Current Status and Analysis

 

The rise in the pet population and urban animals

The pet population of Europe during the course of the 20th century increased to such an extent that nearly one family in three now owns an animal.
Fish, cats and dogs are most popular with a recent upsurge in rodents. The appearance in some homes of exotic animals such as snakes and spiders has added to the variety. In certain European countries such as France and England, it is illegal to import such creatures, although only if they are wild.

Pets also have a degree of freedom, and the fashion for letting dogs roam is not always conducive to clean pavements and well kept sandpits. Hygiene and civic responsibilities vary from country to country even though animals are sometimes carriers of extremely pathogenic micro-organisms which should be prevented from developing.

 

 

Pets as germ carriers

Animals can be carriers of pathogenic agents, germs which, if transmitted to humans, can lead to varying degrees of illnesses. The presence of these micro-organisms are not always noticed as an animal may not be, or appear to be, ill. Animals can also spread germs via their excrement.
Zoonoses lare animal diseases that can be passed on to humans. They are quite common and several categories of pathogenic micro-organisms are involved, such as :

- Bacteria and Protozoans - toxoplasmosis,   from cat scratches, toxicara, found in the   excrement of dogs and cats, etc., leishmania,   from the fur of rodents, dogs, cats, etc.,   salmonella, on the skin of reptiles.

  


Microsporum canis, ringworm agent.


Leishmania amazonenzis, leishmaniasis agent.

- Fungi - ringworm, from cats
- Parasites - ticks and fleas, from dogs   and cats, echinococcus, from the   excrement of dogs, foxes or rodents,   etc.
- Viruses - rabies, from the saliva of   dogs or foxes, etc., hantavirus, from the   saliva of mice and other rodents,   psittacoses, from birds,

Allergenic agents also exist, these are molecules secreted by the animal itself or simply carried on their coat, feathers or skin and which disseminate easily.

 

Animal-to-human contamination

Humans and animals have always been close, as the affection between them shows. Contact can sometimes be more aggressive. The numerous ways in which we can be exposed to pathogenic agents shows that good hygiene around pets is all-important.

  

Male and female ticks.



** Touch : Stroking dogs, cats, rodents and even exotic animals, or burying one's head in an animal's fur is very common. Animal fur sometimes carries extremely allergenic substances, and the skin of an animal may contain parasites. Hands touch objects such as animal feeding bowls or toys and other items like sand, grass or litter trays previously in contact with animals, e.g. sand pits that can be contaminated with dog or cat mess..

** Mouth contact : A pet dog or cat licking your hand is a very common occurrence. Sometimes a pet may lick the face of a child, helping germs spread more easily. Animal saliva contains many pathogenic agents.

** Bites and scratches : These cause diseases to spread to humans due to germs passing into the blood stream, e.g. the rabies virus present in the saliva of an infected animal can be caught from receiving a bite.

** Inhalation : Less noticeable, inhaling causes the body to come into contact with pathogenic agents.

 

Diseases that pathogenic agents can cause in humans


** Some illnesses due to pathogenic agents transmitted by animals.

Although widely publicized, these diseases are rare, with a few exceptions :

Toxoplasmosis passed through the mother causes foetal abnormalities, rabies leads to death after a series of neurological reactions, echinococcus is particularly insidious as the parasites attach themselves to excrement which may be deposited in sand pits and (fortunately quite rare) result in a liver condition which could be serious or even fatal.


Bullet-shaped rabies virus (re-coloured).


Toxoplasmosis: : cyst, intracellular parasitic disease.

 

Some of the most common diseases are: salmonella poisoning leading to serious digestive disorders, septicaemia or meningitis. Lyme disease, caused by ticks, damages the nervous system. Leishmaniosis and dermatosis are caused by fungus (ringworm, etc.).


** Allergies
Allergies to animals are quite common. 50% of allergic children are sensitive to the allergens carried by cats, dogs and other pets. They cause various reactions, mild or severe, either localised or generalized: respiratory reactions such as asthma, etc., eye problems such as redness, itching, swelling, etc., skin disorders such as hives, redness, itching, etc., or oedema...


Contact with animals, or just being in a place that is frequently used by both humans and animals, may set off an allergic reaction. Respiratory problems are the most common but any allergic reaction may increase unless good hygiene is maintained in places where there are animals. If carpets are not vacuum-cleaned or rooms not aired, allergens remain continuously present. However, it is difficult to totally eliminate all allergens and the best solution for a person who is allergic to an animal, is not to have any in their home.

For allergy sufferers, as with other illnesses, the situation differs from person to person: the immune-deficient, the elderly, children and pregnant women (including the foetus) have a sensitivity to pathogenic agents, and sometimes to allergens, for their immune system may be less efficient or function differently. All of the above should be particularly careful in the company of animals.