List of Zoonoses: Introduction to Diseases Spread from Animals to People (Zoonoses): The Merck Manual for Pet Health

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Introduction to Diseases Spread from Animals to People (Zoonoses)

List of Zoonoses

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List of Zoonoses

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The following table lists the most important zoonoses that have been documented. Many of these are quite rare and only occur in certain areas of the world, or under certain conditions. The table is divided into categories, based on the type of organism that causes disease (for example, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and so on).

It is also important to note that, in the majority of zoonoses, infection is due to contact with a wild animal or an insect rather than a pet. For instance, where rodents are listed in the table, it is most commonly a wild rodent that is the source of disease, not one that has been bred and kept in captivity.

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

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Global Zoonoses*
Disease	Causative Organism	Principal Animals Involved	Known Distribution	Ways Spread to Humans	Signs in Humans
Bacterial Diseases
Anthrax	Bacillus anthracis	Horses, livestock	Worldwide; common in Africa, Asia, South America, eastern Europe	Work-related exposure; foodborne in Africa, Russia, and Asia; occasionally wounds or insect bites; rarely airborne	Skin rash, pneumonia, blood poisoning
Bordetellosis	Bordetella bronchiseptica	Dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs	Worldwide	Exposure to saliva or sputum	Pertussis-like pneumonia, usually in immunocompromised persons
Brucellosis	Brucella abortus	Cattle, bison, elk, caribou	Worldwide except North America	Work-related and recreational exposure	Fever lasting about a week, progressing to blood poisoning
	Brucella melitensis	Goats, sheep, camels	Worldwide	Milk, cheese, contact	Fever lasting about a week with arthritis, progressing to blood poisoning
	Brucella suis	Wild and domestic pigs	Northern hemisphere	Rarely airborne	Fever lasting about a week with arthritis, endocarditis; progressing to blood poisoning
	Brucella canis	Dogs	Rare	Exposure to infectious material	Fever lasting about a week with arthritis, endocarditis; progressing to blood poisoning
Campylobacter enteritis	Campylobacter jejuni	Dogs, cats	Worldwide	Mainly foodborne, milk, waterborne, or work-related	Inflammation of the intestines, arthritis, blood poisoning
	Campylobacter coli, C. fetus, C. laridis	Domestic pigs	Less frequent		Inflammation of the intestines, arthritis
Capnocytophaga infection	Capnocytophaga canimorsus, C. cynodegmi	Dogs, cats	US	Bites or scratches	Fever to blood poisoning
Cat scratch disease	Bartonella henselae, B. quintana	Cats	Worldwide	Scratches, bites, “licks”	Enlargement of the lymph nodes to blood poisoning; skin rash in persons with AIDS
Clostridial diseases (See also Tetanus below.)	Clostridium perfringens, type A	Domestic animals	Worldwide	Foodborne; occasionally wound contaminant	Inflammation of the intestines, gas gangrene, blood poisoning
	Clostridium septicum, C. novyi	Domestic animals	Worldwide	Wound infection	Inflammation of the intestines, gas gangrene, blood poisoning
Erysipeloid	Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae	Pigs, turkeys, pigeons, fish, marine mammals	Worldwide	Work-related, recreational exposure	Skin rash, blood poisoning
Escherichia coli infections (Only some infections are considered zoonotic.)	Certain strains of E. coli, including O157:H7 and others	Cattle, humans	North and South America, Europe, South Africa, Japan, Australia	Eating undercooked ground beef or food or water contaminated with cattle feces	Inflammation of the intestines, diarrhea, abdominal pain, kidney failure
Glanders	Burkholderia mallei	Horses and related species	Rare except for some regions in Asia	Work-related exposure	Mucous membrane or skin rash, pneumonia, fever, blood poisoning
Leptospirosis	Leptospira interrogans	Common in rodents, dogs	Worldwide	Work-related and recreational exposure; water- and foodborne	Fever, rash, pneumonia, inflammation of the covering of the brain, liver and kidney failure
Listeriosis	Listeria monocytogenes	Numerous mammals, birds	Worldwide in cool environments	Raw contaminated milk, cheese, mud, water, and vegetables are infectious	Inflammation of the intestines and the covering of the brain, blood poisoning, fetal infection
Lyme disease (Borreliosis)	Borrelia species	Deer, rodents	Worldwide	Ticks	Fever, blood poisoning
Melioidosis (Pseudoglanders)	Pseudomonas pseudomallei	Rodents	Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and US; rare	Wound infection and ingestion; organisms live in soil and surface water	Skin and lung lesions, hepatitis, organ abscesses
Mycobacteriosis	Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex	Many species of mammals, some birds	Worldwide	Primarily waterborne	Lung disease in elderly; spread throughout body in immunocompromised, especially persons with AIDS
Pasteurellosis	Pasteurella multocida and other species	Many species of animals, especially dogs and cats	Worldwide	Wounds, scratches, bites	Wound infections, inflammation of connective tissue, blood poisoning, inflammation of the covering of the brain
Plague	Yersinia pestis	Rodents, cats, rabbits, related animals	Areas of Western US, South America, Asia and Africa; rare	Fleas, airborne particles, handling infected animals	Skin rash, enlargement of lymph nodes, pneumonia, blood poisoning
Psittacosis and ornithosis	Chlamydophila psittaci	Parakeets, parrots, other domestic birds	Worldwide; common	Exposure to airborne particles	Pneumonia, blood poisoning
Rat bite fever	Streptobacillus moniliformis	Rodents	Worldwide; rare	Bites of rodents; can be water- or foodborne	Fever, skin rash, arthritis, blood poisoning
	Spirillum minus	Rodents	Asia	Bites of rodents; can be water- or foodborne	Fever, rash with plaques, wound reactivates, blood poisoning
Relapsing fever (Borreliosis)	Borrelia recurrentis	No animal reservoir for louseborne form; wild rodents (tickborne form)	Occasional epidemics	Crushing infected lice, tick bites	Relapsing fever (every 3 to 5 days, up to 10 episodes); blood poisoning
Salmonellosis	Salmonella enterica	Horses, livestock, dogs, cats, reptiles, amphibians	Worldwide; very common	Foodborne infection, especially in the elderly, infants, or immunocompromised; work-related and recreational exposure	Inflammation of the intestines, blood poisoning
