突发重大人畜共患病的处置

人畜共患病是由同一种病原体引起,流行病学上相互关联,在动物与人之间自然传播的疫病.近50年来,人类新发现和引起社会恐慌性的所有传染病,都是由动物传染给人的.     

Legal responsibilities of veterinarians in the control of zoonotic diseases

This discussion of legal issues that may arise from the existence of zoonotic diseases is not meant to cause alarm; rather, it is meant to alert members of the profession to possibilities, not probabilities. The very nature of any discussion of legal issues, especially a discussion of case law in which someone is always suing somebody else, exaggerates the true-life situation. Although it is everyone's hope that they will not be involved in litigation, it is wise to be aware of the problems that may arise in connection with zoonotic diseases.     

Strategies for collaboration in the interdisciplinary field of emerging zoonotic diseases

The integration of the veterinary, medical and environmental sciences necessary to predict, prevent or respond to emerging zoonotic diseases requires effective collaboration and exchange of knowledge across these disciplines. There has been no research into how to connect and integrate these professions in the pursuit of a common task. We conducted a literature search looking at the experiences and wisdom resulting from collaborations built in health partnerships, health research knowledge transfer and exchange, business knowledge management and systems design engineering to identify key attributes of successful interdisciplinary (ID) collaboration. This was followed by a workshop with 16 experts experienced in ID collaboration including physicians, veterinarians and biologists from private practice, academia and government agencies. The workshop participants shared their perspectives on the facilitators and barriers to ID collaboration. Our results found that the elements that can support or impede ID collaboration can be categorized as follows: the characteristics of the people, the degree to which the task is a shared goal, the policies, practices and resources of the workplace, how information technology is used and the evaluation of the results. Above all, personal relationships built on trust and respect are needed to best assemble the disciplinary strength of the professions. The challenge of meeting collaborators outside the boundaries of one's discipline or jurisdiction may be met by an independent third party, an ID knowledge broker. The broker would know where the knowledge could be found, would facilitate introductions and would help to build effective ID teams.     

A survey of zoonotic diseases contracted by South African veterinarians

A survey of 88 veterinarians employed at the Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa, was carried out to investigate the occurrence of zoonotic diseases among South African veterinarians. The survey found that 63.6% of veterinarians interviewed had suffered from a zoonotic disease. Veterinarians predominantly involved in farm animal practice were 3 times more likely to have contracted a zoonotic disease than those working in other veterinary fields. Fifty-six percent of disease incidents were initially diagnosed by the veterinarians themselves. Fifty-three percent of incidents required treatment by a medical practitioner, but the majority (61%) of incidents did not require absence from work. The incidence density rate for contracting a zoonotic disease was 0.06 per person year of exposure. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis estimated that the probability of having contracted a zoonotic disease was 50% after 11 years in practice. The risk of contracting a zoonotic disease appeared to be higher early in practice. The most common mode of transmission was by direct contact. Approximately 46% of South Africans still live in rural areas and regularly come into close contact with farm animals. The implications of this in the light of this survey's results are discussed.     

Evidence-based identification of the most important livestock related zoonotic diseases in Kampala, Uganda

Urban and peri-urban livestock farming in developing countries plays an important role in food security in cities; however it brings with it zoonotic risks. The present study was conducted to identify the most important livestock farming-related zoonotic diseases among the human population in urban and peri-urban areas of Kampala, Uganda and to assess the risks from such farming. A framework for identifying livestock farming-related significant zoonoses was developed. The process consisted of screening of medical record summaries for zoonotic diagnoses, selection of the zoonoses which are related to livestock farming, case estimation of the identified zoonoses and evidence-based reassurance of the importance of diseases. Medical records in the Mulago National Referral Hospital were used for the analysis. Leaders and residents of 75 Local Councils (LC1s: villages; 48 urban, 11 peri-urban and 16 rural) randomly selected in Kampala were interviewed for information regarding livestock farming systems, value chains and use of medical service units. Twelve zoonoses were identified in the screening and four out of them were related to livestock farming: animal sourced food-borne gastroenteritis, brucellosis, Taenia solium neuro-cysticercosis and Mycobacterium bovis tuberculosis. Livestock farming, value chain and severity of the diseases confirmed that all four diseases were important. Poor geographical correlation between animals in peri-urban and rural areas and patients in urban areas suggested that the majority of these zoonoses were caused by informally-marketed foods.     

Fungal diseases in small mammals: therapeutic trends and zoonotic considerations.

