Zoonosis is the name given to diseases or infections that can be transmitted between humans and animals.

Many people interact with animals during their daily lives, and millions of households in the United States accept pets. Other people come into contact with animals through their piece of work, such as farming, or in the wild.

In this commodity, we expect at the common types of zoonotic diseases and how they tin can be prevented.

Chicken in chicken coop, which may spread zoonosis. Share on Pinterest
Many different types of animals may spread zoonotic diseases, including chickens.

Zoonosis refers to diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. They are sometimes chosen zoonotic diseases.

Animals can carry harmful germs, such as leaner, fungi, parasites, and viruses. These are then shared with humans and cause illness. Zoonotic diseases range from mild to astringent, and some tin can fifty-fifty be fatal.

Zoonotic diseases are widespread both in the U.S. and worldwide. The World Health Arrangement (WHO) estimates that 61 percent of all human diseases are zoonotic in origin, while 75 per centum of new diseases discovered in the concluding decade are zoonotic.

Before the introduction of new hygiene regulations effectually 100 years agone, zoonotic diseases such as bovine tuberculosis, bubonic plague, and glanders caused millions of deaths. They are all the same a major problem in developing countries.

Common zoonotic illnesses include:

Rabies

Rabies is a disease that affects the nervous system of mammals. It is usually caused past a virus and is transmitted if an infected animal bites a person or other animal.

Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms announced. However, rabies vaccines exist and are commonly available.

Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Lyme disease is transmitted through tick bites. Symptoms can range from mild to severe, but information technology tin be treated using antibiotics.

Dengue, malaria, and chikungunya

These are mosquito-borne diseases and are more common in sure areas, such as the Caribbean.

Symptoms include fever, vomiting, and headaches. It is vital to treat these conditions equally shortly every bit possible, equally they can exist fatal.

Salmonella infection

Salmonella is often acquired by treatment reptiles or amphibians that behave Salmonella, or by treatment infant chicks or ducks.

The illness usually lasts for between four and 7 days, and symptoms include diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. People can usually recover without medical treatment, although bourgeois measures are recommended.

E. coli infection

This infection is often acquired past touching infected animals or handling contaminated food. Cows besides have E. coli germs on their udders.

Frequently associated with food poisoning, salmonella tin can cause vomiting, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea. It is essential that infected people rest and drinkable enough of fluids.

Psittacosis

Also known as ornithosis or parrot fever, psittacosis is a bacterial disease that most ofttimes affects birds. Humans tin can get it from feathers, secretions, and droppings.

Symptoms include fever, headache, and dry cough. In serious cases, it may crusade pneumonia and crave a hospital visit.

Other types

There are hundreds of zoonotic diseases, simply many are rare. Other well-known types include:

  • anthrax
  • avian influenza or bird flu
  • bovine tuberculosis
  • brucellosis
  • cat scratch fever
  • Ebola
  • West Nile virus
  • Hansen'south disease (leprosy)
  • Zika fever
  • trichinosis
  • swine influenza
  • histoplasmosis

Zoonotic diseases can exist transferred from animals to humans in several different ways, including:

Direct contact

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Direct contact is one potential cause of the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Direct contact involves coming into contact with the bodily fluids of an infected animal, such equally saliva, blood, urine, mucus, or carrion.

This tin can happen considering of just touching or petting infected animals, or beingness bitten or scratched past i.

Water resources that are contaminated by manure can also contain a great variety of zoonotic leaner and therefore increase the take chances of that bacteria transferring to humans.

Indirect contact

Indirect contact involves coming into contact with an surface area where infected animals live or roam, or past touching an object that has been contaminated by an infected animal.

Common areas where this occurs include:

  • aquarium tanks
  • craven coops
  • pet baskets, cages, or kennels
  • pet food and water dishes
  • plants and soil where infected animals have been

Farmers, abattoir workers, zoo or pet shop workers, and veterinarians have an increased gamble of being exposed to zoonotic diseases. They can likewise become carriers and pass those diseases on to other people.

Vector-borne

A vector is a living organism that transfers an infection from an beast to a human, or some other beast.

They are oftentimes arthropods. Mutual vectors include:

  • mosquitoes
  • ticks
  • fleas
  • lice

The vector will bite the infected animal and and so bite a man, passing on the zoonotic illness.

Food-borne

Zoonosis tin come from contaminated animal food products, improper food handling, or inadequate cooking.

Around 1 in 6 American people will get sick at some point in their lives by eating or drinking contaminated nutrient or drink.

Common causes of zoonosis through nutrient-borne include:

  • unpasteurized milk
  • undercooked meat or eggs
  • raw fruit and vegetables contaminated with feces from an infected creature

Other causes

Global climatic change, the overuse of antimicrobials in medicine, and more intensified subcontract settings are also thought to influence the increasing rate of zoonotic diseases.

People with a weakened immune system are besides at greater risk. Common causes of immune-suppression include:

  • pregnancy
  • infancy
  • cancer handling
  • organ transplant
  • diabetes
  • alcoholism
  • infectious diseases, such as AIDS

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Practicing good hygiene by washing easily after handling animals and before preparing food may assist to prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases.

People come into contact with animals all the fourth dimension, but there are several steps a person can take to help prevent infection. These include:

  • Keeping easily clean: Washing hands with clean soap and running h2o afterwards existence around animals, fifty-fifty if non touching them, tin can stop germs spreading.
  • Choosing a pet wisely: Thoroughly researching types of pets and taking steps to be safe around them can help forbid disease.
  • Preventing bites from mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas: Using bug sprays, wearing long trousers and sleeves, and staying away from wooded areas can help prevent bites.
  • Handling food safely: A person can forestall infections, such every bit salmonella, by ensuring nutrient is cooked properly, that food grooming areas are clean, and past washing dishes and pots later on use.
  • Researching diseases earlier travel: Existence aware of the different types of zoonotic diseases when traveling and taking precautionary steps with vaccines are essential.