Southern tick-associated rash illness	Borrelia lonestari	Uncertain	Southern US	Ticks	Bull's eye-shaped rash, arthritis, blood poisoning
Streptococcal infections	Streptococcus pyogenes, other streptococci	Horses, livestock; occasionally other animals including dogs, cats	Worldwide	Ingestion, especially of raw milk; direct contact	Inflammation of the throat and connective tissues, pneumonia, inflammation of the covering of the brain, arthritis, blood poisoning
Tetanus	Clostridium tetani	Principally herbivores, but all animals may be intestinal carriers	Worldwide	Wound infection and injections	Muscle spasms and contractions (especially facial), seizures, high mortality
Tuberculosis (See also Mycobacteriosis.)	Mycobacterium bovis	Livestock, monkeys	Worldwide; rare in US, Canada, Europe	Ingestion, inhalation, work-related exposure	Skin rash, inflammation of lymph nodes and the intestines
	Mycobacterium tuberculosis	Monkeys and other primates; dogs, cats, and other domestic animals, but only rarely	Worldwide	Exposure to animals infected with human tuberculosis	Lung disease, inflammation of lymph nodes and the covering of the brain, widespread organ abscesses
Tularemia	Francisella tularensis	Rabbits, rodents, cats	Polar regions of America, Europe, and Asia	Work-related and recreational exposure; insect bites; ingestion; inhalation	Skin ulcers; inflammation of the throat, lymph nodes, and intestines; pneumonia; blood poisoning
Vibriosis	Vibrio parahaemolyticus; V. vulnificus and other vibrios	Marine shellfish	Pacific basin, warm shores of Asia, Australia, North America; probably worldwide	Ingestion; wound infection	Inflammation of the intestines with diarrhea, abdominal pain, blisters and sores on skin; blood poisoning; more severe in immunocompromised individuals
	Vibrio cholerae	Crabs, shrimp, mussels	Worldwide except Europe; epidemic in some developing countries	Ingestion; wound infection	Severe diarrhea, dehydration; deadly if untreated
Yersiniosis	Yersinia pseudotuberculosis	Mammals, birds, puppies, kittens	Temperate zones	Ingestion; recreational exposure	Inflammation of the lymph nodes and intestines
	Yersinia enterocolitica	Domestic animals, especially pigs, dogs, cats	Temperate zones	Ingestion; recreational exposure	Inflammation of the intestines with or without blood in stools, arthritis, blood poisoning
Rickettsial Diseases
Boutonneuse fever, tick bite fever	Rickettsia conorii, related Rickettsia	Dogs, rodents, other animals	Europe, Asia, Africa	Bite of infected ticks	Skin burns or ulcerations, inflammation of the lymph nodes, rash, fever
Ehrlichiosis	Ehrlichia chaffeensis	Deer, rodents, horses, dogs	US, Japan	Ticks	Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches
	Anaplasma phagocytophilum	Deer, rodents, horses, dogs	Worldwide	Ticks	Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches
	Ehrlichia sennetsu	Uncertain	Japan	Ticks	Fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes, blood poisoning, fever
	Ehrlichia ewingi	Uncertain	Missouri	Dogs	Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches
Eperythrozoonosis	Mycoplasma (Eperythrozoon) species	Livestock	Worldwide (animals); reports of human infection in China, Yugoslavia	Direct contact; through the placenta; insects	Low blood iron levels, hemolytic jaundice, fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes, hemoglobin in the urine; many patients show no signs
Murine typhus	Rickettsia typhi and related species	Rats, cats, opossums, skunks, racoons	Worldwide	Infected rodent fleas, possibly cat fleas	Fever, skin rash, relatively mild
North Asian tickborne rickettsiosis	Rickettsia siberica	Wild rodents	Siberia, Mongolia, China	Bite of infected ticks	Skin burns or ulcerations, inflammation of the lymph nodes, rash, fever
Q fever (Query fever)	Coxiella burnetii	Livestock, cats, dogs, rodents, other mammals, birds	Worldwide; common	Mainly airborne; exposure to placenta, birth tissues, animal excreta; occasionally ticks and milk	Fever, pneumonia, inflammation of the liver and the lining of the heart
Queensland tick typhus	Rickettsia australis	Bandicoots, rodents	Australia	Bite of infected tick	Similar to Boutonneuse fever
Rickettsial pox	Rickettsia akari	Mice	Eastern US, Africa, Russia; rare	Bite of infected rodent mites	Scabbing, rash, fever; mild
Rocky Mountain spotted fever	Rickettsia rickettsii	Rabbits, field mice, dogs	Western hemisphere	Bite of infected ticks, also from crushing tick	Fever, rash, blood poisoning
Spotted fever group	Rickettsia parkeri	Dogs and possibly cats	Western hemisphere	Likely Gulf Coast tick and other related ticks	Fever, mild headache, widespread pain in the muscles and joints, rash
Scrub typhus	Orientia tsutsugamushi and related species	Rodents	“Typhus islands” in Asia, Australia, East Indies	Bite of infected larval trombiculid mites	Scabbing, rash, fever, possibly pneumonia
Typhus	Rickettsia prowazekii	Flying squirrels	Eastern US	Squirrel fleas or ticks suspected	Fever, rash, blood poisoning
Fungal Diseases
Actinomycosis	Actinomyces israelii, rarely other Actinomyces species	Mammals	Worldwide	Contact; rare	Fever, blood poisoning
Aspergillosis (Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis)	Aspergillus species	Birds and mammals; principally environmental in decaying vegetation or grains	Worldwide; sporadic	Environmental exposure	Pneumonia with system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons; chronic lung disease
Blastomycosis	Blastomyces dermatitidis	Dogs, cats, horses, sea mammals; principally environmental in moist soil	Worldwide	Environmental exposure; also reported by animal exposure	Pneumonia, skin or bone lesions
Candidiasis (Moniliasis)	Candida species	Birds and mammals	Worldwide	Direct contact; often person to person	Skin and mucous membrane lesions; blood poisoning and spread to organs in immunocompromised persons
Coccidioidomycosis	Coccidioides immitis	Livestock, horses, dogs, desert rodents, other animals; principally environmental in specific dry areas	Southwestern US, Mexico, Central and South America	Environmental exposure	Self-limited feverish illness; persistent inflammation of the covering of the brain or infection of the bone in immunocompromised persons
Cryptococcosis	Cryptococcus neoformans	Pigeons, cockatoos, cats, other mammals; principally environmental	Worldwide	Environmental exposure, especially pigeon nests	Self-limiting masses in the lungs; inflammation of the covering of the brain and system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons
Dermatophilosis	Dermatophilus congolensis	Livestock, horses, deer, other mammals	Worldwide	Contact; insects	Irritation of the skin with pus and peeling
