As 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. 
Animal smuggling – Do you know where that pet came from?
Animal 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…
Transmission of tuberculosis between a man and his parrot
A 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…
Bowls and birds: keeping both clean
It’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…
Flu problems: people vs pets
It’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…
Woman pecked by magpie loses leg
A 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 …
Pets and immunocompromised people
There 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…
Nontraditional Pets and Children: Beware
A 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…
Your mother was right! Wash your hands
You may notice a recurring theme in many of our posts and on virtually all of the information sheets on the Worms & Germs Resources page: an emphasis on handwashing. There is increasing emphasis on hand hygiene (i.e. hand washing and use of alcohol hand sanitizers) education in hospitals because the hands of healthcare…
Exposure to animal blood
Periodically, pet owners may be exposed to blood from a pet. This can range from exposure to small amounts of blood through minor injuries like cut foot pads or broken toenails, to large amounts of blood following severe trauma.
In people, there are detailed protocols for avoiding blood exposure in healthcare situations, and protocols…