Pet parasites that can affect your familys health

By Patricia Eifert
Many pet owners love the comfort and joy
that comes from sharing their lives and
families with their furry friends, but when
you invite your pet to share your bed or the
food from your plate, you may also be
inviting in a host of parasites that can affect
you and your familys health. The
seriousness of these diseases varies
greatly, from mild flu-like symptoms to
chronic infections and life-threatening
illness, with instances of required medical
treatment currently rising by 75 per cent in
the last decade alone.
Zoonotic Parasites
Parasites live off of other living organisms
called hosts who unwittingly provide both
protection and food whilst propagating the
parasites life cycle and reproduction.
These tiny viruses and bacteria organisms
can be transmitted directly through blood
transfers or indirectly through saliva or faeces of an infected pet, making children highly susceptible to
infection.
When the bodys immune system responds to these parasites it can cause unexpected complications
such as anaemia, chronic respiratory or circulatory issues or recurrent fever. These zoonotic parasites are
causing a growing number of crossover diseases in humans, accounting for one third of all infectious
diseases shared by humans and animals.
Vector Ectoparasites
Ectoparasites are organisms such as ticks, fleas, flies and mosquitoes that attach themselves to an
animal whilst feeding or to lay young. These pests, known as vectors, are common carriers of diseases
that infect both wild and domesticated animals with Lyme disease, heartworm larvae and a host of other
blood diseases. Many of these diseases can also infect human hosts through these ectoparasites
attaching themselves to the skin surface and causing similar symptoms or reactions that exist in pets.
Here are a few lesser known diseases that can attack both pets and humans through these vectors.
Anaplasmosis can attack both the white blood cells and the blood platelets, depending on the form or
strain that infects the host through tick or flea bites. The symptoms often take weeks to develop and
depending on the immune reaction in the body, may never develop into anything serious for years,
although it will remain a threat to both humans and pets as long as it remains untreated. When the
anaplasma phagocytophilum strain is transmitted into humans it can lead to Human Granulocytotropic
Anaplasmosis (HGA), a form of anaemia that may require a blood transfusion in serious cases.
Anaplasma platys is another strain that can cause internal bleeding and bruises that will eventually lead
to serious health risks.
Ehrlichia is also an infection that attacks the white blood cells, closely resembling Anaplasmosis in both
symptoms and development. It can go undetected until it eventually affects the whole production of blood
cells, including the bone marrow function and joint area, causing pain and lameness in multiple joints.
Different strains of Ehrlichia infect the four-legged and two-legged members, with chronic infection in
humans leading to the threat of human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis in more than 50 per cent of patients.
Babesiosis affects only the red blood cells of pets and humans alike, inhibiting health haemoglobin and
triggering the immune system into eliminating both the infected and healthy red blood cells. This can lead
to severe anaemia, increased pallor and chronic fatigue, requiring medical intervention and regular
treatments.
Zoonotic Pathogens
Contaminated food or water commonly host parasitic bacteria that can take months to diagnose correctly
while it wrecks havoc with the digestive system. These food-borne bacteria include salmonella and
campylobacter which can cause anything from mild digestive discomfort to gestural poisoning and even
death. Some of these viruses can lead to organ illnesses such as hepatitis A, whilst other parasites only
affect the gut. Here are a few that can be indirectly transmitted through unhygienic preparation of food or
water.
Trichinella larvae attach themselves to the walls of the digestive tract, feeding off of the food that the
host eats, until it evolves into a parasitic roundworm. This can cause a multitude of digestive complaints
including diarrhoea and vomiting. This organism then releases offspring that imbed themselves for weeks
in muscle tissue, causing flu-like symptoms or secondary immune reactions while they mature. On
occasion neural or cardiovascular systems are affected, producing serious problems, particularly to
elderly patients.
Another common parasite that affects mainly felines is Toxoplasma and it is usually transferred to
humans through unhygienic food preparation areas or undercooked food. Symptoms are generally mild
and infections are usually controlled by the natural immune system. The only real dangers to humans are
to the foetus of an infected mother when it is transmitted to the baby.