1/8. infection with verocytotoxin-producing escherichia coli o157 during a visit to an inner city open farm.Two cases of escherichia coli o157 infection occurred in children after visiting an inner city open farm. Subsequently faecal samples collected from animal pens and samples of composted mixed animal manure and vegetable waste were examined for E. coli O157 by enrichment culture, immunomagnetic separation and culture of magnetic beads to cefixime tellurite sorbitol MacConkey agar. Strains of E. coli O157 were characterized by hybridization with dna probes for VT1, VT2 and eaeA, plasmid profile analysis, phage typing and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Verocytotoxin-producing E. coli O157 strains were isolated from faecal samples from a cow, a horse, 3 breeds of pigs, 2 breeds of sheep and 2 breeds of goats and from 2 samples of compost which had been processed for 3 months. All strains were phage type 21, hybridized with probes for VT2 and eaeA but not with one for VT1, harboured 92 and 2 kb plasmids and gave indistinguishable banding patterns with PFGE. Although only two culture-confirmed cases of infection had been identified, the farm had over 100,000 visitors per year and so it was closed as a precaution both to allow a thorough investigation and to prevent further cases. The investigation identified many factors which may have contributed to transmission of E. coli O157 infection. Most of these were readily resolved by appropriate corrective measures and as there were no further cases associated with the farm during the ensuing 4 weeks it then re-opened. These cases highlight the risk, especially to young children, of acquiring zoonotic infections during visits to open farms and emphasize the need for adequate guidance and supervision before and during such visits.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/8. escherichia coli o157 infection associated with a petting zoo.A young child was admitted to hospital with haemolytic-uraemic syndrome caused by infection with a shiga toxin 2-producing strain of Escherichia coli (STEC) O157. Five days before he became ill, the child had visited a small petting zoo. STEC O157 strains were isolated from faecal samples from goats and sheep housed on the farm. The human and the animal isolates were indistinguishable by molecular subtyping. The petting zoo voluntarily closed temporarily to prevent further cases of infection. Two out of 11 other, randomly selected petting zoos (including one deer park) visited subsequently, tested positive. Furthermore, during the study period there was one more notification of STEC O157 infection possibly linked with a farm visit. Although STEC O157 was indeed found in the petting zoo associated with this patient, transmission through animal contact could not be confirmed because the human isolate was not available for subtyping. The case study and the results of the other on-farm investigations highlight the risk of acquiring severe zoonotic infections during visits to petting zoos.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/8. A case of human orf contracted from a deer.Orf, or contagious ecthyma, is a rare viral dermatosis caused by a member of the genus parapoxvirus. The typical lesion consists of solitary or multiple papules that progress through a series of stages, terminating in complete resolution. This zoonotic disease is most commonly transmitted to humans from infected sheep or goats. We report a case of human orf, likely contracted from exposure to deer carcasses.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/8. diagnosis of orf virus infection in humans by the polymerase chain reaction.The orf virus is the causal agent of contagious ecthyma in goats and sheep. The infection can be transmitted to humans and represents a typical example of occupational zoonosis. In italy, the incidence of human infection remains uncertain because the disease is rarely reported or diagnosed. In this paper, we report a case of human orf virus infection and the laboratory methods of diagnosis. We demonstrated a genomic identity between the conserved and the variable regions of the genome of the viral strains isolated from the human patient and from the infected sheep confirming that there is no specific clone infecting humans rather than animals.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/8. An unusual cause of sepsis during pregnancy: recognizing infection with chlamydophila abortus.BACKGROUND: chlamydophila abortus (formerly chlamydia psittaci serovar 1) is a rare but severe cause of gestational septicemia, with particular problems in diagnosis and clinical management. CASE: A 32-year-old woman in her fourth pregnancy (16th week of gestation) presented with progressive septicemia after extensive contact with abortive material from her goat flock. Treatment with levofloxacin could not prevent abortion. Multiorgan failure requiring catecholamines and artificial ventilation developed in the patient. After the agent was identified by polymerase chain reaction from acute-phase serum, macrolides were administered and yielded clinical improvement. The patient fully recovered. There were no sequelae in the subsequent 6 months. CONCLUSION: Cp abortus must be considered in gestational septicemia after contact with ruminants. polymerase chain reaction from acute-phase serum is a quick and easy way to establish the diagnosis. Macrolide antibiotics are still the treatment of choice.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/8. Orf: a case report.ecthyma contagiosum (orf), a viral disease endemic to sheep and goats, can be zoonotically transmitted to humans through contact with infected animals. While the disease is common among sheep and goat herders worldwide, it comes to medical attention infrequently since it is generally a mild self-limited illness. We recently treated a healthy 36-year-old female who presented with bullous lesions on her fingers and a diffuse macular rash which had developed after antibiotic therapy for her bullae. She had been caring for her neighbor's goats which had recently been ill with "sore mouth." We discuss this case of orf and review the medical literature on this self-limited illness uncommon to the midwestern united states.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/8. Human cryptosporidiosis in immunocompetent and immunodeficient persons. Studies of an outbreak and experimental transmission.infection with cryptosporidium occurred in 12 immunocompetent persons who had direct contact with the feces of infected calves during three unrelated outbreaks of calf cryptosporidiosis. Nine of the twelve subjects had diarrhea and abdominal cramps that lasted 1 to 10 days. Infections were diagnosed and monitored by detection of oocysts in feces, with a modified Sheather's flotation technique and phase-contrast microscopy. oocysts of cryptosporidium were isolated from calves but not from other animals with which these subjects had been in contact. oocysts of cryptosporidium were also detected during repeated examinations of feces from two immunodeficient patients with persistent cryptosporidiosis. An apparently identical infection was transmitted to calves and mice, using oocysts from infected calves and human beings. oocysts from an immunodeficient person also produced infections in kittens, puppies, and goats. This study shows that cryptosporidium may produce a moderate self-limited illness in immunocompetent persons, which contrasts sharply with the prolonged severe diarrhea in immunocompromised patients who contract cryptosporidiosis. Calves with diarrhea should be considered a potential source of human infection, and immunocompromised persons should avoid contact with such animals.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/8. A fatal case of listeria endocarditis in a man following his tending of goats suggests an epidemiological link which is not supported by the results.A man died in endocarditis due to listeriosis in the late autumn. He had been looking after two goats during the summer. listeria monocytogenas was isolated from a rectal swab from one of the goats. The goat faeces isolate and the human blood isolate were of identical serovar. The two isolates, however, were shown to be different by multilocus electrophoretic enzyme analysis and ribotyping, as well as by biotyping. Thus, these results do not support the hypothesis that the man was infected by the goat.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 8keywords = goat (Clic here for more details about this article) |