As medical knowledge continues to expand, the division between animal and human diseases continues to decrease. The popularity of small mammals in lieu of the increased numbers of immunocompromised individuals will require increasingly broader understandings of zoonotic disease. The vast amount of animal research in areas of human disease requires diligent study to stay abreast of emerging diagnostics and therapeutics. The core requirements of skin scrapings, fungal culture, and microscopy for the diagnosis of small mammal fungal disease, however, are unchanged.     

The impact of zoonotic diseases transmitted by pets on human health and the economy

In the context of all causes of human morbidity and mortality, or even within the context of all infectious diseases affecting the public health, pet-associated zoonotic infections are of moderate importance. The data documented in Table 1, however, indicate that they do exact significant human health and economic costs. If complete data were available for all of the infections shown in Table 1, the costs would be considerably higher. Moreover, most of these diseases are preventable through educating the public, particularly pet owners, of the zoonotic potential of these diseases, so that they may take precautions to minimize the risks leading to infection. These measures include appropriate health care of pets to eliminate infectious agents, reducing the number of uncontrolled, ownerless pets as well as unwanted or poorly supervised pets, preventing pets from soiling public places with their feces, excluding animals from areas where children play, enforcing leash laws, and promoting responsible pet ownership. Veterinarians, physicians, and public health agencies can aid in these efforts; ultimately, however, the responsibility lies with the pet owner.     

Importation of dogs into the United States: risks from rabies and other zoonotic diseases

The importation of dogs into the United States poses a risk for the introduction of rabies and other zoonotic diseases. Federal regulations (42 CFR 71.51) currently require proof of valid rabies vaccination for imported dogs, but allow the importation of some unvaccinated dogs, including dogs less than 3 months of age, provided certain requirements for confinement are met until the dog is vaccinated. Although there are no accurate surveillance data on the number of dogs imported each year, it is estimated based on extrapolated data that over 287,000 dogs were imported into the United States during 2006. Of these, approximately 25% were either too young to be vaccinated or lacked proof of valid rabies vaccination. Import trends suggest that an increasing number of unvaccinated puppies are being imported into the United States, many through commercial resale or rescue operations. Since 2004, foreign canine rabies virus variants have been documented in at least two imported puppies. Federal regulations are currently being reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine if they can be updated to address current import trends and disease risks, such as requiring a health screen and valid rabies vaccinations for all dogs prior to entry.     

Occupational health and safety in small animal veterinary practice: Part I--nonparasitic zoonotic diseases

Zoonotic diseases are an ever-present concern in small animal veterinary practice and are often overlooked. A variety of nonparasitic zoonotic diseases may be encountered in small animal practice, including cat scratch disease (bartonellosis), cat bite abscesses, rabies, leptospirosis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea, salmonellosis, avian chlamydiosis, campylobacteriosis, dermatophytosis, and blastomycosis. These may cause human disease ranging from mild and self-limiting to fatal. The risk of development of a zoonotic disease can be lessened by early recognition of infected animals, proper animal handling, basic biosecurity precautions, and, most importantly, personal hygiene.     

A philosophy and approach to teaching the epidemiology of food-borne, waterborne, and zoonotic diseases

Faculty members from veterinary colleges that teach courses on food-borne, waterborne, and zoonotic diseases to non-veterinary students face unique challenges. The diversity of students' backgrounds, skills, and goals and the public nature of the science require some ingenuity in combining good science with the ability to communicate clearly in a variety of public forums. Drawing on pedagogical theory, the nature of the material, and the diverse abilities of the students, we have put together an effective teaching package for non-veterinary courses on these subjects, which includes a range of methods from outbreak investigations to town hall meetings and food diaries.     

Introduced ticks and tick-borne diseases: the threat and approaches to eradication.

Exotic tick species and tick-borne diseases are serious threats to live-stock, companion animals, and wildlife in the United States. Recurring introductions of exotic tick species into the United States are a significant indicator of the degree of risk. Successful tick-eradication campaigns, such as the national program that eradicated Boophilus annulatus and B. microplus from the United States, the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program of the US Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Services that protects against the re-entry and dissemination of Boophilus ticks from Mexico back into their former haunts in the southern states, and the eradication action that eliminated Rhipicephalus evertsi from a game park in Florida, are sources of useful information that aid in elucidating essential elements of successful eradication programs. Examples of failed eradication programs in places such as Puerto Rico and St. Croix also have heuristic value. Among the varieties of tick species and related infectious agents that threaten the United States, Boophilus ticks and bovine babesiosis, Amblyomma species (especially the tropical bont tick) and heartwater, and equine babesiosis, for which endemic vectors exist, are of special concern. Risk assessments to accumulate, evaluate, and synthesize information needed to appraise risks, consequences, and preparedness are necessary not just to inform federal, state, and local officials, as well as producers and stakeholders, but also to facilitate the creation of emergency response plans.