PASTEURELLOSIS

PASTEURELLOSIS


Animal-bite pasteurellosis is an acute wound infection resulting from exposure to Pasteurella multocida. There have been more than 130 disease-causing organisms identified from infected animal bites in people. Pasteurellosis is the most common bite-associated infection.



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ETIOLOGY: BACTERIAL


Animal-bite pasteurellosis is caused by P. multocida, a small, gram-positive coccobacillus. There are other Pasteurella species that cause various diseases in animals, but P. multocida is the most common zoonotic species.



HOSTS


P. multocida is part of the normal flora in the respiratory and digestive tracts of many warm-blooded animals. The presence of P. multocida in these animals usually does not cause illness. Cats and dogs are the most common source of animal-bite pasteurellosis. Some rats also carry P. multocida in their mouths, which can cause wound infection.



TRANSMISSION


P. multocida is usually transferred from the mouth of a cat or dog through a bite wound or contact of the animal’s saliva with broken skin (e.g., scratch, abrasion, cut). Cat bites account for around 90% of infected bites because their sharp teeth puncture the skin more deeply, making the wound harder to clean and creating an environment that favors bacterial growth. Dogs have a more crushing bite that does not result in such a deep bite wound. Animal-bite pasteurellosis has also been caused by contact with saliva from rabbits, cattle, sheep, and rats.



PASTEURELLOSIS IN ANIMALS


Pasteurella spp. are part of the normal flora of the respiratory and digestive tracts of many species of warm-blooded animals. They do not cause illness in healthy animals. When an animal becomes stressed, the nonpathogenic organisms can sometimes become pathogenic, causing primarily respiratory and digestive diseases that are not zoonotic. Cats and dogs can develop wound infections from fighting with other animals.

Related posts:

  1. ABOUT THE DISEASES
  2. CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS (VIBRIOSIS)
  3. MYCOBACTERIUM INFECTIONS (TUBERCULOSIS)
  4. LEPTOSPIROSIS

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Oct 1, 2016 | Posted by in EXOTIC, WILD, ZOO | Comments Off on PASTEURELLOSIS

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