What to know
- Animals, including pets, can sometimes carry germs (like viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi) that can make people sick.
- These germs can cause many different types of illnesses in people and animals.
- Animals can appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick, depending on the disease.
The basics
There are many diseases that can spread between animals and people. These diseases are caused by harmful germs like viruses, bacterial, parasites, and fungi. These germs can cause many different types of illnesses in people and animals, ranging from mild to serious illness and even death. Animals can sometimes appear healthy even when they are carrying germs that can make people sick.
People can get diseases from animals by touching an infected animal, its poop or pee, or contaminated items in its environment.
A to Z list of zoonotic diseases
A
- Aeromonas Infection
- Ancylostoma braziliense Infection – see Hookworm Infection
- Ancylostoma caninum Infection (Hookworm Infection)
- Avian Influenza
B
- Bartonella henselae Infection
- Baylisascaris procyonis Infection (Raccoon Roundworm Infection)
- B Virus Infection (Herpes B Virus Infection)
- Bird Flu – see Avian Influenza
- Black Death – see Plague
- Borrelia burgdorferi Infection (Lyme Disease)
- Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (Mad Cow Disease)
- Brucella Infection (Brucellosis)
- Brucellosis (Brucella Infection)
- BSE – see Mad Cow Disease
- Bubonic Plague – see Plague
C
- C. neoformans Cryptococcosis
- Campylobacter Infection (Campylobacteriosis)
- Canine Influenza
- Capnocytophaga Infection
- Cat Scratch Disease
- Cave Disease – see Histoplasmosis
- Chlamydia psittaci Infection (Psittacosis)
- Contagious Ecythema – see Sore Mouth
- Contagious Pustular Dermatitis – see Sore Mouth
- Coxiella burnetti Infection (Q fever)
- Cryptococcosis, C. neoformans
- Cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium Infection)
- Cryptosporidium Infection (Cryptosporidiosis)
- CSD – see Cat Scratch Disease
- Cysticercosis (Pork Tapeworm)
D
- Dermatophyte Infection (Ringworm)
- Dipylidium Infection (Tapeworm Infection)
- Dog flu – see Canine Influenza
E
- Echinococcosis (Echinocococcus Infection)
- Echinocococcus Infection (Echinocococcus Infection)
- E. coli Infection (Escherichia coli O157:H7 infection)
- Erysipelothrix Infection
- Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection (E. coli Infection)
F
- Fish Tank Granuloma (Mycobacterium marinum Infection) [PDF – 4 pages]
- Francisella tularensis Infection (Tularemia)
G
H
- H3N8 Influenza – see Canine Influenza
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
- Herpes B Virus Infection (B Virus Infection)
- Herpesvirus simiae Infection – see B Virus Infection
- Histoplasma Infection – see Histoplasmosis
- Histoplasmosis (Histoplasma Infection)
- Hookworm Infection (Ancylostoma caninum Infection)
- HPS (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome)
L
- LCMV (Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis)
- Leishmania Infection (Leishmaniasis)
- Leishmaniasis (Leishmania Infection)
- Leptospira Infection (Leptospirosis)
- Leptospirosis (Leptospira Infection)
- Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi Infection)
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCMV)
M
- Mad Cow Disease – see Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection (MRSA)
- Microsporum Infection – see Ringworm
- Monkey B Virus Infection – see B Virus Infection
- Monkeypox
- MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection)
- Mycobacterium marinum Infection (Fish Tank Granuloma) [PDF – 4 pages]
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection (Tuberculosis)
O
P
Q
R
- Rabies
- Raccoon Roundworm Infection (Baylisascaris procyonis Infection)
- Rat-bite Fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis Infection, Spirillum minus Infection)
- RBF – see Rat-bite Fever
- Rickettsia rickettsia Infection (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever)
- Rift Valley Fever
- Ringworm (Dermatophyte Infection)
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Rickettsia rickettsia Infection)
- Roundworm Infection (Toxocariasis)
S
- Salmonella Infection
- Salmonellosis (Salmonella Infection)
- Sarcoptes scabeii Infection (Sarcoptic Mange)
- Sarcoptic Mange (Sarcoptes scabeii Infection)
- Scabby Mouth – see Sore Mouth
- Sore Mouth (Orf Virus Infection)
- Spirillum minus Infection (Rat-bite Fever)
- Sporothrix schenckii Infection (Sporotrichosis)
- Sporotrichosis (Sporothrix schenckii Infection)
- Streptobacillus moniliformis Infection (Rat-bite Fever)
- Swine Influenza
T
- Taenia solium Infection – see Cysticercosis
- TB – see Tuberculosis
- Taeniasis – see Cysticercosis
- Tapeworm Infection (Diplyidium Infection)
- Ticks
- Tinea – see Ringworm
- Toxocara Infection – see Roundworm
- Toxocariasis (Roundworm Infection)
- Toxoplasma gondii Infection (Toxoplasmosis)
- Toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii Infection)
- Trychophyton mentagrophytes Infection – see Ringworm
- Tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection)
- Tularemia (Francisella tularensis Infection)