Keep Yourself Safe From Animal Borne Diseases

The pace is quickening. The headlines can be downright frightening...and every day the dangers of animal-borne diseases are growing. Does the thought of diseases like Mad Cow, SARS, West Nile Virus, and Monkeypox make you a little queasy?

There’s also Rabies, Salmonella, Tularemia (rabbit disease), Lyme Disease, and Avian Influenza (bird flu). Today, more than 50 percent of all viral and bacterial diseases threatening humans come from animals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. What are these dreaded diseases and where do they come from? Here’s information you should know, and important tips for avoiding them:

West Nile Virus. Virus transmitted through mosquitoes.
SARS. Virus first transmitted through civets (catlike animals) in China.
Mad Cow Disease. Viral disease caused by eating contaminated tissue from cattle.
Monkeypox. Virus transmitted through animal bites from rodent pets, prairie dogs, rats, mice, and squirrels.
Rabies. Viral disease often transmitted through the bite of an infected animal.
Salmonella. Bacterial disease usually caused by drinking contaminated water, or eating contaminated eggs or chicken.
Tularemia (rabbit fever). Bacterial disease usually caused by ticks, deer flies, rabbits. Also caused by drinking or eating contaminated food or water.
Lyme Disease. Bacterial disease usually caused by deer ticks.
Avian Influenza. Virus usually transmitted by birds. Birds excrete the virus; human-to-human transmission is rare.

Are you at risk for any of these diseases? Here’s vital information that can you protect you, your friends, and your family:
1. Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap.
2. Keep a clean environment.
3. Don’t own exotic pets or wild animals.
4. Protect yourself from ticks. When hiking, tuck your pant legs into your socks. Use insect repellent containing DEET.
5. Don’t keep reptiles if you have young children or are pregnant. They
transmit diseases, particularly salmonella.
6. Protect yourself from mosquito bites. Remove any standing water from
areas around your home. Use insect repellent containing DEET.
7. Take any sick pets to a veterinarian.

For more information on the dangers of animal related diseases, go to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s web site at www.cdc.gov/healthypets.