LOOKING FOR THE SOURCE OF HEALTH PROBLEMS

The Health Awareness Program is designed to educate and protect pet owners from harmful organisms that are transmittable from pets to their owners.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Leptospirosis is considered to be the most widespread zoonotic disease in the world, and can primarily be spread from an infected dog to humans. Even though it is no longer a reportable disease, every year hundreds of cases are still being recorded. In the early stages of infection, disease manifestation can range from mild -- where symptoms are virtually absent, to severe -- where symptoms experienced include severe headaches, abdominal pain and yellowing of the skin and eyes. If not detected and/or treated early enough, leptospirosis could lead to liver failure or kidney damage. Children, pregnant women, seniors, and other immunodeficient people, are most susceptible to becoming infected. Finding the source of the infection is the key to effective prevention of further disease spread. New DNA-based testing technology changes the way that preventative medicine operates by allowing early and very accurate detection of many pathogens -- including Leptospira, the bacteria that causes Leptospirosis.

Our immune system plays a vital role in the fight with surrounding infections. Once weakened, it allows different viruses and bacteria to take over. To protect ourselves we have to know potential sources of infections. And this is what our program is designed for." -- says Dr. Yuri Melekhovets, Laboratory Director of HealthGene Corp., Ontario, Canada, while introducing the companys new campaign - the Health Awareness Program. - Our house animals are one of these sources. Bringing a pet into a household means not only taking responsibility for the well-being of the animal, but it also means taking responsibility for protecting family members from zoonotic infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans. We have already seen several cases where an animal has tested positive for the presence of Leptospira or Chlamydia and the subsequent identification of those organisms in family members has been positively confirmed. And very often DNA is the only way to detect such organisms. Recent scientific publications show that, for example, Chlamydia, a bacteria common to birds and cats, could lead to many chronic illnesses -- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Asthma, and so on.

The program consists of three different Health Awareness profiles -- Avian, Feline, and Canine - designed for birds, cats and dogs respectively. Each profile contains at least six different tests for various pathogens and incorporates the most common types of zoonotic infections found in each particular species of animal. It is recommended that the tests be performed upon the initial purchase or acquirement of any new pet, regardless of origin, that will be entering a new home. Once a veterinarian completes this initial examination, future periodic testing should be performed regularly if the pet is routinely exposed to other outdoor animals or if the pet acquires any type of bite and/or scratch wounds from any strange animal. The testing should also be suggested to those pet owners wishing to start a family or to those who might already have young children, as most of these infections are particular harmful to pregnant women and to small children who tend to play more regularly with animals and to touch their faces and mouths -- where many harmful organisms do harbor.

Any positive results should also immediately be brought to the attention of a family doctor for medical examination of family members. To learn more about the program, visit your local veterinarian, or call 1-877-371-1551.