1/7. Three rare cases of anthrax arising from the same source.anthrax is an acute bacterial infection caused by bacillus anthracis. humans become infected under natural conditions by contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. About 95% of human anthrax is cutaneous and 5% respiratory. Gastrointestinal anthrax is very rare, and has been reported in less than 1% of all cases. anthrax meningitis is a rare complication of any of the other three forms of disease. We report three rare cases of anthrax (gastrointestinal, oropharyngeal and meningitis) arising from the same source. The three patients were from a single family and were admitted with different clinical pictures after the ingestion of half-cooked meat from a sick sheep. These cases emphasize the need for awareness of anthrax in the differential diagnosis in areas where the disease remains endemic.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = animal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/7. Human orf. A diagnostic consideration?We saw four unrelated cases of human orf infection over a 3-month period. Each patient had a clear-cut history of contact with sheep and developed a characteristic painful pustular lesion on the hand. There were no significant systemic symptoms. Examination of an aspirate by electron microscopy confirmed the diagnosis. The lesions resolved spontaneously within 6 weeks. Human orf infection occurs in north america, and although seldom reported, it should be considered in the diagnosis of cutaneous lesions in patients who have exposure to animals associated with it.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = animal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/7. Abortion due to infection with chlamydia psittaci in a sheep farmer's wife.A farmer's wife who had helped with lambing aborted spontaneously in March after a short febrile illness in the 28th week of her pregnancy. She developed disseminated intravascular coagulation post partum with acute renal failure and pulmonary oedema. Recovery was complete after two weeks of hospital care. A strain of chlamydia psittaci, probably of ovine origin, was isolated from the placenta and fetus. The patient's serum showed rising titres of antibody against chlamydia group antigen; the placental and fetal isolates; and a known ovine abortion, but not a known avian, strain of C psittaci. IgG against both ovine abortion and enteric strains of C psittaci was detected, but IgM against only an abortion strain was detected. Histological examination showed pronounced intervillus placentitis with chlamydial inclusions in the trophoblast but no evidence of fetal infection or amnionitis. Laboratory evidence of chlamydial infection was found in an aborting ewe on the farm in January and in remaining sheep and lambs in July. Doctors should recognise the possible risk to pregnant women in rural areas where chlamydial infections in farm animals are widespread.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = animal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/7. Chronic health effects among sheep and humans surviving an aldicarb poisoning incident.aldicarb is a granular carbamate insecticide, acaricide and nematocide applied to soil. In 1989, a large scale aldicarb poisoning of grazing sheep occurred in south central washington State. Among 1600 animals in 3 different groups, 288 of 318 sheep in 1 group died within a very short time. An investigation by the washington State Department of agriculture concluded that aldicarb poisoning was the cause of the acute sheep deaths. Within 3 w of the incident, all the 30 sheep which survived the initial exposure from the 1 group had died or were near death and euthanized. Among the approximately 1300 sheep nearby but not affected by the acute incident, low fertility and poor health were apparent over the next 3 y. These sheep also suffered more deaths than expected, and lambs born to the sheep had a higher frequency of limb and gastrointestinal malformations than usual. All of the 6 men present in the field the day of the acute sheep deaths complained of acute symptoms. Three men were hospitalized the night of the sheep deaths and 2 were seen by a physician the next day. All men were healthy prior to the sheep deaths. Within a few days 4 of the 6 men developed a productive cough and 1 reported right-sided abdominal pain. Three years after the incident 5 of the men were still seeking medical attention or reporting symptoms they felt associated with the acute exposure. The chronic health effects in the sheep and men are not expected following exposure to aldicarb. No explanation exists for the chronic health effects, nor have such effects been previously reported in aldicarb poisonings.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = animal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/7. Gestational psittacosis in a montana sheep rancher.In humans, psittacosis is primarily a flulike illness following exposure to psittacine birds. In rare cases, pregnant women exposed to chlamydia psittaci can contract gestational psittacosis: atypical pneumonia, sepsis, and placental insufficiency resulting in premature birth or miscarriage. In the united states, only two cases of gestational psittacosis have been reported, both from exposure to psittacine birds. Eleven other cases have been reported worldwide, mostly in the United Kingdom, all from exposure to infected birth fluids and membranes of farm mammals, notably sheep and goats. In these mammals, C. psittaci inhabit the reproductive tract, are transmitted sexually or by the fecal-oral route, and cause miscarriages. The case of gestational psittacosis in a montana sheep rancher is the first farm animal-related case reported in the united states. pregnant women should avoid close contact with C. psittaci-infected animals, particularly sheep and goats during the birthing season. Obstetricians should consider this diagnosis along with early antibiotic treatment and cesarean section delivery in the context of the patient's case history.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = animal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/7. Crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever virus infection in the western province of saudi arabia.In 1990, an outbreak of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever involving 7 individuals occurred in Mecca in the Western Province of saudi arabia. congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), not previously known to be present in saudi arabia, was incriminated. A study of the epidemiology of this virus was therefore carried out in Mecca, and in nearby Jeddah and Taif in 1991-1993; 13 species of ixodid ticks (5 Hyalomma spp., 5 rhipicephalus spp., 2 Amblyomma spp., 1 Boophilus sp.) were collected from livestock (camels, cattle, sheep, goats), and of these 10 were capable of transmitting CCHF. camels had the highest rate of tick infestation (97%), and H. dromedarii was the commonest tick (70%). Attempts to isolate virus from pools of H. dromedarii and H. anatolicum anatolicum were unsuccessful. The source of infection in 3 confirmed cases of CCHF was contact with fresh mutton and, in a suspected case, slaughtering sheep. An investigation in Mecca, which included a serological survey of abattoir workers, identified 40 human cases of confirmed or suspected CCHF between 1989 and 1990, with 12 fatalities. Significant risk factors included exposure to animal blood or tissue in abattoirs, but not tick bites. It is suspected that the CCHF virus may have been introduced to saudi arabia by infected ticks on imported sheep arriving at Jeddah seaport, and that it is now endemic in the Western Province.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = animal (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/7. A case of Ehlers-Danlos-like syndrome in a rabbit with a review of the disease in other species.A case of marked skin fragility in a 4-month-old pet rabbit is described. The clinical findings, gross pathology, histopathology, and ultrastructure of skin samples were consistent with Ehlers-Danlos-like syndrome. This syndrome is recognized in many animal species and is often compared to ehlers-danlos syndrome in humans. Ehlers-Danlos-like syndromes in animals are reviewed and possible similarities between these disorders and ehlers-danlos syndrome in humans are discussed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = animal (Clic here for more details about this article) |