RT Book, Section
A1 Tainter, Christopher R.
A2 Cline, David M.
A2 Ma, O. John
A2 Cydulka, Rita K.
A2 Meckler, Garth D.
A2 Handel, Daniel A.
A2 Thomas, Stephen H.
SR Print(0)
ID 56275422
T1 Chapter 97. Zoonotic Infections
T2 Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine Manual, 7e
YR 2012
FD 2012
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-178184-8
LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=56275422
RD 2024/04/23
AB Zoonotic  infections  are  a  class  of  over  200  specific  diseases  and  infections  that  are  naturally  transmitted  between  vertebrate  animals  and  humans.  Transmission  may  occur  via  direct  contact  with  an  infected  animal  or  animal  product,  by  ingestion  of  contaminated  water  or  food  products,  by  inhalation,  or  through  arthropod  vectors.  Pets,  farm  animals,  and  common  wildlife  are  the  primary  reservoirs.  Arthropods,  in  particular  ticks,  are  the  primary  vectors.  These  diseases  may  be  caused  by  myriad  organisms  including  bacteria  (eg,  Rickettsia,  Borrelia),  viruses,  and  parasites.  The  high  morbidity  and  mortality  rates  often  associated  with  these  illnesses  mandate  their  careful  consideration  in  patients  who  present  with  fever,  chills,  myalgias,  rash,  and  other  nonspecific  symptoms.  In  such  cases,  specific  risk  factors  for  zoonotic  infection  should  be  sought:  exposure  to  animals;  residence  or  recent  travel  in  rural  areas  or  underdeveloped  countries;  history  of  tick  bites  or  exposure  to  tick  habitat;  dressing,  skinning,  or  handling  animal  skins  or  raw  flesh;  animal  bites  or  scratches;  or  ingestion  of  animal  or  dairy  products.  Worldwide,  ticks  are  the  most  common  vector  of  disease  transmission.  Unfortunately,  many  patients  with  tick-acquired  infections  do  not  recall  a  history  of  tick  bite.  Hence,  clinical  suspicion  should  remain  high  for  patients  in  endemic  areas.  West  Nile  Virus  infections  are  discussed  in  Chapter  91  “Disseminated  Viral  Infections.”