Zoonotic Diseases Public Health Flashcards

West Nile Virus surveillance in the US relies heavily on monitoring dead birds. Which bird species is considered the most sensitive sentinel for WNV activity?

Answer: American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

American crows experience near 100% mortality from West Nile Virus infection, making dead crow reports an early and sensitive sentinel for local WNV activity.

Which federal agency has primary jurisdiction over zoonotic disease surveillance at the human-animal interface in the United States?

Answer: CDC and USDA-APHIS in a coordinated One Health framework

The CDC and USDA-APHIS share jurisdiction and coordinate through One Health frameworks for zoonotic disease surveillance, with CDC covering human cases and APHIS covering animal health.

A child develops eosinophilic meningitis after swimming in a freshwater lake in the southern US. Which parasitic zoonosis is most likely responsible?

Answer: Naegleria fowleri primary amoebic meningoencephalitis

Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba found in warm freshwater, causes primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) when water enters the nose during swimming.

Leptospirosis outbreaks in humans following flooding events are primarily associated with which exposure route?

Answer: Contact of skin or mucous membranes with water or soil contaminated by infected animal urine

Leptospira spirochetes shed in urine of reservoir hosts (rodents, cattle, wildlife) contaminate floodwater and penetrate through skin abrasions or mucous membranes.

Which zoonotic disease caused by a prion protein is associated with deer and elk and has prompted public health advisories against consuming meat from affected animals?

Answer: Chronic wasting disease (CWD)

Chronic wasting disease affects cervids (deer, elk, moose) and, while no human cases have been confirmed, public health agencies advise against consuming meat from CWD-positive animals.

During a multi-state Salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry, which public health recommendation is most critical for preventing human infections?

Answer: Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after handling poultry or their environment

Handwashing after poultry contact is the single most effective intervention since Salmonella is shed asymptomatically by healthy-appearing birds.

Nipah virus outbreaks in Southeast Asia have implicated veterinarians and pig farmers as high-risk occupational groups. What is the primary amplification host in these outbreaks?

Answer: Domestic pigs acting as amplifying hosts between fruit bats and humans

Pteropus fruit bats are the natural reservoir for Nipah virus, but large-scale pig farming near bat roosting trees creates an amplification cycle that dramatically increases human exposure risk.