By Scott Weese on Posted in BirdsFollowing up on yesterday’s post about a bird-and-fish-associated infection, this next story also involves a pet bird, but with a much worse outcome. It involves a young woman who developed a very serious case of psittacosis linked to her job in a pet store. Psittacosis is a bacterial disease caused by Chlamydophila psittaci, a bacterium… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Pocket petsAs reported on WKTR NewsChannel 3 in Virginia: “An employee at PetSmart [in Williamburg, Virginia] says she was bitten by a rat on display and is now worried she has rabies. She feels the store isn’t doing enough to help her find out if she has it. Victoria Verbeeck says she was working at the… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Pocket petsA Colorado family is suing PetsMart and a rat supplier after their son developed rat bite fever (RBF), following a bite from a newly acquired rat. Lawsuits seem to be increasingly common after zoonotic infections, which is probably more of a reflection of an increasing tendency for people to sue, not an increasing occurrence of… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in DogsAn abstract for the upcoming CSTE (Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists) conference in California describes a rare but concerning case of Brucella canis infection in a child. All I have to go by is the abstract (since the meeting hasn’t happened yet and I won’t be there anyway), but it provides an interesting outline.… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in DogsMy youngest daughter Erin is in every-other-day kindergarten and goes to a child care centre on her non-school days. Overall, it’s a great place – excellent people, great learning environment and she enjoys herself. During the initial interview at the centre, what I do for a living came up and we got into a discussion about… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in ReptilesThe Texas Department of State Health Services has proposed a series of changes to warnings that are already required of retailers that sell reptiles. The warnings are focused on prevention of salmonellosis, and retailers must post signs and provide written warnings to anyone buying a reptile about the risk of salmonellosis from reptiles. Signs must… Continue Reading
By Scott Weese on Posted in Pocket petsA Phoenix, Arizona man is suing a pet store after he contracted rat bite fever from a rat he had purchased. It’s not surprising to see a lawsuit following a serious illness, considering people in the US often try to sue for just about anything, but I’m not sure it won’t get very far. I don’t… 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 Cats,DogsIt should come as no surprise that puppies (and kittens, and pretty much any type of animal) from pet stores can carry infectious diseases. The same can be said about puppies (and kittens, and pretty much any type of animal) from other sources. It’s really a question of the relative degree of risk. Particularly when… Continue Reading
