Dog Licks, Loss Of Limbs: 5 Diseases Your Pets Can Give You
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WEST BEND, WI — As you might’ve read by now, a Wisconsin man’s hands and legs had to be amputated when he contracted a vicious bacteria found in dog saliva. Greg Manteufel fell ill in June and his family initially thought he had a bad flu. But his condition progressively worsened and his body eventually became covered in bruises. The West Bend man had contracted Capnocytophaga canimorsus, probably from a dog lick, and was fighting for his life within days.
The tragic story drew hundreds of thousands of eyes across various news outlets and the public has helped raise tens of thousands of dollars in donations for his unforeseen medical costs.
But his case appears to be extraordinarily rare. The CDC’s website even acknowledges the dog — and cat — linked disease is less common.
Here are five other — more common — diseases you could get from cats and dogs.
1. Campylobacter infection, or campylobacteriosis
This infectious disease is caused by the Campylobacter bacteria and causes an estimated 1.3 million illnesses every year in America, according to the CDC’s website. It is one of the most common causes of diarrhea sicknesses. While most of those illnesses are likely caused by eating undercooked poultry, or eating something that touched it, some happen due to contact with dog or cat poop. Those with the infection typically recover on their own but some people are forced to seek medical treatment.
SEE ALSO: Dog Licks Wisconsin Man; His Legs And Hands Had To Be Amputated
As recently as January, there was a multi-state outbreak of drug-resistant Campylobacter infections. The CDC said contact with puppies sold through Petland stores were likely the source of the outbreak, which is over. A total of 113 people across 17 states with confirmed infections or symptoms of the infection were linked to the two-year outbreak.
Dogs infected with Campylobacter might show no signs of illness at all or might have diarrhea and a slight fever.
2. Dog and Cat Flea Tapeworm (Dipylidium infection)
This tapeworm is a parasite that spread to dogs, cats and people through “the ingestion of infected fleas,” the CDC said. While more common than a Capnocytophaga infection, this common parasite rarely causes pets or people to fall ill. This type of infection can — sometimes — be detected by finding “rice-like segments of the tapeworm crawling near the anus or in fresh bowel movements,” the CDC said. A bad infection could cause dogs to lose weight and experience mild diarrhea.
People can become infected by swallowing a flea infected with tapeworm larvae. Most reported cases involve children. Humans don’t typically show signs of disease.
3. Zoonotic Hookworm
Parasitic dog hookworms are tiny worms that can spread through contact with contaminated soil or sand. Dogs can become infected by ingesting the parasite, typically from the environment or through their mother’s milk or colostrum. Young puppies are most often affected. When this happens they get a dark, bloody stool and experience anemia. Severe infections can kill a puppy.
People can also become infected with dog hookworm, especially if they walk barefoot, kneel or even sit on ground contaminated with stool of infected animals.
“Hookworm larvae enter the top layers of skin and cause an itchy reaction,” the CDC said.
A red squiggly line can appear where the larvae have migrated under the skin. Symptoms usually resolve without medical treatment in up to six weeks.
Both dogs and cats can become infected with a variety of hookworm species.
4. Rabies
Rabies is a deadly neurological disease that’s caused by a virus. Both animals and people are most commonly infected through bites from rabid animals. If infected, a dog could show a variety of signs, most often a sudden behavioral change and progressive paralysis. The disease is preventable, however, through vaccination.
If you are bitten by an animal and feel it might have rabies, you should immediately seek medical attention. Once symptoms appear — usually within days or months — it is almost always too late for treatment.
5. Cat-scratch Disease (Bartonella henselae)
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People can contract this bacterial disease after being bitten or, yes, scratched by a cat. It can also be passed onto you if a dog licks an open wound. The CDC said 40 percent of cats carry the bacteria at some point in their lives, though kittens under 1 are more likely to have it. Cats can become infected with B. henselae from flea bites or flea droppings getting into their wounds. Cats can also pick up the infected flea droppings under their nails and between their teeth by scratching or biting at the bugs.
But you likely won’t know it — most cats don’t show any signs of the illness.
People who are bitten or scratched by an infected cat could develop a mild infection within days or weeks at the spot of the wound. That infection can worsen and lead to fever, headache, low appetite and exhaustion. Later, the person’s lymph nodes nearest to the wound can become swollen, tender and even painful. If you think you may have this, you should seek medical attention.
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