Zoonoses Are Diseases That Jump from Animals to Humans
- A zoonosis is an infectious disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
- These diseases are not rare.
- In fact, over 60% of infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic.
- These diseases originate in wild or domesticated animals and can spread to humans through direct contact, contaminated food or water, insect bites, or respiratory droplets.
Definition
Zoonoses
Zoonoses are infectious diseases that are naturally transmitted between animals and humans.
How Zoonoses Spread
Zoonotic diseases can spread through various pathways, including:
- Direct Contact: Touching an infected animal or its bodily fluids (e.g., saliva, blood).
- Indirect Contact: Exposure to contaminated environments, such as soil or water.
- Vector-Borne Transmission: Being bitten by an insect (e.g., mosquito, tick) that carries the pathogen.
- Foodborne Transmission: Consuming contaminated food or water.
1. Tuberculosis (TB)
- Pathogen: Mycobacterium tuberculosis (human TB), Mycobacterium bovis (bovine TB)
- Animal Hosts: Cattle, deer
- Transmission:
- Inhalation of infected droplets from cows
- Consumption of unpasteurized milk
- Contact with infected animals
Pasteurization of milk has significantly reduced TB transmission in many countries.
2. Rabies
- Pathogen: Lyssavirus
- Animal Hosts: Dogs, bats, raccoons
- Transmission to Humans:
