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Public health- zoonoses; diseases transmitted from pets to people
Zoonoses are diseases transmitted to humans from animals. Pets can be sick or healthy carriers of disease agents, and transmit diseases to people. Pet owners should be aware of these diseases as they represent an important public health issue.
Some zoonoses agents such as intestinal parasites are common in pets and some can be life threatening (i.e. Salmonellosis, Tuberculosis and Rabies). Consistent supervision and veterinary care can help prevent human infections and keep everybody healthy.
The table below summarize important zoonosis:
Disease |
agent |
carrier |
Transmission |
| Cat scratch disease | Bartonella | Cat | Cat scratch or bite |
| Chlamydiosis | Chlamydia | Birds | contact, air born |
| chronic enterocolitis | Hookworms | Dogs | Ingestion |
| Cutaneous larva migrans | Hookworms | Dogs | Contact |
| Giardiasis | Giardia | Dogs, Cats | Ingestion (pet contact, water) |
| Hydatid disease | Echinococcus | Dogs | Ingestion |
| Leptospirosis | Leptospira | Dogs, Rodents, Farm animals | Contact with urine, ingestion (water) |
| Lyme's disease | Borrelia | Ticks | Tick bite |
| Plague | Yersenia | Rodents, cats | Contact, air born |
| Rabies | Rabies virus | Warm blooded animals | Bite |
| Ring worms | Fungi | Dogs, Cats | Contact |
| Rocky Mountain spotted fever | Rickettsia | Ticks | Bite |
| Salmonellosis | Salmonella | Dogs, cats, birds, reptiles | Ingestion (pet contact) |
| Scabies | Mites | Dogs, cats | Contact |
| Toxoplasma | Toxoplasma | Cats | Ingestion |
| Tubercolosis | Mycobacterium | Reptiles, birds, Farm animals | Contact, Inhalation, Ingestion |
| Tularemia | Francisella | Ticks | Bite |
| Vibriosis | Campylobacter | Dogs, cats rodents | Ingestion |
| Visceral larva migrans | Roundworms | Dogs, Cats | Ingestion (pet and soil contact) |
More information from the CDC http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/