Disease Transmission

17-CWD-Mike-Hopper,-Kansas-Dept.-of-Wildlife,-Parks-and-TourismCMYK_0

Chronic Wasting Disease seen in a deer.

Feeding animals food that humans have partially eaten or handled can lead to disease transmission, as humans may carry infectious microorganisms that animals have no defence against. Feeding sites or stations used to manage animal populations and survival can also transmit disease, as contact rates within different species of animals are more likely. Hence, both direct and indirect wildlife feeding are harmful for wild animals.

JE220313F092

Psoroptic mange can also be seen in livestock.

Types of common diseases that infect wild animals include:

  • Bovine tuberculosis–causes lesions in a variety of tissues
  • Bovine brucellosis–causes abortions and inflamed limb joints
  • Chronic wasting disease–continuous weight loss leading to death that is commonly seen in deer, elk, and moose
  • Psoroptic mange–transmitted by mites; inflamed skin and yellow pus
  • Skin papillomas and fibromas–skin tumours

——–

“Digital illustration of rabies virus in colour background”                                               Source: http://spencerpest.com/sps/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/rabies-virus-spencer-pest-control.jpg

Wild animals can also spread diseases to humans—they are known as zoonoses. The four common infections described by the World Health Organization are:

  • Cysticercosis–a parasitic infection transmitted by swine that causes seizures and headaches in humans
  • Rabies–a fatal virus that is commonly transmitted to humans via being bitten by bats or carnivores
  • Dermatophytoses–a fungal infection that can affect the skin, hair, and nails of humans, causing itching, redness, scaling, and hair loss
  • Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy–a lethal infection that causes a neurological degenerative disease in humans known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

The World Health Organization states that zoonoses continue to be a significant threat to humans in developing countries, as the lack of awareness on zoonoses and the level of negligence and prioritization from national and international bodies are the root of the cause. Many of these infections can definitely be prevented.