Jeddah - Ringworm infection in certain animals is reaching epidemic proportions in Jeddah, prompting one local clinic to take action to prevent the disease from spreading further.
For four days beginning tomorrow, Tahlia International Veterinary Clinic (TIVC) will provide free medical check-ups and free de-worming for cats, dogs, goats, monkeys and camels.
"We want to give people a chance to get the information they need and to have their animal examined and vaccinated at the same time, all for free. TIVC will be offering free de-worming treatment to all pet owners in the region," said Dr. Deborah Zahid, owner of the clinic.
Dr. Deborah became alarmed recently when several cats were diagnosed with ringworm in a short period of time. "More than one-quarter of the cats brought into my clinic were infected. In many cases, the signs of the disease were clearly visible," she said.
Early signs of ringworm include dry, flaky skin, broken hairs, bald patches on the ears, front legs and around the eyes. More advanced signs include crusty lesions and infected areas that become red and sore.
"I had one man bring me a mother cat and her five three-week-old kittens. They all had bald patches around their front paws, their eyes and ears and on their heads. The cats' skin was crusty and flaking and large bald patches were developing. They looked really sick," Dr. Deborah said.
Ringworm is a zoonotic disease. "Prevention and treatment for humans is simple. The medication costs only SR7 for the three-day course," Dr. Deborah said.
"The plan is to make people aware that there are diseases that can be transmitted to humans from their pets and livestock," she added.
According to Dr. Deborah, many animal owners become alarmed when their pet starts losing hair and developing a skin condition and simply put them out. "Many people panic and throw their animals out on the street. It is completely unnecessary. In humans the disease does not manifest itself as dramatically as it does in animals. There is no hair loss, or anything like that. Ringworm in people is easy to treat and quite preventable," Dr. Deborah said.
By Essam Al-Ghalib
© Arab News 2005
