Global Zoonoses*

Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

Bacterial Diseases

Worldwide;
Work-related
common in
exposure; foodborne
Africa, Asia,
Horses, in Africa, Russia, and Skin rash
Anthrax Bacillus anthracis South
livestock Asia; occasionally blood po
America,
wounds or insect
eastern
bites; rarely airborne
Europe

Worldwide Fever las

Cattle, bison, Work-related and
Brucellosis Brucella abortus except North week, pr
elk, caribou recreational exposure
America blood po

Fever las
Goats, sheep, week wit
Brucella melitensis Worldwide Milk, cheese, contact
camels progress
poisonin

Fever las
week wit
Wild and Northern
Brucella suis Rarely airborne endocard
domestic pigs hemisphere
progress
poisonin

Mainly foodborne, Inflamma

Campylobacter Campylobacter Dogs, cats,
Worldwide milk, waterborne, or intestine
enteritis jejuni poultry
work-related blood po

Enlargem
Bartonella
Cat scratch lymph no
henselae, B. Cats Worldwide Scratches, bites, “licks”
disease poisonin
quintana
persons

Pigs, turkeys,
Erysipelothrix pigeons, fish, Work-related, Skin rash
Erysipeloid Worldwide
rhusiopathiae marine recreational exposure poisonin
mammals

Escherichia coli Certain strains of Cattle, North and Eating undercooked Inflamma
infections (Only E. coli, including humans South ground beef or food intestine
some infections O157:H7 and America, or water contaminated abdomin

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

Europe,
are considered South Africa,
others with cattle feces kidney fa
zoonotic.) Japan,
Australia

Fever, ra
Work-related and pneumo
Leptospira Common in
Leptospirosis Worldwide recreational exposure; inflamma
interrogans rodents, dogs
water- and foodborne covering
liver and

Inflamma
Raw contaminated
Numerous Worldwide in intestine
Listeria milk, cheese, mud,
Listeriosis mammals, cool covering
monocytogenes water, and vegetables
birds environments blood po
are infectious
infection

Lyme disease
Borrelia species Deer, rodents Worldwide Ticks Fever, blo
(Borreliosis)

Lung dise
Mycobacterium elderly; s
Many species
avium- througho
Mycobacteriosis of mammals, Worldwide Primarily waterborne
intracellulare immuno
some birds
complex especiall
with AIDS

Wound in
Many species inflamma
Pasteurella
of animals, Wounds, scratches, connecti
Pasteurellosis multocida and Worldwide
especially bites blood po
other species
dogs and cats inflamma
covering

Areas of
Rodents, cats, Western US, Skin rash
Fleas, airborne
rabbits, South enlargem
Plague Yersinia pestis particles, handling
related America, Asia nodes, p
infected animals
animals and Africa; blood po
rare

Psittacosis and Chlamydophila Parakeets, Worldwide; Exposure to airborne Pneumo

ornithosis psittaci parrots, other common particles poisonin

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

domestic
birds

No animal
reservoir for
Relapsin
louseborne
Relapsing fever Borrelia Occasional Crushing infected lice, 3 to 5 da
form; wild
(Borreliosis) recurrentis epidemics tick bites episodes
rodents
poisonin
(tickborne
form)

Foodborne infection,
Horses,
especially in the
livestock, Inflamma
Salmonella Worldwide; elderly, infants, or
Salmonellosis dogs, cats, intestine
enterica very common immunocompromised;
reptiles, poisonin
work-related and
amphibians
recreational exposure

Southern tick- Bull’s eye

associated rash Borrelia lonestari Uncertain Southern US Ticks arthritis,
illness poisonin

Inflamma
Horses,
throat an
livestock;
Streptococcus Ingestion, especially of tissues, p
Streptococcal occasionally
pyogenes, other Worldwide raw milk; direct inflamma
infections other animals
streptococci contact covering
including
arthritis,
dogs, cats
poisonin

Principally
Muscle s
herbivores,
contracti
but all animals Wound infection and
Tetanus Clostridium tetani Worldwide (especial
may be injections
seizures,
intestinal
mortality
carriers

Worldwide; Skin rash

Tuberculosis (See
Mycobacterium Livestock, rare in US, Ingestion, inhalation, inflamma
also
bovis monkeys Canada, work-related exposure nodes an
Mycobacteriosis.)
Europe intestine

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

Monkeys and
other Lung dise
primates; inflamma
Exposure to animals
Mycobacterium dogs, cats, nodes an
Worldwide infected with human
tuberculosis and other covering
tuberculosis
domestic widespre
animals, but abscesse
only rarely

Skin ulce
Polar regions Work-related and inflamma
Francisella Rabbits, of America, recreational exposure; throat, ly
Tularemia
tularensis rodents, cats Europe, and insect bites; ingestion; and intes
Asia inhalation pneumo
poisonin

Mammals,
Inflamma
Yersinia birds, Temperate Ingestion; recreational
Yersiniosis lymph no
pseudotuberculosis puppies, zones exposure
intestine
kittens

Domestic Inflamma
animals, intestine
Yersinia Temperate Ingestion; recreational
especially without b
enterocolitica zones exposure
pigs, dogs, stools, ar
cats poisonin

Rickettsial Diseases

Ehrlichia Deer, rodents, Fever, he

Ehrlichiosis US, Japan Ticks
chaffeensis horses, dogs fatigue, m

Anaplasma Deer, rodents, Fever, he

Worldwide Ticks
phagocytophilum horses, dogs fatigue, m

Fever, infl
Ehrlichia sennetsu Uncertain Japan Ticks the lymp
blood po

Fever, he
Ehrlichia ewingi Uncertain Missouri Dogs
fatigue, m

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

Livestock, Mainly airborne;

Fever, pn
cats, dogs, exposure to placenta,
Q fever (Query Worldwide; inflamma
Coxiella burnetii rodents, other birth tissues, animal
fever) common liver and
mammals, excreta; occasionally
the hear
birds ticks and milk

Rocky Mountain Rabbits, field Western Bite of infected ticks, Fever, ra

Rickettsia rickettsii
spotted fever mice, dogs hemisphere also from crushing tick poisonin

Fever, m
Spotted fever Dogs and Western Likely Gulf Coast tick widespre
Rickettsia parkeri
group possibly cats hemisphere and other related ticks muscles
rash

Fungal Diseases

Skin and
membra
Candidiasis Birds and Direct contact; often blood po
Candida species Worldwide
(Moniliasis) mammals person to person spread to
immuno
persons

Self-limit
Pigeons, the lungs
cockatoos, inflamma
Environmental
Cryptococcus cats, other covering
Cryptococcosis Worldwide exposure, especially
neoformans mammals; and syste
pigeon nests
principally spread in
environmental immuno
persons

Environmental
Dogs; Flu-like, p
exposure; grows
Histoplasma principally system-w
Histoplasmosis Worldwide abundantly in feces of
capsulatum environmental immuno
chickens, blackbirds,
in river valleys persons
bats

Skin and
Microsporum, Dogs, cats,
Direct contact with rarely, w
Ringworm Trichophyton, and cattle,
Worldwide infected animals or skin invo
(Dermatophytosis) Epidermophyton rodents, other
material (bedding) immuno
species animals
persons

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

Horses, other
domestic and Skin ulce
laboratory course o
animals, birds; lymphati
Sporothrix Work-related contact,
Sporotrichosis primarily Worldwide and legs;
schenckii including with animals
environmental througho
in vegetation immuno
(moss) and persons
wood

Parasitic Diseases—Protozoans

Inflamma
intestine
Work-related contact and pers
Cryptosporidium Cattle, other
Cryptosporidiosis Worldwide and ingestion; immuno
parvum animals
waterborne persons)
inflamma
bladder

Beavers,
Water and less often Inflamma
porcupines, Worldwide;
Giardiasis Giardia lamblia food; person to intestine
dogs, other common
person persisten
animals

Southern Fever, en
Leishmaniasis Leishmania Dogs, wolves,
Asia, South Bite of infected sand the splee
(Kalaazar donovani and other wild
America, flies loss of re
[visceral]) other species canids
Africa blood ce

Dogs, wild
Raised b
Leishmania canids, Southern
Leishmaniasis ulcers on
tropica, L. rodents, Asia, South Bite of infected sand
(skin and spread to
braziliensis marsupials, America, flies
mucosal) membra
complex sloths, other Africa
persist o
wild mammals

Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasma gondii Mammals, Worldwide; Ingestion of feces of Fever an

especially common infected cats or found inflamma
cats, livestock, in meat or raw milk lymph no
birds wide, mu
disease i

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

immuno
persons,
brain abs
infection
result in
damage
nervous

Parasitic Diseases—Trematodes (Flukes)

Parasitic Diseases—Cestodes (Tapeworms)

Usually in
without s
Dipylidiasis (dog
Dipylidium Dogs, cats, Ingestion of dog or cat abdomin
tapeworm Worldwide
caninum fleas fleas pieces of
infection)
stool res
cucumbe

Parasitic Diseases—Nematodes (Roundworms)

Fever, wh
cough; ra
and extre
Ingestion of eggs shed
Larva migrans, Toxocara canis, T. wax and
Dogs, cats Worldwide in feces of dogs and
visceral cati months;
cats
involvem
may sett
and impa

Inflamma
lining of
and intes
Trichinella spiralis Pigs, rodents,
Worldwide, followed
and subspecies, T. horses, wild Ingestion of pork and
Trichinosis especially severe p
nativa, T. britovi, T. carnivores, flesh of wild animals
(Trichinellosis) subarctic joints, fa
nelsoni, T. marine containing cysts
region central n
pseudospiralis mammals
system o
muscle in
may follo

