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Ch 4: Zoonotic diseases in the Northeast

This list features the zoonotic diseases that are more likely to be encountered in the Northeast. The names of the more significant diseases are shown in all capitals and boldface type.

Sample listing

Disease name

Agent (what causes disease)
Vectors (animal carriers in the Northeast)
Route (how people catch the disease)
Symptoms in people

Ancylostomiasis, Cutaneous larval migrans, Creeping eruptions

Agent: Parasite (hookworm)
Vectors: People, dogs, cats
Route: Worm burrows into skin; ingestion
Symptoms: Meandering, itchy red lines on skin

Anthrax

Agent: Bacteria (spores)
Vectors: Most mammals, mostly food animals, rabbits, mice
Route: Inhalation; ingestion; wound/eye/nose/mouth via contact with infected carcass
Symptoms: (Two forms) Flu-like. Pustules on skin. Cough, respiratory failure. Vomiting, diarrhea. Can be fatal.

Aspergillosis

Agent: Fungal spores
Vectors: None, but grows in soil enriched by bird and bat droppings (esp. pigeons, poultry)
Route: Inhalation
Symptoms: Mild, flu-like, pneumonia

Babesiosis

Agent: Parasite (protozoa)
Vectors: Wild and domestic animals, white-footed mouse, meadow vole, and white-tailed deer (via tick)
Route: Tick bite
Symptoms: Irregular fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, fatigue

Botulism (food poisoning)

Agent: Bacterial toxin
Vectors: Birds, mammals
Route: Ingestion
Symptoms: Nausea, vomiting, disturbed vision, weakness.

Brucellosis

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Hoofed animals
Route: Ingestion (milk); fecal-oral; wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Intermittent fever, chills, headache, body aches, weakness, weight loss

Campylobacteriosis

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Hoofed animals, feral cats and dogs, birds, young animals
Route: Fecal-oral Symptoms: Sudden gastrointestinal disease, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever. Pseudoappendicitis.

Cat scratch disease

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Feral cats, dogs, squirrels
Route: Cat bites, scratches, or licks person
Symptoms: Fever, malaise, swollen lymph nodes

Cryptococcosis

Agent: Fungal spores
Vectors: Pigeons, starlings
Route: Inhalation; ingestion
Symptoms: Meningitis. Can be fatal.

Cryptosporidiosis

Agent: Parasite (protozoa)
Vectors: Rodents, birds (poultry), ruminants, fish, reptiles, domestic animals
Route: Fecal-oral; waterborne; wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Enteritis, diarrhea, low fever, malaise, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps

Dermatomycosis

Agent: Fungus (ringworm)
Vectors: Dog, cat, cattle, horses, coyote, fox, other mammals, birds
Route: Wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Ring-like lesion, scaling, redness

ENCEPHALITIS (several related diseases, including West Nile, Eastern, Western, and St. Louis encephalitis)

Agent: Viruses
Vectors: Birds, bats, some rodents, jackrabbits (via mosquitoes)
Route: Mosquito bites
Symptoms: Mild flu-like to severe. Can be fatal. (There's a high fatality rate in horses afflicted with Eastern equine encephalitis.)

Ehrlichiosis (two forms)

Agent: Bacteria (rickettsia)
Vectors: Dog, cattle, other mammals (probably via tick)
Route: Tick bite?
Symptoms: Flu-like, sometimes a rash appears.

Giardiasis

Agent: Parasite (protozoa)
Vectors: People, dogs, beaver
Route: Fecal-oral; ingestion; environmental contamination (water)
Symptoms: Diarrhea, greasy, frothy, smelly feces, cramps, flatulence.

HANTAVIRUS PULMONARY SYNDROME

Agent: Virus
Vectors: Deer mice, white-footed mice
Route: Inhalation, rodent bite
Symptoms: Flu-like. Can be fatal.

HISTOPLASMOSIS

Agent: Fungal spores
Vectors: None, but grows in soil enriched by bird and bat droppings (especially pigeons)
Route: Inhalation
Symptoms: Mild, flu-like, pneumonia. Can be fatal.

