Earlier in November public health officials from the State of Oregon evaluated the wellbeing of animals living with Occupy Portland protesters1. They were responding to reports of a parvo virus outbreak in the camp. Although no sick dogs were found in Portland, the San Francisco Examiner reported on their website on November 14th that three dogs at the San Francisco occupy camp are positive for the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease. Parvo virus is not spread to humans, but I would like to discuss some zoonotic health risks with the occupy movement.
Zoonotic diseases are diseases spread between animals and humans2. Three major zoonotic concerns include gastrointestinal parasites such as giardia, roundworms, and hook worms.
Sanitation at the occupy camps has became a major concern3. Poor food storage and public urination and defecation2 all lead to a situation that is ripe for a disease outbreak. The CDC defines basic sanitation as the “having access to facilities for safely disposing of human waste, as well as having the ability to maintain hygienic conditions, through services, such as garbage collection and wastewater disposal4.” They go on to say that “eighty-eight percent of all diarrheal diseases are caused by…. inadequate sanitation, and poor hygiene4.”
Giardia;
Giardia is a “microscopic organism (protozoa)5″ that causes diarrhea and gastroenteritis in both animals and humans. Our practice in Oregon has seen a marked increase of giardia cases in the past few years. Giardia is spread through contact with infected feces of humans or animals or when food or water has been contaminated with the organisms, as a result of poor sanitation. Clinical signs include abdominal pain, diarrhea (with or without blood), head ache, gas, bloating and swollen or distended abdomen5.
Canine Round Worms;
Round worms are nematode parasites whose eggs are shed in feces and infest a wide range of species. In dogs round worm larvae normally migrate through the liver and lungs of their canine hosts before going to the small intestine where they become adults and produce more roundworm eggs. When humans ingest infective eggs they begin to migrate through tissues as they do in dogs. As humans are not the worm’s normal host they never stop migrating and will cause extensive organ damage. Major organs these parasites migrate through include the liver, eyes, or brain. Infestations may cause respectively; liver failure, blindness, dementia, and death.
Hook Worms;
Hook worms eggs are also shed in canine feces after which they hatch in the environment. Infective larvae infest dogs by burrowing into the paws and migrating through the tissues to the intestine. Hook worms infest humans by borrowing into the skin usually though bare feet. As with round worms, humans are not natural hosts for hook worms and so the normal migration to the intestine is not completed. Instead of burrowing to the intestine the worms continue to migrate through the skin of the feet and legs.
Hopefully the occupy movement will come to a speedy and peaceful resolution so that the areas occupied by the protesters will be able to be adequately cleaned. Some of these pathogens are however, very difficult to remove, remaining in the area for extended periods of time. In the case of round worms, infective eggs can remain in the environment for years, serving as a source of infestation for both dogs and humans.
1. http://www.oregonlive.com/pets/index.ssf/2011/11/state_and_local_agencies_to_ev.html
2. http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=12958
3. http://jacksonville.com/news/national/2011-10-27/story/occupy-movement-brings-sanitation-concerns-across-nation
4. Living in a Clean and Healthy World, A podcast presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.
5. Giardia; Traveler’s diarrhea – giardiasis PubMed Health