Histoplasmosis	Histoplasma capsulatum	Dogs; principally environmental in river valleys	Worldwide	Environmental exposure; grows abundantly in feces of chickens, blackbirds, bats	Flu-like, pneumonia, system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons
Nocardiosis	Nocardia species	Dogs, other mammals; principally environmental in decomposing organic matter	Worldwide	Environmental exposure	Pneumonia, system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons
Pneumocystis pneumonia	Pneumocystis carinii (human strain)	Rodents, dogs, cats, cattle	Worldwide; common in persons with AIDS	Environmental exposure; person to person; source yet to be determined, nor have animal strains been verified as human pathogens	Pneumonia, fever, dry cough
Rhinosporidiosis	Rhinosporidium seeberi	Horses, cattle, dogs, and birds; unidentified environmental sources	Worldwide, persistant in South Asia	Environmental exposure	Nasal and other mucous membrane masses and polyps; may cause obstruction
Ringworm (Dermatophytosis)	Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton species	Dogs, cats, cattle, rodents, other animals	Worldwide	Direct contact with infected animals or material (bedding)	Skin and hair lesions; rarely, widespread skin involvement in immunocompromised persons
Sporotrichosis	Sporothrix schenckii	Horses, other domestic and laboratory animals, birds; primarily environmental in vegetation (moss) and wood	Worldwide	Work-related contact, including with animals	Skin ulcers may follow course of draining lymphatics of arms and legs; may spread throughout system in immunocompromised persons
Parasitic Diseases—Protozoans
Babesiosis	Babesia microti, B. bovis	Wild rodents, cattle	Worldwide; rare	Bite of infected ticks	Fever and breakdown of red blood cells, low blood iron levels, especially severe in immunocompromised persons; repeated or longterm infections may develop
	Babesia divergens	Mammals	Europe	Bite of infected ticks	See above
Balantidiasis	Balantidium coli	Pigs, rats, primates	Worldwide; low frequency	Ingestion, especially of water	Inflammation of the intestines; may involve the stomach
Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis)	Trypanosoma cruzi	Opossums, rodents, dogs, cats, other wild and domestic animals	Southern US, Mexico, Central and South America	Feces of triatoma bug; contaminated bite wounds, abrasions, or mucous membranes; blood transfusion; through the placenta; tissue transplantation (infrequent)	Short-term—erratic fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes, enlargement of the spleen and liver, skin rash, inflammation of the heart or brain; worse in immunocompromised Longterm—enlargement of the heart, colon, and esophagus
Cryptosporidiosis	Cryptosporidium parvum	Cattle, other animals	Worldwide	Work-related contact and ingestion; waterborne	Inflammation of the intestine (cholera-like and persistent in immunocompromised persons); inflammation of the bladder
Giardiasis	Giardia lamblia	Beavers, porcupines, dogs, other animals	Worldwide; common	Water and less often food; person to person	Inflammation of the intestines; may be persistent
Leishmaniasis (Kalaazar [visceral])	Leishmania donovani and other species	Dogs, wolves, other wild canids	Southern Asia, South America, Africa	Bite of infected sand flies	Fever, enlargement of the spleen and liver, loss of red and white blood cells
Leishmaniasis (skin and mucosal)	Leishmania tropica, L. braziliensis complex	Dogs, wild canids, rodents, marsupials, sloths, other wild mammals	Southern Asia, South America, Africa	Bite of infected sand flies	Raised bumps or ulcers on skin; may spread to oral mucous membranes and persist or recur
Malaria of nonhuman primates	Many species of Plasmodium	Monkeys, chimpanzees	Tropical Americas, Asia, Africa	Mosquitoes	Fever; human infection is rare
Microsporidiosis	Microsporidia, Enterocytozoon bieneusis, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Encephalitozoon hellem	Rodents, birds, other wild and domestic animals	Worldwide	Zoonotic transmission: contamination by feces; direct contact; waterborne possible; person to person common	Inflammation of the cornea of the eye (pain, redness, and visual blurring); short-term diarrhea (traveler's diarrhea); longterm diarrhea (immunocompromised persons)
Sarcocystosis (Sarcosporidiosis)	Sarcocystis suihominis, S. hominis	Pigs, cattle	Worldwide	Ingestion of raw pork or beef; ingestion of feces	Intestinal signs (from raw meat ingestion), muscular pain (from ingestion of feces)
Toxoplasmosis	Toxoplasma gondii	Mammals, especially cats, livestock, birds	Worldwide; common	Ingestion of feces of infected cats or found in meat or raw milk	Fever and inflammation of the lymph nodes; system-wide, multi-organ disease in immunocompromised persons, including brain abscess; infection of fetus may result in severe damage to central nervous system
Trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness)	Trypanosoma brucei, T. brucei rhodesiense, T. brucei gambiense	Wild and domestic dogs, other carnivores, ruminants	Africa; common south of the Sahara desert	Bite of infected tsetse fly	Painful sore at bite site, fever, headache, inflammation of lymph nodes, rash, drowsiness; gambiense disease may last years; rhodesiense disease may last weeks; both usually fatal without treatment
Parasitic Diseases—Trematodes (Flukes)
Clonorchiasis	Clonorchis sinensis (Chinese liver fluke)	Dogs, cats, pigs, rats, wild animals	Asia	Ingestion of raw or partially cooked infected freshwater fish	Inflammation of the gallbladder; longterm infections associated with disease of the liver or cholangiocarcinoma (tumor of the bile duct)
Dicrocoeliasis	Dicrocoelium dendriticum, D. hospes (lancet fluke)	Cattle, sheep, goats	Worldwide; Africa (D. hospes)	Ingestion of infected ants	Abdominal discomfort
Echinostomiasis	Echinostoma ilocanum and other Echinostoma species	Cats, dogs, rodents, fish	Asia	Ingestion of uncooked fish, shellfish, or contaminated water	Abdominal discomfort, diarrhea
Fascioliasis	Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica	Cattle, sheep, other large ruminants	Worldwide; Africa and western Pacific (F. gigantica)	Ingestion of contaminated greens (such as watercress)	Colic, jaundice; migrating skin lesions seen with F. gigantica
Fasciolopsiasis	Fasciolopsis buski	Pigs, dogs	Asian pig-raising regions	Ingestion of raw tubers and nuts of aquatic plants	Inflammation of the intestines with diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting; lack of appetite; facial, abdominal, and limb swelling may occur
Gastrodiscoidiasis	Gastrodiscoides hominis	Pigs, rats	Asia	Snails (larval flukes encyst on plants)	Mild diarrhea