Parasitic Diseases—Others

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

Diseases Spread by Insects, Ticks, or Mites

Mites of
Sarcoptes,
Contact with infected
Cheyletiella, Domestic
Acariasis (Mange) Worldwide individuals or animals; Itchy skin
Dermanyssus, and animals
contaminated clothing
Ornithonyssus
species

Skin wou
infestatio
Cochliomyia infestatio
Tropical Eggs laid in fresh
Myiasis hominivorax Mammals mild; som
America wounds or on skin
(screwworm) shifting a
destructi
burrows

Cuterebra species
North Eggs laid in fresh
(rodent or rabbit Mammals See
America wounds or on skin
bot fly)

Dermatobia South Can invade living

hominis (human Mammals America, tissue; eats dead See
bot fly) Mexico tissue in wounds

Gasterophilus Can invade living

species (equine Mammals Worldwide tissue; eats dead See
bot fly) tissue in wounds

Envenomization
of ticks Inflamma
Dermacentor North of stoma
andersoni, D. America, intestine
Various Direct contact
Tick paralysis variabilis, and Australia, nerve pa
animals (attachment) with tick
sometimes Ixodes, South Africa, burning
Haemaphysalis, Ethiopia sensation
Rhinocephalus, noted
and Argas species

Viral Diseases

Colorado tick Colorado tick Ground Western US; Tick bites 2- to 3-ph
fever fever virus squirrels, common with infla

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

the brain
chipmunks, covering
porcupines, late phas
small rodents abdomin
vomiting

Sheep, goats, Raised ra

Contagious Orf virus Worldwide; Work-related
wild hoofed sores, us
ecthyma (Orf) (parapox) common exposure
mammals hands

Abrupt o
joint and
headach
Ebola gastroint
Primates and Central and Contact with infected
hemorrhagic Ebola and with vom
bats southern animals or animal
fever; Marburg Marburg viruses hepatitis
suspected Africa tissues
hemorrhagic fever bleeding
after ons
50 to 90%
20 to 30%

US, may be Fever, joi

Hantaviral Sin Nombre virus, more Aerosols from rodent respirato
Deer mice,
pulmonary Black Creek Canal widespread excretions and decrease
cotton rats
syndrome virus throughout secretions counts; d
Americas 40 to 50%

Direct contact with Respirato

Hendra virus Horses, fruit Australia
Hendra virus infected animals or inflamma
infection bats (Queensland)
contaminated tissue brain; ca

Ingestion of Fever, ga
Pigs, deer, contaminated fecal signs, jau
Hepatitis E Hepatitis E virus Worldwide
others matter or raw or be prolon
undercooked liver in pregna

Skin blist
Cercopithecine
Monkey bites and by severe
Herpes B virus herpesvirus 1 Old World Worldwide;
scratches; work- with seiz
disease (Herpesvirus monkeys rare
related exposure paralysis
simiae, B virus)
of cases

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

Birds, pigs,
other
mammals; Upper an
migratory respirato
Influenza type A waterfowl progress
Contact exposure;
(swine flu, avian Influenza virus serve as Worldwide; pneumo
animals rarely a
flu, bird flu, Hong (myxovirus) reservoirs and common secondar
source
Kong flu) carriers for pneumo
highly seasonal
pathogenic epidemic
avian
influenza

Usually m
Prairie dogs, smallpox
Gambian rats, even mil
West and
other African vaccinate
Monkeypox Monkeypox virus central Africa; Contact; aerosols
rodents, other smallpox
rare
pet rodents in the lymp
US, primates other gla
promine

Worldwide
except
Tingling o
Australia,
pain at b
New Zealand,
joint pain
Wild and Great Britain,
Lyssaviruses changes
domestic Ireland,
(Rabies virus, excessive
dogs, ferrets, Scandinavia, Bites of diseased
Rabies and rabies- Duvenhage virus, breathin
skunks, mink, Japan, animals; aerosols in
related infections Mokola virus, tingling o
civets, bats, Taiwan; many closed environments
Ibadan shrew paralysis
other smaller
virus) fear of w
mammals islands,
rate mor
including
other str
Hawaii, are
very rare
free of
infection

Severe acute Coronavirus Civet cats China, Direct contact Fever, joi
respiratory most likely southeast suspected, person to headach
syndrome (SARS) Asia person pneumo

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
 Principal
Causative Known Ways Spread to
Disease Animals Signs in
Organism Distribution Humans
Involved

rate 10%

Fever, ra
Eastern and Mosquito bites; blood elderly; i
Wild birds,
West Nile virus Western transfusion, tissue of the br
West Nile virus horses, other
infection hemisphere; transplant rarely; may accompa
mammals
common be milkborne paralysis
respirato

Prion Diseases

Primarily in
Prion protein
England,
(likely from
sporadic
Variant bovine Degener
cases in
Creutzfeldt-Jakob spongiform Cattle Ingestion of beef nervous
France,
disease encephalopathy, rapidly fa
Ireland, Italy,
also known as
Canada, US,
mad cow disease)
Japan

*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic wo
omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.

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