Skip to content

Menu

HomeResources – PetsResources – HorsesContact

Worms & Germs Blog

Promoting Safe Pet Ownership

Worms & Germs Blog logo

babies

Subscribe to babies via RSS

Rat bite fever death

By Scott Weese on March 23, 2015
Posted in Reptiles

A recent rat bite fever death in a six-month-old Pennsylvania baby raises several issues that parents need to consider.

The child died of meningitis and myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) caused by the bacterium Streptobacillus moniliformis. This bacterium is present in the mouths of virtually all rats, and is the cause of rat bite…

Salmonella in baby from pet reptile

By Scott Weese on April 3, 2012
Posted in Reptiles

.A five-month-old Britich baby was hospitalized with salmonellosis that was presumably acquired from a family pet. The baby developed severe diarrhea and was rushed to hospital. Fortunately, the child has recovered, something that’s far from assured in such cases, since salmonellosis can be life-threatening in infants.

As expected, an investigation followed the diagnosis of…

Botulism from a pet reptile

By Scott Weese on February 28, 2011
Posted in Reptiles

I’ve been slow getting around to this topic, which has been covered elsewhere (on Barfblog), but it’s an interesting report and one that’s still worth discussing. The report from Ireland involves diagnosis of botulism in a baby that was associated with a pet turtle and/or the turtle’s feed.

Botulism is a very serious…

Meningitis in a baby linked to pet cat

By Scott Weese on June 17, 2009
Posted in Cats, Other diseases

A paper in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology back in 2000 described a case of Pasteurella multocida meningitis in a one-month-old baby that was linked to a pet cat. Pasteurella multocida is a bacterium that can be commonly found in the mouth of healthy dogs and cats – 90% or more of healthy cats may have…

Topic Archive

Tag Archive

Date Archive

Stay Connected

Subscribe via RSS W&G Blog Facebook Page

Recent Posts

  • Ultrasonic Tick Repellants: Drug-Free Protection Or Opportunistic Profiteering?
  • My “Dear Veterinarian” Letter: Nitrofurantoin
  • Using Half-Doses of Vaccines in Dogs and Cats
  • Capnocytophaga canimorsus Infection From a Cat
  • Rabies in a Dog in Winnipeg, ex-Nunavut 

Links & Blogs

  • Bella Moss Foundation: MRSA information
  • Center for Food Security and Public Health
  • Barfblog (2021)
  • University of Guelph Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses
  • W&G Blog Facebook Page
  • WormsAndGermsPod
  • Disease Prevention at Canine Group Settings
  • W&GB COVID-19 Resources

About This Blog

Worms & Germs Blog is an educational website coordinated by Drs. Scott Weese and Maureen Anderson of the Ontario Veterinary College’s Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses. The site was initially set up with the help of funding from City…

Read More
Published by University of Guelph Centre for Public Health & Zoonoses
Ontario Veterinary College
Guelph, Ontario N1G2W1
Canada
Subscribe via RSS W&G Blog Facebook Page
Privacy PolicyDisclaimer

About

The Centre for Public Health and Zoonoses offers information relating to zoonotic diseases (diseases transmitted from animals to people), including aspects of human and pet health, infection prevention and control, and vaccination. It is located at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada.

Read More

Copyright © 2025, University of Guelph. All Rights Reserved.
Law blog design & platform by LexBlog LexBlog Logo