Heterophyiasis	Heterophyes and other heterophids	Cats, dogs, foxes, fish-eating birds	Nile delta, Turkey, Asia	Ingestion of undercooked fish	Diarrhea with mucus; rarely heart or central nervous system involvement
Metagonimiasis	Metagonimus yokogawai	Cats, dogs, other fish-eating mammals, fish	Asia, Europe, Siberia	Ingestion of undercooked fish	Diarrhea with mucus
Opisthorchiasis	Opisthorchis felineus (cat liver fluke)	Cats, dogs, foxes, pigs	Eastern Europe, Asia, Siberia	Ingestion of uncooked fish containing encysted larvae	Fever; stomach pain associated with the bile system; enlarged liver due to inflammation of the bile ducts, abscess, or tumor of the bile duct
	Opisthorchis viverrini (small liver fluke)	Dogs, cats, fish-eating mammals	Thailand, Laos	Ingestion of undercooked fish containing encysted larva	See above
	Amphimerus pseudofelineus	Dogs, cats, coyotes, opossums	US, Central and South America	Undetermined	See above
Paragonimiasis (Lung fluke disease)	Paragonimus westermani, P. africanus, P. mexicanus, and other species	Dogs, cats, swine, wild carnivores	China, India, Myanmar, Africa, tropical America	Ingestion of raw or partially cooked infected freshwater crustaceans	Lung disease resembling tuberculosis; less often inflammation of the brain and its covering and spreading skin nodules
Schistosomiasis (Bilharziasis)	Schistosoma japonicum	Cattle, pigs, dogs, cats, rodents	Southeast Asia, China, Philippines	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	Some cases have sudden onset (especially S. japonicum, S. mansoni) with fever, chills, cough, diarrhea, enlargement of the spleen and liver. In other chronic cases, bloody diarrhea, high blood pressure, vomiting of blood, and enlargement of spleen, liver, and other organs may occur. Central nervous system problems may be seen.
	Schistosoma mansoni	Baboons, rodents, cattle, dogs	Africa, Arabia, tropical America	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
	Schistosoma mattbeei	Cattle	Southern Africa	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
	Schistosoma mekongi	Dogs, monkeys	Southeast Asia	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
	Schistosoma intercalatum	Cattle, sheep, goats, antelope	Central Africa	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
Swimmer's itch	Schistosome cercariae	Birds, mammals	Worldwide	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in fresh- and saltwater	Hives
Parasitic Diseases—Cestodes (Tapeworms)
Asian taeniasis	Taenia asiatica	Domestic and wild pigs, cattle, monkeys	East and southeast Asia	Ingestion of undercooked meat	Vague abdominal complaints; spreading of worms
Bertielliasis	Bertiella studeri, B. mucronata	Primates, certain nonparasitic mites	Asia, South America, Africa	Ingestion of infected insects	Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation
Coenuriasis	Taenia multiceps	Dogs and wild canids, sheep, other herbivores	Worldwide	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs in canine feces	Painless skin swelling; rarely neurologic involvement, including eye
	Taenia serialis	Rabbits	Africa, Europe, US; rare	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs in canine feces	See above
	Taenia brauni	Wild rodents	Africa	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs in canine feces	See above
Diphyllobothriasis (fish tapeworm infection)	Diphyllobothrium latum, D. pacificum	Humans, dogs, fish-eating animals, freshwater fish	Worldwide	Ingestion of raw or partially cooked infected fish	Usually without signs; may cause mild abdominal distress; rarely anemia
Dipylidiasis (dog tapeworm infection)	Dipylidium caninum	Dogs, cats, fleas	Worldwide	Ingestion of dog or cat fleas	Usually in children, without signs or mild abdominal distress; pieces of worms in stool resemble cucumber seeds
Echinococcosis	Echinococcus granulosus	Dogs, livestock, rodents, deer, moose	Worldwide but mostly in Mediterranean region and southern South America	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs	Cause lesions of organs such as lung, liver, kidney; rarely affects central nervous system
Echinococcosis	Echinococcus multilocularis	Foxes, rodents, dogs and wild canids, cats, voles, lemmings, shrews	Alaska, Canada, Asia, Central Europe	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs	Usually large masses in liver, occasionally affects lungs or central nervous system
	Echinococcus vogeli	Dogs, some rodents	Central and South America	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs	Usually involves liver, may invade adjacent tissues
Hymenolepiasis (dwarf tapeworm infection)	Hymenolepis nana	Humans, rodents	Worldwide	Accidental ingestion of tapeworm eggs or infected insects	Mild abdominal distress, may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting
Inermicapsifer infection	Inermicapsifer madagascariensis	Rodents	Africa, southeast Asia, tropical America	Ingestion of infected insects	Mild abdominal signs, if any
Mouse or rat tapeworm	Hymenolepis nana, H. diminuta	Rats, mice	Worldwide	Ingestion of infected insects (such as fleas or mealworms)	Mild abdominal signs of short duration
Raillietina infection	Raillietina species	Birds, mammals	Tropical America, east Asia, Australia, Africa	Ingestion of infected insects	Vague discomfort
Sparganosis	Spirometra species	Cats, dogs, pigs, ferrets, rats, chickens, snakes, frogs, mice, monkeys	Worldwide; uncommon	Ingestion of infected crustacean (water flea) or raw infected animal flesh or application of animal flesh to human	Nodular, itchy skin rash that can spread; conjunctival and eyelid lesions; other organ involvement including central nervous system
Taeniasis (beef tapeworm disease)	Taenia saginata	Cattle, water buffalo, reindeer, camels	Worldwide	Ingestion of undercooked meat containing larvae	Mild abdominal discomfort; tapeworm segments may appear in feces
Taeniasis (pork tapeworm disease); cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis	Taenia solium	Pigs, humans	Worldwide where pigs are raised (rare in US, Canada, United Kingdom, Scandinavia)	Ingestion of undercooked pork containing larvae	Usually no signs are seen for years until larvae result in central nervous system involvement (seizures) or involvement of the eye or heart; adult stage infection is mild or without signs
Parasitic Diseases—Nematodes (Roundworms)
Angiostrongyliasis	Parastrongylus costaricensis	Cotton rats, slugs	Central and South America, US	Accidental ingestion of slugs or plants contaminated by their secretions	May cause a syndrome resembling appendicitis, especially in children, called abdominal or intestinal angiostrongyliasis
