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ZOONOSES 

Note for Pet Owners:
 Zoonoses are diseases that are transmissible between animals and humans. Some of these diseases are extremely serious and potentially life-threatening . Others cause only transient, mild disease. 

At the time that an animal appears to be ill there is no way of knowing whether or not it has a zoonosis. In addition, some diseases (eg psittacosis or "Parrot Fever") can be carried by animals which do not show any outside signs of illness. For these reasons it is important to follow basic hygiene precautions such as washing hands after handling animals, and do not allowing animals to soil eating implements or plates. If your animal is ill use protective plastic gloves and clear up and dispose of any mess (eg urine and faeces) as soon as possible .

Children and people with poor immune systems (through natural causes or due to some drugs) are more susceptible to develop serious disease when they come into contact with zoonoses.

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Description

Zoonoses are diseases that are transmissible between humans and animals. Whilst the reported instances of transmission of disease between domesticated animals and humans are not that frequent, they nevertheless represent a significant disease prevalence. In addition it is likely that the incidence of zoonotic infections is higher than that reported in the scientific literature because many of the less well understood infections may not be accurately diagnosed by the medical and veterinary professions in first opinion practice. On the other hand, although the following list is formidable - many of the diseases are rare, and based upon statistical evidence, the chances of a human contracting a zoonotic disease from your pet is extremely small.

 

Cause
 Zoonoses can be caused by any form of infectious agent including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi ...even prions such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (so called "Mad Cow Disease".

Zoonoses in Different Species

The following diseases have been reported to be transmissible from animals to humans. : 

AMPHIBIANS

ANT-EATERS, ARMADILLOS, SLOTHS (Edentata)

  • Leprosy

BADGERS, OTTERS, SKUNKS, WEASLES (Mustelidae)

  • Mycobacteria bovis (tuberculosis)
  • Rabies

BATS

  • Duvenhage viruis
  • Histoplasmosis
  • Kasokero virus
  • Lyssavirus
  • Mokola virus
  • Salmonellosis
  • Rabies
  • Yuli virus

BEARS (Ursidae)

  • Trichinosis
  • Vitamin A toxicity - eating polar bear liver

BIRDS

CAMELS AND LLAMAS

CATS (Felidae)

CATTLE (Bovidae)

CIVETS, GENETS, MONGOOSES (Viveridae)

CROCODILIANS

 

DOGS (Canidae )

DOLPHINS, PORPOISES, WHALES (Cetacea)

ELEPHANTS (Proboscidae)

FERRETS

FISH

  • Anisakiasis
  • Botulism
  • Capillariasis
  • Cholera
  • Clonorchis sinensis
  • Diocytophymatid larvae (a nematode)
  • Diocytophyma renale (giant kidney worm)
  • Diphyllobothriasis
  • Echinostomiasis
  • Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae (rare)
  • Eustrongylides larvae (a nematode)
  • Fluke infection
  • Gnathostomiasis
  • Heterophyes 
  • Meliodiosis (rare)
  • Metagonimu yokogawai
  • Mycobacterium marinum (Fish TB - common)
  • Nanophyetiasis
  • Opisthorchiasis
  • Salmonellosis (S.java)
  • Trematodes
  • Troglotrema salmincola (human Nanophyetus salmincola)
  • Vibrio carchariae (post-shark bite)

GERBILS

GUINEA PIGS

HAMSTERS

HEDGEHOGS

HORSES AND PONIES

MARSUPIALS

MICE

  • Campylobacter
  • Cryptosporidiosis (rare)
  • Endemic typhus
  • Giardiasis (rare)
  • Hanta virus
  • Haemorrhagic fever (Argentine, Bolivian, Venezuelan)
  • HFRS  (common)
  • Hymenolepsis 
  • Junin virus
  • Lassa fever
  • Leptospirosis (rare)
  • Listeriosis
  • Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) - (common)
  • Murine typhus
  • Mycoplasmosis 
  • Pasteurellosis (common)
  • Rabies
  • Rat bite fever (rare)
  • Rickettsialpox
  • Ringworm  (common)
  • Salmonellosis (common)
  • Spirillium minus
  • Streptobacillus moniliformis
  • Tapeworms (common)
  • Tick-borne relapsing fever
  • Tularaemia
  • Yersiniosis (Plague)

 

PIGS (Suidae)

PRIMATES (NON-HUMAN)

  • Bertiella studeri
  • Campylobacter
  • Chimpanzee-associated hepatitis
  • Entamoeba polecki and histolytica
  • Giardiasis
  • Hepatitis A
  • Herpesvirus tamarinus
  • Marburg virus
  • Measles
  • Monkeypox (an orthopoxvirus)
  • Mycobacterium (leprosy) and bovis (tuberculosis)
  • Oesophagostomiasis
  • Salmonellosis
  • Simian Immunodeficiency Virus 
  • Shigella
  • Simian Herpesvirus B
  • Tularaemia
  • Yaba virus

RABBITS, HARES, PIKAS (Lagomorphs)

RACCOONS (Procyonidae)

RATS

REPTILES

  • Aeromonas
  • Edwardsiella (rare)
  • Mycobacterium ulcerans
  • Ophyionyssus natricis
  • Pentastomiasis
  • Plesimonas (rare)
  • Q Fever
  • Salmonellosis (common)
  • Sparganosis
  • Yersiniosis - Plague (common)

SEALS, SEA LIONS & WALRUSES (Pinnipedia)

  • Influenza A virus - causes conjunctivitis
  • Seal finger
  • Trichinellosis

SHEEP AND GOATS

SQUIRRELS

SKUNKS

SNAKES (Ophidia)

  • Aeromonas hydrophilia
  • Edwardsiella tarda (rare)
  • Escherichia coli
  • Mesocestoidiasis
  • Morganella morganii
  • Mycobacterium ulcerans
  • Ophyionyssus natricis
  • Pentastomiasis
  • Plesimonas (rare)
  • Proteus vulgaris
  • Providencia spp
  • Q Fever
  • Salmonellosis (common)
  • Sparganosis
  • Yersiniosis (common)

TURTLES TORTOISES  AND TERRAPINS

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