Neurologic Aspects of North American Zoonoses

Selected Zoonoses

Human risks of acquiring a zoonotic disease from animals used in biomedical research have declined over the last decade because higher quality research animals have defined microbiologic profiles. Even with diminished risks, the potential for exposure to infectious agents still exists, especially from larger species such as nonhuman primates, which may be obtained from the wild, and from livestock, dogs, ferrets, and cats, which are generally not raised in barrier facilities and are not subject to the intensive health monitoring performed routinely on laboratory rodents and rabbits. Additionally, when laboratory animals are used as models for infectious disease studies, exposure to microbial pathogens presents a threat to human health. Also, with the recognition of emerging diseases, some of which are zoonotic, constant vigilance and surveillance of laboratory animals for zoonotic diseases are still required.

Non-lyme tick-borne diseases: a neurological perspective

Tick-borne diseases are prevalent throughout the world and present a diagnostic challenge owing to their nonspecific clinical symptoms. Many tick-borne diseases involve the central and peripheral nervous systems. Early diagnosis or at least suspicion of a tick-borne cause is necessary to institute early empiric treatment. After a brief review of tick biology, we present the most common tick-borne diseases. A brief discussion of epidemiology, the transmission route, and pathogenesis is followed by a discussion of the clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment options when available. The review emphasizes the infectious causes with a significant neurological manifestation.