SAS Urban Survival Handbook (126 page)

Threadworms
are very common, infecting as many as one in five children. They are about lcm (less than 3/8 in) long. Their eggs are laid in the skin around the anus, causing severe itching. Scratching may detach the eggs, which are then transferred back to the mouth. Keep children’s fingernails short and encourage good hygiene. Wash underclothes and nightclothes at high temperatures to kill eggs and worms, and seek medical attention.

Hookworms
are more common in tropical regions, infesting an estimated 700 million people. The larvae burrow into the skin of the feet, travel to the lungs, from where they are coughed up and swallowed, to mature in the gut to about 12 mm (1/2 in) long. They may cause anaemia.

EXTERNAL PARASITES

External parasites, such as lice and mites, may be passed from one human to another. Ticks may be picked up from animals or vegetation. Seek medical attention in all cases. Eradication of most parasites is usually simple and quick.

There are three main types of
lice
—all are about 3 mm (1/8 in) across—infesting specific areas: the head, the body, the pubic region.
Head lice
(see colour pages) suck blood from the scalp, causing itching and soreness. ANYONE can get lice, particularly children. Nowadays lice are NOT to be associated with poverty or lack of body hygiene. In fact, lice find it easier to cling to clean hair. Eggs (known as ‘nits’) are commonly attached to the base of hairs.

Body lice
are (unfortunately) associated with dirty clothes and can (in warmer countries) transmit serious diseases such as typhus. Clothes should be washed in very hot water or burned.

Pubic lice
seek the warm soft pubic areas but may migrate to other hairy body areas, including the head. Known as ‘crabs’, they are most frequently transmitted during sexual contact (see
STDs
and colour pages).

Bedbugs
are flat, wingless insects about 3 × 5 mm (1/8 × 1/4 in). They live in furniture and bedding, or cracks in walls and floors nearby, and emerge at night to feed on humans. Their bites may be visible and itchy, and may lead to infected sores. Seek medical attention.

The numerous types of
mite
are all tiny. Some transmit serious diseases such as typhus, others are fairly harmless to most people. A severe house dust allergy can usually be traced to an allergy to the faeces of
dust mites
—millions live in EVERY home in carpets and bedding, where they feed on tiny flakes of human skin.

Others, such as the
scabies mite
, live IN human skin—they are highly contagious. The burrows look like small scaly grey lumps—often on the hands, in the armpits, around the genitals, leading to reddened patches on the limbs and torso. Usually all members of a household need to be treated at once—but treatment is almost always effective immediately, although the irritation may take a couple of weeks to subside.

Mites known as ‘
chigoes
’ may be picked up in grassland, scrubland or beaches in Africa or tropical America. Also known as ‘jiggers’ or ‘chiggers’, the mites usually penetrate the skin of the feet or lower leg. They are actually sand flies and harvest mites. The females burrow into human skin to lay their eggs. Treatment usually involves removing the creatures with a needle and the application of antiseptic ointment.

PETS AND YOUR HEALTH

Zoonoses are infections or diseases of animals that can be transmitted to humans—some zoonotic organisms are able to adapt themselves to a variety of different species. Zoonoses are most commonly associated with pets and livestock (obviously because these animals coexist closely with humans), but are also known to be transmitted to humans by wild animals, such as rats.

In addition to zoonoses, there are many examples of human diseases which can be spread by vectors—animal carriers. Rat fleas were responsible for spreading the Black Death, the 14th-century plague that claimed 25 million lives in Europe alone. Nowdays, rats (or their fleas) still spread diseases such as plague, typhus, Weil’s disease and Lassa fever.

There are known to be about 30 animal diseases which may be transmitted to humans—a few of these from household pets. Some have extremely serious consequences.

Pets

Pets and domestic animals are generally beneficial to our health. Cats and dogs provide companionship and it has been proven that stroking an animal can be therapeutic for the owner, reducing tension and, in some cases, lowering blood pressure. Dogs have to be taken for walks, providing exercise for their masters (whether you like it or not!). Specially-trained dogs can help the deaf and blind.

Any pet that is properly cared for and in good health presents no threat, provided these guidelines are followed:

• ◑ Wash your hands whenever you have touched pet food, faeces, urine, or cat litter.
  
• ◑ Provide separate dishes, utensils and can-opener for pets.
  
• ◑ If a pet has diarrhoea or seems ‘off colour’, be scrupulous about hygiene.
  
• ◑ Take a pet to the vet whenever it is ill.
  
• ◑ Arrange regular worming and flea treatments.
  
• ◑ Wash your hands before you eat, drink or smoke, if you have been playing with or stroking an animal.
  
• ◑ NEVER allow an animal to lick your face, however much it may seem to be an expression of ‘love’.
  
• ◑ DON’T allow young children to play with soil—especially if dogs or cats use the area as a ‘lavatory’. This includes public play areas, where dogs are exercised.
  

