Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
bubonic plague. Patients with pneumonic plague can have dyspnea, chest pain,
and a cough that can produce bloody sputum.
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Plague is treatable in its early stages with appropriate antibiotics. Appropriate
antibiotic treatment should be initiated immediately if plague is suspected. Drugs
effective against plague include streptomycin, gentamicin, and the tetracyclines.
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Fluroquinolone antibiotics are commonly used empirically to treat critically ill
patients and have demonstrated activity against
Y. pestis in vitro, in vivo
,andin
limited clinical use.
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Penicillins and cephalosporins are not effective for plague
treatment.
In the United States, most plague exposures occur in or around the home.
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,
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Plague can be prevented by year-rodent control, including rodent-proofing struc-
tures, elimination of food sources such as pet food and garage, and removal
sources of rodent harborage. Additionally, persons residing in endemic areas
should keep their dogs and cats free of fleas through regular use of flea treat-
ments, and restrict pets from wandering. Persons who participate in outdoor
recreational activities in areas of plague epizootic activity should use personal
protective measures including use of insect repellents and protective clothing,
and avoiding sick or dead animals. Public health officials should treat rodent
habitats with effective insecticides and should conduct public education about
plague prevention and control.
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Zoonoses and Their Spread
Zoonoses
are infections that are transmitted from animals to humans. Many vec-
torborne disease are also capable of infecting other animals, with differing levels
of severity. Zoonoses have garnered attention because it is recognized that many
newly discovered or “emerging” infections in humans originated from animal
sources. In addition, many infectious disease that were believed to be controlled
or vanquished are making a resurgence as human interaction with wild animals
has increased as a result of clearing and development previously uninhabited
land. In this way, infectious diseases are directly linked to the environment and
industrial development. Sensible environmental protection includes prevention of
zoonoses.
The Pan-American Health Organization lists as the major zoonoses in the
Americas encephalitis (arthropodborne), psittacosis, rabies, jungle yellow fever,
Q fever, spotted fever (Rocky Mountain, Brazilian, Colombian), typhus fever,
leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease), anthrax, brucellosis, leptospiro-
sis, plague, salmonellosis, tuberculosis (bovine), tularemia, hydatidosis, taeniasis
(cysticercosis), and trichinosis. Others are ringworm, crytococcosis, toxoplas-
mosis, yersiniosis, cat scratch fever, tetanus, and tapeworm, hookworm, and
roundworm infections;
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as well as histoplasmosis, equine encephalitis, cryp-
tosporidiosis, campylobacter infection, and Lyme disease. It will be recognized
that some of these diseases are also classified with water-, food-, or insectborne
diseases. A very comprehensive summary of zoonoses was prepared by Steele
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and the Pan American Health Organization.
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