Animal to Human Diseases Associated with a Risk to Human Pregnancy in Health Women
Animal (vector) |
Infection |
Disease |
Means of infection |
Risk to pregnancy |
Treatment |
| Fleas from rodents (mice, rats, hamsters, etc), carnivores including sick cats and dogs | Yersinia | Plague | Fleas from rodents and infected dogs, bites from infected carnivores including cats | Spontaneous abortion | Antibiotics |
| Rodents (mice, rats, hamsters, etc) and tick bites | Borrelia species | Relapsing fever | tickborne | Spontaneous abortion, premature birth and prematurity | Antibiotics |
Infected cats |
Toxoplasma gondii | Toxoplasmosis | Inhalation or ingestion of parasite | 5-6% risk for birth defects (10-24 wks gestation) | Antibiotics |
| Cattle, sheep, and goats | Coxiella burnetii | Q fever | Inhalation or ingestion of urine, dried fluids from the births of calves or lambs. Tick bites. | Spontaneous abortion preterm delivery | Antibiotics |
Rodents (mice, rats, hamsters, etc). Including pet and laboratory rodents |
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus | Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) |
Inhalation or ingestion of urine, feces and blood of rodents. | Possible risk for birth defects and congenital disease | No current proven treatment |
The CDC has advised that reptiles and amphibians should not be kept in households or child-care centers with children less than 5 years old due to a risk for infection from salmenellosis which could cause life-threatening disease in infected children and newborns.
Website link for additional information: CLICK HERE