	Angiostrongylus cantonensis	Rats, snails, slugs, prawns, fish	Japan, east and southeast Asia to Australia, Pacific Islands, Africa	Accidental ingestion of slugs or plants contaminated by their secretions	Inflammation of the covering of the brain, eye involvement occurs with decreased vision, eye muscle paralysis
Anisakiasis	Larvae of Anisakis and Pseudoterranova species	Fish, marine mammals and invertebrates	Japan, Holland, Scandinavia, western South America, western Europe, US	Ingestion of undercooked marine fish, squid, octopus	Inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines with pain may be accompanied by vomiting of blood; coughing
Capillariasis (intestinal)	Capillaria philippinensis	Aquatic birds, freshwater fish	Northern Philippines, Thailand, east Asia, Egypt	Ingestion of infected fish	Intestinal disease, diarrhea, vomiting
Capillariasis (liver)	Capillaria hepatica	Rodents, other wild and domestic animals	Worldwide in scattered locations	Ingestion of embryonated eggs in soil	Inflammation of the liver
Capillariasis (lung)	Capillaria aerophila	Dogs, cats, other carnivores	Worldwide	Accidental ingestion of infective eggs in soil or contaminated food	Fever, cough, bronchial spasm
Dioctophymosis (giant kidney worm infection)	Dioctophyma renale	Dogs, mink, other carnivores, frogs, fish	Europe, Asia, North and South America; rare	Ingestion of infected fish or frogs	Flank pain, kidney pain, blood in the urine, blockage of the ureter
Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm infection)	Dracunculus insignis	Raccoons, mink, dogs	North America	Ingestion of frogs and other hosts	Skin lesion that opens to reveal worm; allergic reaction and secondary infection may occur
Dirofilariasis (heartworm infection)	Dirofilaria immitis	Dogs, cats, ferrets, raccoons, mosquitoes	Worldwide	Bite of infected mosquitoes	Fever, cough; longterm damage to blood vessels or damage in the lungs; often without signs; rarely involves eye
Gnathostomiasis	Gnathostoma spinigerum	Dogs, cats, wild carnivores, freshwater fish	East Asia, India, Australia	Ingestion of infected fish or poultry	Shifting skin sores; may involve internal body parts or central nervous system
Gongylonemiasis	Gongylonema pulchrum	Ruminants, domestic and wild pigs, other mammals, beetles	Worldwide; rare	Ingestion of infected insects	Intestinal discomfort
Larva migrans, skin (See also Gnathostomiasis.)	Ancylostoma braziliense, A. caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala	Cats, dogs, wild carnivores	Worldwide in tropics and subtropics; common	Contact with infective larvae that penetrate skin	Itchy, slow-spreading, shifting skin lesions, usually of extremities; wheezing, cough, and hives may occur
	Strongyloides stercoralis	Cats, dogs, sheep, pigs	Worldwide in tropics and subtropics; rare to common	Contact with infective larvae that penetrate skin	Itchy hives, usually on buttocks, groin, or trunk, along with intestinal signs; spreading with lung or central nervous system disease may occur in immunocompromised persons
Larva migrans, visceral (See also Angiostrongyliasis and Anisakiasis.)	Toxocara canis, T. cati	Dogs, cats	Worldwide	Ingestion of eggs shed in feces of dogs and cats	Fever, wheezing cough; rash on trunk and extremities; may wax and wane for months; eye involvement (larvae may settle in retina and impair vision)
	Baylisascaris procyonis	Raccoons	North America, Europe	Accidental ingestion of eggs in soil or material contaminated with feces	Can cause fatal inflammation of the brain and membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord in infants; larvae may settle in retina and impair vision
Malayan filariasis	Brugia malayi	Cats, other carnivores, monkeys, mosquitoes	Asia; common	Bite of infected mosquitoes	Skin rash, may include lymph node involvement
Strongyloidiasis	Strongyloides stercoralis, S. fuelleborni	Dogs, cats, foxes, primates	Worldwide	Contact with infective larvae that penetrate skin	Frequently without signs; features include abdominal pain, diarrhea, hive-like rash (waist, buttocks); abdominal pain and swelling, shock, lung and neurologic complications, blood poisoning, and death may occur in immunocompromised persons
Thelaziasis	Thelazia species	Dogs, cats, other domestic and wild animals, flies	East and south Asia; rare	Infected insects	Conjunctivitis
Trichinosis (Trichinellosis)	Trichinella spiralis and subspecies, T. nativa, T. britovi, T. nelsoni, T. pseudospiralis	Pigs, rodents, horses, wild carnivores, marine mammals	Worldwide, especially subarctic region	Ingestion of pork and flesh of wild animals containing cysts	Inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines followed by fever, severe pain in the joints, facial swelling; central nervous system or heart muscle involvement may follow
Tropical eosinophilia	Brugia pahangi	Cats, other carnivores, monkeys, mosquitoes	Asia; common	Bite of infected mosquitoes	Skin rash, may include lymph node involvement
Parasitic Diseases—Others
Hirudiniasis	Limnatis nilotica and other leeches	Livestock, horses, dogs	Africa, Asia, Europe, Chile	Direct contact with leeches	Attaches to skin to suck blood; secondary infection may occur
Macracanthorhynchosis	Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus and other species (thorny-headed worms)	Domestic and wild pigs, beetles, squirrels, muskrats, dogs, sea otters, fish, crustaceans	Worldwide; uncommon	Ingestion of infected beetles	Inflammation of the intestines, may lead to gut perforation
Diseases Spread by Insects, Ticks, or Mites
Acariasis (Mange)	Mites of Sarcoptes, Cheyletiella, Dermanyssus, and Ornithonyssus species	Domestic animals	Worldwide	Contact with infected individuals or animals; contaminated clothing	Itchy skin lesions
Myiasis	Cochliomyia hominivorax (screwworm)	Mammals	Tropical America	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	Skin wounds; nasal infestations; intestinal infestation; usually mild; some may be shifting and destructive causing burrows and boils
	Chrysomya bezziana (Old World screwworm)	Mammals	Asia, Africa	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	See above
	Cordylobia anthropophaga (Tumbu fly)	Mammals	Africa	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	See above
	Cuterebra species (rodent or rabbit bot fly)	Mammals	North America	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	See above
	Dermatobia hominis (human bot fly)	Mammals	South America, Mexico	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Gasterophilus species (equine bot fly)	Mammals	Worldwide	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Hypoderma lineatum	Mammals	North America, Europe	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Hypoderma bovis (warbles)	Mammals	Asia, North Africa	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Oestrus ovis, Rhinoestrus purpurensis	Cattle	Worldwide	Eggs and their larvae	See above
