North American Parasitic Zoonoses

North American Parasitic Zoonoses provides a concise and useful review of essential information about parasitic zoonotic diseases. North American Parasitic Zoonoses, volume six of "World Class Parasites", is written for researchers, students, veterinarians, physicians and scholars who enjoy reading research that has a major impact on human health, or agricultural productivity, and against which we have no satisfactory defense. It is intended to supplement more formal texts that cover taxonomy, life cycles, morphology, vector distribution, symptoms and treatment. It integrates vector, pathogen and host biology and celebrates the diversity of approach that comprises modern parasitological research.

Human Diseases from Wildlife presents information on the most prevalent and serious zoonotic diseases in the US and Canada, some of which have been national headline news like anthrax, influenza, and West Nile virus. Diseases that are caused by pathogens with the ability to infect both humans and animals are known as zoonotic diseases, which literally means "disease from animals." The issue of human–wildlife disease interactions is a growing concern as humans continue to interface with wildlife. People who handle wildlife including field workers, wildlife professionals, trappers, and hunters want to know about potential diseases, risks, and how to protect themselves from disease. This book was written because many people are uninformed about zoonotic diseases. This lack of information causes some people to have a heightened fear of zoonotic diseases, preventing them from enjoying wildlife or spending time outdoors. Other people needlessly expose themselves to disease by neglecting simple precautions. This book includes information on bacterial, spirochetal, rickettsial, and viral diseases as well as macroparasites and emerging zoonotic diseases. More than two dozen diseases are covered including rabies, tularemia, baylisascariasis, salmonellosis, leprosy, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and swimmer’s itch. Each chapter contains the history of the disease, symptoms in humans, medical treatment, transmission of pathogens to humans, the role of wildlife as vectors, and methods to minimize risk. The diseases people can contract from wild animals can be both threatening and fascinating, and the book includes interesting information to make it more enjoyable to read.

Zoonotic diseases represent one of the leading causes of illness and death from infectious disease. Defined by the World Health Organization, zoonoses are "those diseases and infections that are naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man with or without an arthropod intermediate." Worldwide, zoonotic diseases have a negative impact on commerce, travel, and economies. In most developing countries, zoonotic diseases are among those diseases that contribute significantly to an already overly burdened public health system. In industrialized nations, zoonotic diseases are of particular concern for at-risk groups such as the elderly, children, childbearing women, and immunocompromised individuals. The Emergence of Zoonotic Diseases: Understanding the Impact on Animal and Human Health, covers a range of topics, which include: an evaluation of the relative importance of zoonotic diseases against the overall backdrop of emerging infections; research findings related to the current state of our understanding of zoonotic diseases; surveillance and response strategies to detect, prevent, and mitigate the impact of zoonotic diseases on human health; and information about ongoing programs and actions being taken to identify the most important needs in this vital area.

Brucellosis, also known as undulant fever, Mediterranean fever, or Malta fever, is an important human disease in many parts of the world. It is a zoonosis and the infection is almost invariably transmitted to people by direct or indirect contact with infected animals or their products. These Guidelines are designed as a concise, yet comprehensive, statement on brucellosis for public health, veterinary and laboratory personnel without access to specialized services. They are also to be a source of accessible and updated information for such others as nurses, midwives and medical assistants who may have to be involved with brucellosis in humans. Emphasis is placed on fundamental measures of environmental and occupational hygiene in the community and in the household as well as on the sequence of actions required to detect and treat patients.

3 vols also available separately. Contents: Vol. 1 Bacterioses and mycoses (2001, ISBN 927511580X); Vol. 2 Chlamydioses, rickettsioses and viroses (2003, ISBN 927519929); Vol. 3 Parasitoses (2003, ISBN 9275919928)

The book “Parasitic Zoonoses” emphasizes a veterinary and public health perspective of zoonotic parasites. This book is suitable for higher undergraduate and graduate students of zoonoses and public health, veterinary parasitology, parasite epidemiology; public health workers; public health veterinarians; field veterinarians, medical professionals and all others interested in the subject. More than 15 protozoa and 50 other parasitic diseases are zoonotic in nature and all these diseases have been discussed in detail. The first chapter is concerned with classification of zoonotic parasites, food borne, vector borne and occupation related zoonotic parasites. The remaining chapters cover etiology, epidemiology, life cycle, transmission, clinical signs, diagnosis, prevention and control of zoonotic parasites. The text is illustrated with a large number of coloured figures. An alphabetical bibliography for every disease has also been included so that readers have access to further information.

In spite of the availability of modern broad-spectrum anthelmintic drugs, the prevention and control of helminth zoonoses remain a challenge to human and veterinary parasitologists and to physicians and veterina rians working on the field. Although the life cycles of most helminths of zoonotic importance are well known, there are still major gaps in our knowledge especially in the fields of epidemiology, diagnosis and treat ment The International Colloquium on Helminth Zoonoses held at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, 11-12 December 1986, laid emphasis on more recent advances made in the control and epidemiology of these zoonotic diseases. The disease complexes echinococcosis/hydatidosis, taeniasis/cysticercosis and the larva migrans-syndrome were dealth with in considerable detail. In the first chapter the phenomenon of strain variation in Echinococcus spp. is examined in the light of newer findings. The progress made in recent years towards a more specific diagnosis and drug targeting in hydatidosis is reported. In the second chapter recent advances in immunisation and treatment of cysticercosis are dealt with. The possibili ty of the existence of strain differences in Taenia saginata is also dis cussed. The third chapter is devoted to trematode zoonoses with particular reference to the situation in South-east Asia, Senegal (schistosomiasis) and Liberia (paragonimiasis). In the last chapter the larva migrans syndrome is treated in detail with special attention to its etiology and and diagnosis. Reports on lesser known nematode zoonoses like mammomono gamosis and oesophagostomiasis are included.

Infectious diseases once thought to be controlled (such as malaria and tuberculosis) are now spreading rapidly across the globe, and lethal new disease agents (HIV/AIDS, ebola and BSE) continue to emerge at an ominous pace. Policymakers must consider the implications of disease proliferation for economic prosperity, general well-being, and national security in affected societies. This work represents a collection of articles from the premier authors in the field on the ramifications of disease emergence for international development, international law, and national security.