Top Animal Related Illnesses of Modern Times

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Recently, Mexico is making headlines after an outbreak of a new flu-strain from swine which killed 68 Mexicans and infected 8 people in the United States. In all, 1,004 suspected cases have been reported in Mexico. The Mexican government shut schools, museums, and cancelled all major public events as not to further aggravate the pandemic. The flu according to experts is a never-before-seen mixture of swine, human, and avian viruses.

Prior to the swine-flu epidemic, many countries from all over the world have witnessed similar animal-related diseases as early as the ancient times.

Compiled below are some animal-related illnesses recorded in the history of modern mankind.

• Foot and Mouth Disease. This illness usually attack cloven-footed animals like cattle, sheep, pigs, and goats. It is a deadly viral infection that attacks the vesicles in the mouth or feet of the animal. There is no clear evidence that the said disease can be transmitted to humans. However, humans can trigger the outbreak of the virus because the disease-causing virus usually stays in the nasal passages of humans for more than 24 hours. Due to its airborne qualities, the virus may be transmitted to other animals once expelled by the carrier through normal breathing. In the UK, the last confirmed human case occurred in 1966.

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• Red Tide Poisoning. Shellfish like clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other crustaceans if exposed to “Red Tide” or contaminated waters infested with harmful species of algae (specifically dinoflagellate) can be harmful if eaten by humans. Since shellfish are filter feeders, it can store poisonous toxins in its body which can harm humans (or even animals) if eaten. Red tide occurs when there is a rapid growth of water algae in slow current body of water. This phenomenon is a seasonal occurrence in some parts of the world and some scientist believed that human activities may have triggered this occurrence which is a product of ecological imbalance.

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• Mad Cow Disease. This disease was first discovered in England during the mid-1980. Farmers noticed that some of their cows have difficulty performing simple movements like standing and walking. Infected cows also lost weight, stopped producing milk and manifested disturbing behaviors. Scientists believed that the disease started when farmers fed their cows with animal byproducts containing infected meats and bones of cattle and sheep. Infections later spread to other cows not only in England but also in other countries.

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• Dengue or Hemorrhagic Fever. The main carriers of this disease are mosquitoes from tropical countries in Asia, Africa and North America. The first reported dengue epidemic happened after World War II in South East Asia. Dengue is transmitted to humans by day-biting mosquitoes. A person bitten by the infected mosquito will experience sudden headache, joint pain, muscle pain, rashes, fever, chills, nose bleeding and if left untreated may lead to death.

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• Leptospirosis. Flood waters contaminated by urine of animals particularly rats are the main cause of Leptospirosis. Urine from animals (dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, etc.) usually carries bacteria called leptospira. The bacteria can enter the human body through unhealed sores and breaks in the skin. Symptoms of this disease include high fever, sore eyes, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea, rashes and anemia. If no medical attention is made within 10 to 21 days after exposure to the bacteria, death of the patient will likely occur.