlife Diseases of Public Health Concern
Directly Transmitted Diseases
Rabies
Hantavirus
Trichinosis
Mosquito-borne Diseases
Protozoa
Helminthiasis
Virus
Tick-borne Diseases
Colorado Tick Fever
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Tick-borne Typhus)
Lyme Disease
Tularemia
Relapsing Fever
Other Tick-borne Diseases
Flea-borne Diseases
Plague
Murine Typhus Fever
Commensal Rodent-borne Diseases
Rat-bite Fever
Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease)
Salmonellosis
Rickettsialpox
Bird-borne Diseases
Histoplasmosis
Ornithosis (Chlamydia psittaci, psittacosis)
Salmonellosis
Other Bird-borne Diseases
Table of some important wildlife diseases that affect humans
Conclusion
References
INTRODUCTION
Diseases of wildlife can cause significant illness and death to individual animals and can significantly affect wildlife populations. Wildlife species can also serve as natural hosts for certain diseases that affect humans (zoonoses). The disease agents or parasites that cause these zoonotic diseases can be contracted from wildlife directly by bites or contamination, or indirectly through the bite of arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and mites that have previously fed on an infected animal. These zoonotic diseases are primarily diseases acquired within a specific locality, and secondarily, diseases of occupation and avocation. Biologists, field assistants, hunters, and other individuals who work directly with wildlife have an increased risk of acquiring these diseases directly from animal hosts or their ectoparasites. Plague, tularemia, and leptospirosis have been acquired in the handling and skinning of rodents, rabbits, and carnivores. Humans have usually acquired diseases like Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease because they have spent time in optimal habitats of disease vectors and hosts. Therefore, some general precautions should be taken to
Introduction
General Precautions
Wildlife Diseases of Public Health Concern
Directly Transmitted Diseases
Rabies
Hantavirus
Trichinosis
Mosquito-borne Diseases
Protozoa
Helminthiasis
Virus
Tick-borne Diseases
Colorado Tick Fever
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Tick-borne Typhus)
Lyme Disease
Tularemia
Relapsing Fever
Other Tick-borne Diseases
Flea-borne Diseases
Plague
Murine Typhus Fever
Commensal Rodent-borne Diseases
Rat-bite Fever
Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease)
Salmonellosis
Rickettsialpox
Bird-borne Diseases
Histoplasmosis
Ornithosis (Chlamydia psittaci, psittacosis)
Salmonellosis
Other Bird-borne Diseases
Table of some important wildlife diseases that affect humans
Conclusion
References
INTRODUCTION
Diseases of wildlife can cause significant illness and death to individual animals and can significantly affect wildlife populations. Wildlife species can also serve as natural hosts for certain diseases that affect humans (zoonoses). The disease agents or parasites that cause these zoonotic diseases can be contracted from wildlife directly by bites or contamination, or indirectly through the bite of arthropod vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and mites that have previously fed on an infected animal. These zoonotic diseases are primarily diseases acquired within a specific locality, and secondarily, diseases of occupation and avocation. Biologists, field assistants, hunters, and other individuals who work directly with wildlife have an increased risk of acquiring these diseases directly from animal hosts or their ectoparasites. Plague, tularemia, and leptospirosis have been acquired in the handling and skinning of rodents, rabbits, and carnivores. Humans have usually acquired diseases like Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and Lyme disease because they have spent time in optimal habitats of disease vectors and hosts. Therefore, some general precautions should be taken to
References: 1. Drew WL (2004). "Chapter 41: Rabies". In Ryan KJ, Ray CG (editors). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. 597–600. ISBN 0-8385-8529-9. 2 3. Schmaljohn C, Hjelle B (1997). "Hantaviruses: a global disease problem". Emerging infectious diseases 3 (2): 95–104. PMID 9204290. 7. Susannah F Locke (1 December 2008). "Bug vs Bug: How do mosquitoes survive deadly viruses unscathed?". 8 11. The American Plague, by Molly Caldwell Crosby, p. 12, Berkley Books, New York, 2005, ISBN 0-425-21202-5 12 13. The American Plague, by Molly Caldwell Crosby, pp. 100-202, Berkley Books, New York, 2005, ISBN 0-425-21202-5 14 15. Acha, P. N., and B. Szyfres. 1987. Zoonoses and communicable diseases common to man and animals, 2d ed. Pan Am. Health Org. Washington, DC. 963 pp. 16 17. Benenson, A. S., ed. 1990. Control of communicable diseases in man, 15th ed. Am. Public Health Assoc. Washington, DC. 532 pp. 18 19. Weeks, R. J., and A. R. Stickley, Jr. 1984. Histoplasmosis and its relation to bird roosts: a review. Denver Wildl. Res. Center. Bird Damage Res. Rep. No. 330. Denver, Colorado. 23 pp.