By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Birds,Other animals,Other diseasesJust when all those turkeys that managed to survive Thanksgiving weekend thought their troubles were over, there’s new issue: H1N1 influenza (formerly known as swine flu) has been found in an Ontario turkey flock. The H1N1 virus was first reported in birds in Chile in late August. This is not a reason to panic. No… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Cats,DogsAs public awareness of zoonotic diseases increases, some new marketing opportunities are created. One is offering screening of pets for "protection" of the family. One company, Healthgene, offers a Family Protection Program that involves screening pets for selected zoonotic pathogens. Unfortunately, it involves the use of non-validated PCR tests for pathogens for which screening of… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in BirdsIn the same edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases as a report on Campylobacter jejuni in macaroni penguins in Antarctica, there is a report about vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in glaucous gulls in Point Barrow, a remote area of Alaska. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci are an important problem in human medicine, mainly in hospitals where they can cause sporadic infections… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Other animals…Macaroni penguins, that is. There is a report in a recent edition of Emerging Infectious Diseases about isolation of Campylobacter jejuni from Macaroni penguins in Antarctica. Campylobacter is a bacterium that can cause diarrhea in people and animals, and which can also be found in the intestinal tracts of a wide variety of animal species, even when… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Cats,DogsRecently, I wrote a post about the need for vets and physicians to communicate more, and about concerns that zoonotic diseases get missed because vets deal with animals and physicians deal with people, but few people pay attention to the interface between them. A reader (my father, actually) wrote this comment. “…is the opposite also… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in BirdsA new trend in the back-to-nature/all-natural (or whatever the catch-word of the day is) movement is urban chickens. These chickens are raised in small numbers by city slickers (i.e. urban residents) in their yards, and are typically used as a source of fresh eggs. Not surprisingly, this concept has met with some controversy. Some people… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Cats,SalmonellaAs is common this time of year, outbreaks of Salmonella infection in wild birds have been widely reported in parts of the US. Salmonella circulates regularly at low levels in the wild bird population, and sporadic outbreaks involving large numbers of sick and dead birds are periodically encountered. These are often noticed in urban areas… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Cats,Dogs,Horses,Other diseases,ParasitesRecently, I made a few comments about climate change and the potential impact on infectious diseases in horses on our sister site, equIDblog. A recent news article in New Scientist discussed concerns about climate change and pets. The main infectious disease concern regarding climate change is changes in patterns and spread of insect-borne diseases, because different… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Cats,DogsOver 50% of households in Canada and the US have pets, and the numbers are probably similar in many other countries. Pets are often considered part of the family socially but we need to consider them part of the family biologically as well. It’s clear that diseases that be transmitted between people and pets –… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,SalmonellaAn annual "ritual" in some schools is hatching chicken eggs in the classroom. This can be a great educational experience for children as they learn about eggs and incubation, watch them hatch and see the baby chicks. It can also be a great source of infection for children if certain precautions are neglected. The picture… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Other diseasesPeople that work with animals are at increased risk for certain infectious diseases. That’s pretty clear. Pet shop employees fit into this group as well, and they may be at particular risk for specific diseases because of their close contact with young animals, birds, rodents and reptiles. A suspected case of psittacosis in a Toronto… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Other diseasesThe following is a post by guest-blogger, Dr. David Waltner-Toews. For North American veterinarians, the term “companion animals” covers a wide territory, from dogs, cats, and caged birds, to a variety of rodent and porcine escapees from barnyards and burrows. But when does a companion become something else? In my work with Veterinarians without Borders/… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,SalmonellaAs you undoubtedly know, a large Salmonella outbreak has occurred in the US, associated with contaminated peanuts. The scope of this outbreak continues to expand in unexpected areas, including pets. The latest development is a voluntary recall of bird seed. The recall affects 20-pound packages of Wild Birds Unlimited Wildlife Blend bird food (produced by… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in BirdsWild birds are the natural hosts of all influenza type A viruses, of which there are numerous subtypes distinguished by their hemagglutinin (HA – 16 types) and neuraminidase (NA – 9 types) surface proteins. Subtypes H5, H7 and H9 can infect both birds and humans, but H7 and H9 infections in humans are uncommon. Within… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,SalmonellaMy oldest daughter is in Grade 2, and last year her class hatched chicken eggs in the classroom. As a parent, I was somewhat torn about the idea. My main concern was the risk of exposure to Salmonella. A recent article in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports described outbreaks of salmonellosis associated with contact with live… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in BirdsAs an illustration of some of the points made in the recent Worms&Germs post on animal smuggling, an outbreak of psittacosis was recently reported in Russia, which has been linked to illegally imported decorative birds. Since December 30, 21 cases of psittacosis have been reported in the Petuhovsky district of the Kurgan region. The source… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Other animalsAnimal smuggling is a surprisingly big problem. A report in the Canberra Times quotes an Australian customs officer as saying animal smuggling is a $20 billion industry and the third largest criminal activity in the world (after drugs and weapons). Animal smuggling can range from someone trying to sneak an exotic pet into the country,… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Other diseasesA recent article in the journal Avian Pathology describes a case of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the cause of tuberculosis (TB), in a pet bird (African Grey parrot) and its owner. Mycobacterium tuberculosis mainly causes disease in people, but can sometimes be found in other animal species, including birds. In this case, the bird was presented to… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in BirdsIt’s amazing where infectious disease discussions can develop (at least for strange people like me). I was having a conversation with Dr. Mike Taylor (an avian and exotics specialist at the Ontario Veterinary College) after hockey the other night, and we started talking about infectious diseases. Mike has done a lot of work with proventricular… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Birds,Dogs,Horses,Other animals,Other diseases,VaccinationIt’s that time of year again – we’re coming up on flu season, and the ads on the radio and the television are out, encouraging everyone to get their "flu shot," (aka influenza vaccination). Influenza isn’t just a problem in people – it is a very versatile group of viruses that can infect many different… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in BirdsA recent report in the Medical Journal of Australia described the case of a woman who was pecked in the leg by her daughter’s pet magpie. The woman was otherwise healthy (i.e. she did not have a compromised immune system), but the wound became infected by the fungus Saksenaea vasiformis, which rarely causes disease in… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Birds,Cats,Dogs,ReptilesThere was an interesting article in USA Today about the increasing recognition of the positive role that pets can play in patients recovering from serious disease, and how contact with pets can sometimes conflict with disease transmission concerns in these same patients. The attitude towards pet ownership among physicians is highly variable – some recognize… Continue Reading
By Maureen Anderson on Posted in Birds,Other animals,Pocket pets,Reptiles,SalmonellaA report about the health risks in children associated with nontraditional pets was recently published in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The report also discusses diseases associated with animals in public settings such as petting zoos and pet stores. Although contact with pets and animals can be beneficial to growth… Continue Reading