Pregnancy and pets

Infections from domestic animals have access through the placenta to the foetus. This can result in miscarriage or severe malformation. If a woman becomes infected with certain diseases in late pregnancy, the child may be subject to disorders of the nervous system or blindness—although symptoms may not show for a few years. Pregnant women should:

• ◑ NEVER change cat litter trays or come into contact with animal faeces
  
• ◑ NEVER handle dog or cat food—especially raw meat
  
• ◑ NEVER stroke stray cats or dogs
  
• ◑ NEVER handle soil
  

Allergies

Some people develop allergies to dog or cat dander, the tiny scales from animal skin and fur that are present in the air and make up a large percentage of household dust. This can cause asthma or urticaria (a type of skin rash), sneezing, itchy eyes—all may be slight or severe. REDUCE contact with the animal concerned and seek medical attention.

WARNING

TOADS ARE DANGEROUS: NEVER allow small children to play with toads. The toad’s skin secretions are highly poisonous and can enter the body through the mouth, by sucking fingers with poison on them or through a break in the skin. The poison can affect the heart, cause convulsions and even lead to death.

ZOONOSES

CAT SCRATCH DISEASE

Not a common occurrence. A cat bite or scratch may lead to blistering and swelling, occasionally to an absess. The infection progresses possibly causing headaches, fever and swelling of the lymph nodes. The exact cause of this infection has only been identified recently. The disease does not imply that the animal is ill. Seek medical attention.

CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS

A protozoic infection leading to nausea, fever, abdominal pain and watery diarrhoea—in children, the elderly or anyone with a suppressed immune system (as is the case with people suffering from AIDS) it may be life-threatening. Can be transmitted by animals or humans. Treatment includes rehydration. Seek medical attention.

HOOKWORM

Mainly confined to tropical and sub-tropical regions, this parasite can be transmitted from infected pets by skin contact with larvae. There are no long-term health risks, but an itchy rash may occur on the skin, especially on the feet. Serious infestation may lead to lung problems, abdominal pains and anaemia. High-risk areas: places where cats and dogs defecate—playgrounds, beaches, parks. Seek medical attention.

LYME DISEASE

Only identified in 1975, this condition is caused by a bacterium which is transmitted by a tick which lives (normally) on small birds, rodents and deer, but which will bite dogs and humans. Symptoms include joint inflammation, lethargy, fever, aches. Unless treated, these may persist for several years. In rare cases, serious complications may develop, affecting the heart and the central nervous system. High-risk areas where ticks may be ‘picked up’ include scrubland, woodland, areas of long grass—especially if deer are present. The condition is known to occur in Europe and the northeastern United States. If Lyme disease is suspected, seek urgent medical attention.

PET THROAT

Over a third of all domestic pets carry a streptococcal bacterium which causes sore throats. Persistent or recurrent sore throats in a household with pets should always be investigated. Seek medical attention. DON’T allow pets to lick your face.

PSITTACOSIS

Usually transmitted by caged birds and causing a variety of symptoms, including fever, headaches, a bad cough, sore throats, lethargy, breathing difficulties, and rashes.

The bird may show no signs of ill health, or may show signs of ornithosis. Avoiding dust from droppings, feathers and actual contact with birds is essential. In rare cases, if untreated, psittacosis can be debilitating or even fatal. Anyone who has contact with birds as pets, as a hobby or for a living, should monitor their health and seek urgent medical attention if a problem develops.
NOTE:
In recent years, links have been investigated between bird-keeping and a greatly increased rate of lung cancer.

RABIES

Transmitted by infected saliva from animal bites and caused by a virus that attacks the central nervous system. Over 12,000 cases are reported annually worldwide. Rabies is extremely rare in Great Britain, Australia, Scandinavia and Japan. It is endemic in countries where quarantine laws are relaxed, especially in parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, the United States and South America, where it may be carried by wild dogs, foxes, wolves, badgers and vampire bats. Cases from domestic dogs are rare.

SYMPTOMS
May not appear until months after infection. Fever, agitation, delirium, weakness or paralysis, extreme salivation, difficulty swallowing and brain inflammation. Fear of water (hydrophobia) may set in, followed by coma and death.

ACTION
If a bite does occur, especially in these regions, the animal should be isolated for observation. The bite must be inspected by a doctor IMMEDIATELY. Seek URGENT medical attention. A vaccine is available, given as a course of injections over several weeks. Other infections may also be transmitted by an animal bite.

RINGWORM

Although the name suggests a worm, this is a popular name for a group of common fungal skin infections, which can be transmitted by pets, from one human to another, or from infected soil or household objects. Symptoms include ring-shaped, red, scaly or blistery patches on the skin. Seek medical attention.

Eradication involves the use of anti-fungal powders, creams and drugs. Reinfection is common. Hygiene must be scrupulous.

TOXOCARIASIS

Potentially VERY serious infection
caused by infestation by the larvae of the common dog roundworm (also lives in cats). Eggs of these parasites are passed by dogs (and cats) into soil. The eggs can remain viable for several years. Humans—most commonly children—are infected when playing with an infected dog or in infected soil.