	Wohlfahrtia species	Cattle	North America, Europe, North Africa, Asia	Eggs and their larvae	See above
Nanophyetiasis	Troglotrema salmincola	Raccoons, skunks, snails	North America, Russia	Ingestion of fish or fish eggs (roe)	Mild gastrointestinal signs
Pentastomid infections	Linguatula serrata, Armillifer species (tongue worms)	Dogs, snakes, other vertebrates	Northern hemisphere, worldwide	Ingestion of infected animal tissues, water, or vegetation	Usually without signs; pressure from larvae may cause signs in lungs or other organs, including central nervous system and eye
Tick paralysis	Envenomization of ticks Dermacentor andersoni, D. variabilis, and sometimes Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Rhinocephalus, and Argas species	Various animals	North America, Australia, South Africa, Ethiopia	Direct contact (attachment) with tick	Inflammation of lining of stomach and intestines followed by nerve paralysis; burning or prickling sensation may be noted
Tunga infections	Tunga penetrans (sand fleas, jiggers)	Dogs, humans, pigs, other mammals	Subtropical Africa, Americas, south Asia	Contact with contaminated soil	Penetration of skin and burrowing result in pain and itching; may be secondarily infected
Viral Diseases
Argentinean, Bolivian, Brazilian, or Venezuela hemorrhagic fever	Various arenaviruses	Rodents	Americas	Exposure to rodents or rodent excretions or secretions; person to person	Gradual onset of joint pain and fever; blood vessels may rupture, bleeding, central nervous system signs
Central European tickborne encephalitis	Central European encephalitis virus	Rodents, birds, goats, sheep	Europe	Tick bites; may be milkborne	2-phase illness with inflammation of the brain occurring in second phase; paralysis or psychiatric signs may develop
Colorado tick fever	Colorado tick fever virus	Ground squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, small rodents	Western US; common	Tick bites	2- to 3-phase illness with inflammation of the brain and its covering occurring in late phases; abdominal pain and vomiting may occur
Contagious ecthyma (Orf)	Orf virus (parapox)	Sheep, goats, wild hoofed mammals	Worldwide; common	Work-related exposure	Raised rash with sores, usually on hands
Cowpox	Cowpox virus	Cattle, rodents, domestic and wild cats	Worldwide; rare	Contact exposure	Blisters that may contain pus, usually on hands; regional inflammation of the lymph nodes
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever	Nairovirus	Cattle, rodents, sheep, goats, hares, birds	Africa, Middle East, central Asia, eastern Europe	Tick bites; work-related risk among animal workers	Fever, headache, inflammation of the throat, abdominal signs, rash, bleeding; very severe in pregnant women
Eastern equine encephalomyelitis	Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus	Wild and domestic birds, horses, mules, donkeys	Western hemisphere	Mosquito bites	Nonspecific fever, inflammation of the brain which may be severe and accompanied by seizures; neurologic signs occur in 30 to 50% of cases with inflammation of the brain
Ebola hemorrhagic fever; Marburg hemorrhagic fever	Ebola and Marburg viruses	Primates and bats suspected	Central and southern Africa	Contact with infected animals or animal tissues	Abrupt onset of fever; joint and muscle pain; headache; gastrointestinal signs with vomiting; rash; hepatitis; widespread bleeding 3 to 4 days after onset; death rate 50 to 90% for Ebola, 20 to 30% for Marburg
Encephalomyocarditis	Encephalomyocarditis virus	Rats, mice, squirrels, pigs, primates, elephants	Worldwide	Environmental contamination	Rare, sudden onset inflammation of the heart muscles
Far eastern tickborne encephalitis (Russian spring-summer encephalitis)	Far eastern (Russian spring-summer encephalitis) virus	Birds, small mammals, sheep	Asia, Europe; rare	Tick bites	Similar to central European tickborne inflammation of the brain; paralysis of shoulders and arms may be seen; fatality rate 20 to 25%; neurologic signs in 30 to 60% of survivors
Foot-and-mouth disease	Foot-and-mouth disease virus	Cattle, pigs, other cloven-hoofed mammals	Europe, Asia, Africa, South America	Contact exposure	Humans can become carriers but do not become ill
Hantaviral pulmonary syndrome	Sin Nombre virus, Black Creek Canal virus	Deer mice, cotton rats	US, may be more widespread throughout Americas	Aerosols from rodent excretions and secretions	Fever, joint pain, respiratory failure, decrease in blood cell counts; death rate of 40 to 50%
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome	Hantaan virus, Dobrava virus, Puumala virus, Seoul virus	Field mice, voles, rats	China, Siberia, Korea, Manchuria, Japan, Balkan countries, Europe	Aerosols from rodent excretions and secretions	Abrupt onset of fever, back pain, rupture of blood vessels, bleeding, kidney failure; death rate 5 to 15%
Hendra virus infection	Hendra virus	Horses, fruit bats	Australia (Queensland)	Direct contact with infected animals or contaminated tissue	Respiratory infection, inflammation of the brain; can be fatal
Hepatitis E	Hepatitis E virus	Pigs, deer, others	Worldwide	Ingestion of contaminated fecal matter or raw or undercooked liver	Fever, gastrointestinal signs, jaundice; may be prolonged; worse in pregnancy
Herpes B virus disease	Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 (Herpesvirus simiae, B virus)	Old World monkeys	Worldwide; rare	Monkey bites and scratches; work-related exposure	Skin blisters followed by severe encephalitis with seizures, coma, paralysis; fatal in 70% of cases
Influenza type A (swine flu, avian flu, bird flu, Hong Kong flu)	Influenza virus (myxovirus)	Birds, pigs, other mammals; migratory waterfowl serve as reservoirs and carriers for highly pathogenic avian influenza	Worldwide; common	Contact exposure; animals rarely a source	Upper and lower respiratory signs; may progress to influenza, pneumonia, or secondary bacterial pneumonia; seasonally endemic or epidemic
Japanese B encephalitis	Japanese encephalitis virus	Pigs, wild birds, horses	Asia, Pacific islands from Japan to the Philippines	Mosquito bites	Fever, intestinal signs to severe inflammation of the brain with seizures, paralysis; neurologic signs in up to 80% of survivors
Kyasanur forest disease	Kyasanur forest virus	Rodents, monkeys	India	Tick bites	Fever, rash, slowed heart rate; remission may be followed by inflammation of the brain and its covering
