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Category: General Interest
With Man’s Best Friend, Page 1 of 2
< Previous page | Next page > /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555815950/9781555814847_Chap05-1.gif /docserver/preview/fulltext/10.1128/9781555815950/9781555814847_Chap05-2.gifAbstract:
The relationship between humans and dogs is an ancient one. The dog has been our workmate, protector, guide, and companion. Occasionally, however, pathogens may be transmitted from dogs to human beings, resulting in problems ranging from a trivial rash to life threatening bacteremia. These infections are reviewed in this chapter. Bacterial zoonoses transmissible from dogs to human beings include campylobacteriosis, salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and brucellosis. Campylobacteriosis is found throughout the world and is an important cause of human bacterial diarrhea, being as common as or more common than salmonellosis and shigellosis. The common clinical presentation of canine salmonellosis consists of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea (varying from watery to mucoid to bloody). The most severe form of leptospirosis, known as Weil's disease, is characterized by hepatic and renal dysfunction, hemorrhage, and circulatory collapse. The clinical manifestations of human toxocariasis are classified as visceral larva migrans (VLM), ocular larva migrans, and neurological toxocariasis. Children exposed to dogs treated for roundworm infection are less likely to have positive serologic tests for Toxocara canis than children exposed to untreated dogs. Other preventive measures include removing children with pica from environments thought to be contaminated, prohibiting canine access to children's game areas, and frequently turning over sand in public parks. The majority of human infections with Echinococcus granulosus are asymptomatic. The disease is indolent, as cysts enlarge slowly over many years. The growing cysts may remain unilocular or become multilocular with the formation of daughter cysts.
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Etiologies to consider in patients with canine exposure