Leptospirosis (Weil's disease)

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Rodents, rabbits, fox, skunk, raccoon, opposum, deer
Route: Fecal-oral; ingestion; wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Fever, jaundice, pain in stomach, joints, or muscles, nausea. Can be fatal.

LYME DISEASE

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Wild rodents (some mice, chipmunks), raccoon, deer, rabbits, birds (via deer/black-legged tick)
Route: Tick bite
Symptoms: Flu-like, rash, arthritis

Lymphocytic-choriomeningitis

Agent: Virus
Vectors: House mouse and rats
Route: Inhalation; fecal-oral; rodent bites
Symptoms: Flu-like. Inflammation of testes, joint pain, paralysis, coma.

Mange

Agent: Parasites (mites)
Vectors: Dog, cat, fox, coyote,rodents, other mammals
Route: Mite bites; wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Crusty, red rash between fingers, on back of hands and arms.

Psittacosis

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Birds (especially pigeons), parakeets, poultry, waterfowl
Route: Inhalation, especially from dry feces
Symptoms: Flu-like, anorexia, pneumonia. Can be fatal.

Q (query) fever

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Mammals (especially sheep, goats), birds
Route: Wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Flu-like, high fevers. Pneumonia. Hepatitis. Can be fatal (rarely).

RABIES

Agent: Virus
Vectors: Mammals, especially raccoon, striped skunk, foxes, bats
Route: Animal bite or scratch; wound/eye/nose/mouth; rarely, inhalation
Symptoms: Paralysis, convulsions, coma. Nearly always fatal.

RACCOON ROUNDWORM

Agent: Parasite (roundworm)
Vectors: Raccoons
Route: Fecal-oral
Symptoms: Nausea, tiredness, enlarged liver, loss of coordination, coma. Can be fatal.

Rickettsial pox

Agent: Bacteria (rickettsia)
Vector: House mice
Route: Mite bite
Symptoms: resemble chicken pox.

Rocky mountain spotted fever

Agent: Bacteria (rickettsia)
Vectors: Wild rodents, rabbits, hares, carnivores, birds (via tick)
Route:Tick bite
Symptoms: Rapid onset fever, headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, rash, loss of muscle control. Can be fatal.

Salmonellosis (food poisoning)

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Rodents, swine, cattle, wild birds, poultry, pet reptiles (turtles, iguanas, etc.)
Route: Ingestion; wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Sudden headache, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting

Schistosomiasis (Swimmer's itch)

Agent: Parasite
Vectors: Rodents, waterfowl
Route: Waterborne (can penetrate intact skin)
Symptoms: Rash

Sporothrichosis

Agent: Fungal spores
Vectors: Cats, dogs, horses, soil, plants
Route: wound/eye/nose/mouth via soil or plants
Symptoms: Skin lesions, spreads along lymph nodes.

Toxocariasis, Visceral larval migrans

Agent: Parasite (roundworm)
Vectors: Dog, cat, raccoon, other mammals
Route: Ingestion of eggs (soil, contam. Items)
Symptoms: Fever, cough, wheezing. Eye problems, brain damage.

TOXOPLASMOSIS

Agent: Parasite (protozoa)
Vectors: Cats
Route: Fecal-oral; ingestion (of contaminated eggs in meat)
Symptoms: Fever, malaise, muscle pain, headache. Can be fatal.

Tularemia

Agent: Bacteria
Vectors: Wild rodents, rabbits, hares, muskrats, carnivores, birds, hoofed animals (deer), bull snakes
Route: Bites from ticks or biting insects; Inhalation; Ingestion. Can penetrate intact skin.
Symptoms: Mild to severe. Pneumonia, ulcer at bite site, swollen lymph nodes, death.

Typhus

Agent: Bacteria (rickettsia)
Vector: Rodents (inc. rats, mice, squirrels), opossum (via rat flea or body louse)
Route: Flea or lice bites; inhalation; wound/eye/nose/mouth
Symptoms: Fever, severe headache, chills, general pains, possible rash.

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