LaCrosse encephalitis	Bunyavirus species	Ground squirrels, other rodents	US, Canada	Mosquito bites	Fever, inflammation of the brain with seizures, paralysis, and other focal neurologic signs
Lassa fever	Lassa virus	Wild rodents	Africa	Exposure to rodents or rodent excretions or secretions; person to person	Gradual onset of joint pain and fever; may develop severe swelling of head and neck; fluid in lungs or chest; bleeding less common
Louping ill	Louping ill virus	Sheep, goats, grouse, small rodents	Great Britain, Northern Ireland; rare	Tick bites	2-phase illness with inflammation of the brain and its covering in second phase; relatively mild compared with central European tickborne encephalitis, which it resembles
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis	Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus	House mice, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters	Worldwide	Host excretions and secretions	Ranges from mild flu-like illness to severe inflammation of the covering of the brain in second phase; arthritis, swelling of the testes and/or salivary glands may occur; may cause abortion or birth defects
Menangle virus infection	Menangle virus	Pigs, fruit bats	Australia	Respiratory secretions, feces	Fever
Milker's nodules (Pseudocowpox)	Pseudocowpox virus	Cattle	Worldwide; common	Work-related exposure to cattle	Painless, red nodules or bumps on skin, will resolve without treatment
Monkeypox	Monkeypox virus	Prairie dogs, Gambian rats, other African rodents, other pet rodents in US, primates	West and central Africa; rare	Contact; aerosols	Usually mild, smallpox-like disease; even milder in those vaccinated for smallpox; swelling of the lymph nodes and other glands prominent
Murray Valley encephalitis	Murray Valley encephalitis virus	Wild birds	Australia, New Guinea; rare	Mosquito bites	No signs in most infections; when disease occurs it can be severe inflammation of the brain with neurologic signs
Newcastle disease	Newcastle disease virus	Domestic fowl (poultry), wild birds	Worldwide; common	Work-related exposure	Conjunctivitis
New World hemorrhagic fever	Arenavirus	Rodents	Americas	Exposure to rodents or rodent excretions, secretions; person to person	Gradual onset of joint pain and fever; may develop rupture of the blood vessels, bleeding, central nervous system signs
Nipah virus infection	Nipah virus	Pigs, dogs, fruit bats, other animals	Malaysia	Direct contact with infected animals or contaminated tissue	Fever, headache, vomiting, inflammation of the brain; 30% death rate
Omsk hemorrhagic fever	Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus	Rodents, muskrats	Omsk, Siberia; rare	Tick bites; direct contact with ticks	2-phase illness with inflammation of the brain occurring in second phase; deafness may follow infection
Rabies and rabies-related infections	Lyssaviruses (Rabies virus, Duvenhage virus, Mokola virus, Ibadan shrew virus)	Wild and domestic dogs, ferrets, skunks, mink, civets, bats, other mammals	Worldwide except Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Japan, Taiwan; many smaller islands, including Hawaii, are free of infection	Bites of diseased animals; aerosols in closed environments	Tingling of the skin or pain at bite site, fever, joint pain, mood changes progress to excessively rapid breathing, general tingling of the skin, paralysis, seizures, fear of water; death rate more than 99%; other strains of virus very rare, but deadly
Rift Valley fever	Phlebovirus	Sheep, goats, cattle, camels	Africa; common to rare	Mosquitoes; contact during autopsy or handling of fresh meat	2-phase illness with slowed heart rate, rash or red spots on skin, bleeding
Ross River fever	Ross River virus	Undetermined	Australia, South Pacific Islands	Mosquito bites	Fever, pain in the joints, rash, may persist for months; bruises on lower extremities
St. Louis encephalitis	St. Louis encephalitis virus	Wild birds, poultry	Western hemisphere	Mosquito bites	Inflammation of the brain, hepatitis, painful urination; more severe in elderly
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)	Coronavirus	Civet cats most likely	China, southeast Asia	Direct contact suspected, person to person	Fever, joint pain, headache, diarrhea, pneumonia; fatality rate 10%
Sindbis virus disease	Sindbis virus	Birds	Eastern hemisphere; rare	Mosquito bites	Fever, arthritis, rash that may bleed, prominent joint pain
Tahyna fever	Bunyavirus species	Hares, rodents, other mammals	Europe, Africa	Mosquito bites	Fever, inflammation of the brain with seizures, paralysis, and other focal neurologic signs
Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis	Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus	Rodents, horses and related species	Western hemisphere; common	Mosquito bites	Most have nonspecific fever and illness; fewer than 5% progress to inflammation of the brain with death rate of 20% of those patients
Vesicular stomatitis	Vesicular stomatitis virus	Livestock, horses, bats, rodents, other wild mammals	North and South America	Contact exposure and insect bites, including mosquitoes and biting flies	Fever, joint pain, inflammation of the throat, enlargement of the lymph nodes, blisters around mouth or rectum
Wesselsbron fever	Wesselsbron virus	Sheep	Southern Africa, southeast Asia	Mosquito bites	Fever, muscle pain, increased sensitivity of skin, rash
West Nile virus infection	West Nile virus	Wild birds, horses, other mammals	Eastern and Western hemisphere; common	Mosquito bites; blood transfusion, tissue transplant rarely; may be milkborne	Fever, rash, worse in elderly; inflammation of the brain may be accompanied by paralysis and respiratory failure
Western equine encephalomyelitis	Western equine encephalomyelitis virus	Wild birds, poultry, horses, mules, donkeys, bats, reptiles, amphibians	Western and Central US, Canada, South America	Mosquito bites	Fever progresses to inflammation of the brain; worse in infants and children in whom neurologic signs are more likely
Yellow fever	Yellow fever virus	Monkeys, baboons	Tropical America, Africa	Mosquito bites	Fever, muscle pain, weakness; progressing to jaundice, slowed heart rate, liver and kidney failure in 20 to 50%; often fatal if bleeding occurs
Prion Diseases
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease	Prion protein (likely from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease)	Cattle	Primarily in England, sporadic cases in France, Ireland, Italy, Canada, US, Japan	Ingestion of beef	Degeneration of nervous system; rapidly fatal
*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic worms, have been omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.

