Guest guest Posted January 8, 2003 Report Share Posted January 8, 2003 http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20030109wo35.htm Ministry targets zoo infections Yomiuri Shimbun The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry has compiled guidelines to prevent zoo staff and visitors from contracting zoonosis, infectious diseases contracted from animals, it has been learned. The ministry plans to send the guidelines on preventing zoonosis to prefectural governments nationwide that will pass them on to facilities that keep animals and birds. The decision follows separate cases in 2001 and 2002 in which visitors and staff in two prefectures contracted chlamydia psittaci, also known as psittacosis or parrot fever, a ministry source said. Although birds most often transmit the disease, they are not the only vector for chlamydia psittaci. In June 2001, five zoo workers in Kawasaki were infected after delivering a Siberian moose. It was first time in Japan that the disease had been transmitted to more than one zoo worker at the same time. Parrot fever can cause a high fever and inflammation of the lungs in severe cases and is thought to be transmitted via airborne bacteria from bird droppings. The main treatment is a course of antibiotics. According to one estimate, more than 20 percent of birds raised by aviaries or collectors in Japan carry agents of the disease. Fifty-five people caught the disease last year. In the Kawasaki case, the employees apparently inhaled bacteria that were released from the moose's blood. The zoo had taken no precautions against infection, such as asking the workers to wear gloves and masks. In another case, 12 sight-seers and five staff members at an aviary in Matsue, contracted psittacosis between November 2001 and January the next year. They reportedly inhaled bacteria in dust that was disturbed when aviary cages were cleaned. The ministry official said the aviary failed to rigorously check whether the birds had the disease when it imported them. One measure to prevent zoonosis comes from the Japan Zoo Aquarium Association (JZAA), which has compiled a set of hygiene management guidelines tailored to each of its approximately 170 member facilities. However, many other facilities, including the Matsue aviary, do not belong to the association and are free to manage hygiene levels in any way they please. The ministry has therefore compiled its own guidelines so that all animal facilities will hew to standards set down by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, which cooperated with the ministry on the guidelines. The guidelines require facility operators to check the origins and routes of import for all nonnative animals, and thoroughly examine their records of diseases. Examinations to check for possible zoonosis also will be virtually mandatory. Furthermore, because the immune systems of animals in captivity generally tend to weaken due to higher stress levels, the ministry has asked operators to improve conditions for their animals. The ministry also requires that facilities allowing physical contact between visitors and animals must quarantine animals from the public if abnormalities are found in the animals' skin or droppings. The operators must also clearly warn visitors of the risk of physical contact and advise them to wash their hands after touching animals and to promptly consult with a doctor if they feel ill. The guidelines' measures for animal workers recommend that facilities store blood samples of employees during medical checkups for use in the event they contract zoonosis. Employees who come into contact with animal droppings will be required to wear dust-proof goggles and face masks. According to the JZAA, about 43 million people visit its member facilities each year. An official of the ministry's section on infectious disease prevention said: " It's outrageous that disease agents are being transmitted to people via zoo animals. We plan to send these guidelines to animal facilities nationwide and ask them to respect the standards. " An official of the animal workers section of Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, said: " This is a significant step for the state to compile guidelines, since not all animal parks have the proper expertise or training to prevent the spread of diseases, and some aren't strict enough on preventive measures. " But, really, what the government should be doing is responsibly testing animals during quarantine, before they come into the country proper. " Copyright 2003 The Yomiuri Shimbun Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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