10 Tips: Children/Animal-Related Illnesses

April 8, 2009

Posted in Prevention, Safe & Healthy Travel No Comments »
Tags: animal bites, avian flu, avian influenza, bites, camping, disease, hand washing, Pets, petting zoos, rabies

1. No animal is totally predictable – and neither are children. Two-thirds of dogs that bite children had no history of aggressive behavior. Even breeds that make “excellent pets” may bite. Toddlers may innocently incite dogs by suddenly running towards them, arms flailing and making happy noises – behavior that animals may interpret as threatening.

2. Children may become ill from visiting petting zoos. (But they also become ill in good daycare centers or get hurt on modern playgrounds. You need to judge the risk/benefit ratio for any activity your child engages in.) Permanent petting zoos tend to be more sanitary than temporary ones such as those at fairs or on farms. Good facilities select animals least likely to spread disease, inspect animals periodically, and provide hand-washing facilities. Some petting zoos have minimum age limits for children. 

3. Hand-washing reduces but does not eliminate illnesses from touching animals. Hand-washing must be thorough, using lots of soap, and should take at least 20 seconds. (Time 20 seconds; it is longer than you think. Very few children do this without an adult standing over them.)  Also, hand-washing generally takes place only after an activity (playing with animals, for example) is over. Most children will have had their fingers in their eyes, mouths and noses numerous times by then.

4. Animal bites need not be large or deep to cause disease. Small, hard-to-see puncture wounds can transmit serious illnesses. Wash all wounds well. However, puncture wounds are near impossible to clean adequately. Report the incidence to responsible local authorities; further treatments may be necessary.

5. Don’t forget rabies. This disease is virtually 100% fatal if left alone, but 100% curable if treated promptly and properly. Tens of thousands of people, two-thirds of them children, die of rabies each year in developing countries. The vast majority of cases are caused by dogs, but any mammal can transmit rabies.

Rabid animals exist in North America, mostly in rural areas. All bites and licks from animals must be evaluated. Good follow-up treatment – involving treating thousands of children – has practically eliminated rabies. Treatment involves proper wound cleaning and six injections over a month. Injections are in the arm and no more painful than other injections. 

The few cases of rabies fatalities that do occur in North America are mostly due to bat bites. Bats have small teeth, bites appear not to be painful, and the marks are not easily seen.  So just finding a bat near an unattended child may be sufficient reason to seek treatment. 

6. Some animals are inappropriate for classrooms or homes. Animals are valuable learning aids in schools and are objects of curiosity to children. But some animals are sources of disease-causing organisms. Baby chicks and ducks, and turtles and lizards, for example, sometimes carry salmonella or other intestinal disease-causing organisms. Children most at risk to such diseases are those less than five years of age or suffering from immune conditions and certain chronic diseases. Guidelines of animals least likely to cause disease are available from the National Science Teachers Association and the National Association of Biology Teachers.

7. Never eat when monkeys are present. Wild monkeys are found in many tropical countries, often in areas frequented by tourists. While monkeys are generally not aggressive, they jump for the food people are eating and may scratch or bite in the process. 

8. Leave dogs at home when visiting rural parks and forests. Pet dogs and wild animals often feel threatened by each other and respond aggressively. Children have been injured trying to retrieve dogs that suddenly bolted. Dogs can acquire disease-carrying organisms and poison ivy on their coats and transmit illnesses to children.

9. Check health advisories when traveling. Stop at visitors’ centers in national parks and forests for information about local animals. Read CDC and World Health Organization websites prior to traveling overseas, especially to rural areas in developing countries. Presently, avoid all contact with poultry (e.g., chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons, turkeys, and quail) and wild birds in Southeast Asia to avoid contracting avian influenza (flu).  Refer to the CDC website   (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/current.htm) for more information on avian flu.

10. Inform your health care providers of recent animal contacts and travel when children are ill. Knowing that they have visited a petting zoo, camped out, or traveled overseas, for example, simplifies diagnosis and treatment

Posted in Prevention, Safe & Healthy Travel No Comments »
Tags: animal bites, avian flu, avian influenza, bites, camping, disease, hand washing, Pets, petting zoos, rabies