First cases of TB contracted from cats, dogs - report

By Gatonye Gathura

Kenya: The first ever case of tuberculosis jumping from cats and dogs to humans has been reported in two people in Britain in a development that could change how people interact with their pets.

The cases were reported on Thursday and Saturday by the British veterinary authorities and the topic went ‘viral’ on social media, especially among pet lovers. Cats and dogs are the world’s second and third most popular pets after fish.

The World Society of Protection of Animals estimates there are four million pets in Kenya and only about five per cent of cats and 25 per cent of dogs are vaccinated against rabies. The country has about 350 vets.

“The fact that TB has crossed the cat, dog and human genetic barrier is very worrying considering how close these pets are to people,” says Institute of Primate Research director Thomas Kariuki.

Swine influenza

Dr Kariuki said for reasons not very well understood, animal to human diseases – zoonosis – are on the rise and may very well trigger the next pandemic. He cited the bird and swine influenzas, which have scared humans in the last decade.

British veterinary authorities last week cited the case of 19-year-old Jessica Livings who was struck down with pneumonia linked to bovine tuberculosis after being infected by her pet kitten last year.

The second case, which was reported on Saturday, was of a ten-year-old boy who was infected with a similar strain of tuberculosis from the family pet dog.

Bovine tuberculosis is an infectious cattle disease and a major challenge facing the cattle farming industry today.  It is common for the disease to be transmitted to humans especially to people who handle cattle products such as meat or milk.