Global Zoonoses*

Disease

Causative Organism

Principal Animals Involved

Known Distribution

Ways Spread to Humans

Signs in Humans

Bacterial Diseases
Anthrax	Bacillus anthracis	Horses, livestock	Worldwide; common in Africa, Asia, South America, eastern Europe	Work-related exposure; foodborne in Africa, Russia, and Asia; occasionally wounds or insect bites; rarely airborne	Skin rash, pneumonia, blood poisoning
Bordetellosis	Bordetella bronchiseptica	Dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs	Worldwide	Exposure to saliva or sputum	Pertussis-like pneumonia, usually in immunocompromised persons
Brucellosis	Brucella abortus	Cattle, bison, elk, caribou	Worldwide except North America	Work-related and recreational exposure	Fever lasting about a week, progressing to blood poisoning
	Brucella melitensis	Goats, sheep, camels	Worldwide	Milk, cheese, contact	Fever lasting about a week with arthritis, progressing to blood poisoning
	Brucella suis	Wild and domestic pigs	Northern hemisphere	Rarely airborne	Fever lasting about a week with arthritis, endocarditis; progressing to blood poisoning
	Brucella canis	Dogs	Rare	Exposure to infectious material	Fever lasting about a week with arthritis, endocarditis; progressing to blood poisoning
Campylobacter enteritis	Campylobacter jejuni	Dogs, cats	Worldwide	Mainly foodborne, milk, waterborne, or work-related	Inflammation of the intestines, arthritis, blood poisoning
	Campylobacter coli, C. fetus, C. laridis	Domestic pigs	Less frequent		Inflammation of the intestines, arthritis
Capnocytophaga infection	Capnocytophaga canimorsus, C. cynodegmi	Dogs, cats	US	Bites or scratches	Fever to blood poisoning
Cat scratch disease	Bartonella henselae, B. quintana	Cats	Worldwide	Scratches, bites, “licks”	Enlargement of the lymph nodes to blood poisoning; skin rash in persons with AIDS
Clostridial diseases (See also Tetanus below.)	Clostridium perfringens, type A	Domestic animals	Worldwide	Foodborne; occasionally wound contaminant	Inflammation of the intestines, gas gangrene, blood poisoning
	Clostridium septicum, C. novyi	Domestic animals	Worldwide	Wound infection	Inflammation of the intestines, gas gangrene, blood poisoning
Erysipeloid	Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae	Pigs, turkeys, pigeons, fish, marine mammals	Worldwide	Work-related, recreational exposure	Skin rash, blood poisoning
Escherichia coli infections (Only some infections are considered zoonotic.)	Certain strains of E. coli, including O157:H7 and others	Cattle, humans	North and South America, Europe, South Africa, Japan, Australia	Eating undercooked ground beef or food or water contaminated with cattle feces	Inflammation of the intestines, diarrhea, abdominal pain, kidney failure
Glanders	Burkholderia mallei	Horses and related species	Rare except for some regions in Asia	Work-related exposure	Mucous membrane or skin rash, pneumonia, fever, blood poisoning
Leptospirosis	Leptospira interrogans	Common in rodents, dogs	Worldwide	Work-related and recreational exposure; water- and foodborne	Fever, rash, pneumonia, inflammation of the covering of the brain, liver and kidney failure
Listeriosis	Listeria monocytogenes	Numerous mammals, birds	Worldwide in cool environments	Raw contaminated milk, cheese, mud, water, and vegetables are infectious	Inflammation of the intestines and the covering of the brain, blood poisoning, fetal infection
Lyme disease (Borreliosis)	Borrelia species	Deer, rodents	Worldwide	Ticks	Fever, blood poisoning
Melioidosis (Pseudoglanders)	Pseudomonas pseudomallei	Rodents	Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and US; rare	Wound infection and ingestion; organisms live in soil and surface water	Skin and lung lesions, hepatitis, organ abscesses
Mycobacteriosis	Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex	Many species of mammals, some birds	Worldwide	Primarily waterborne	Lung disease in elderly; spread throughout body in immunocompromised, especially persons with AIDS
Pasteurellosis	Pasteurella multocida and other species	Many species of animals, especially dogs and cats	Worldwide	Wounds, scratches, bites	Wound infections, inflammation of connective tissue, blood poisoning, inflammation of the covering of the brain
Plague	Yersinia pestis	Rodents, cats, rabbits, related animals	Areas of Western US, South America, Asia and Africa; rare	Fleas, airborne particles, handling infected animals	Skin rash, enlargement of lymph nodes, pneumonia, blood poisoning
Psittacosis and ornithosis	Chlamydophila psittaci	Parakeets, parrots, other domestic birds	Worldwide; common	Exposure to airborne particles	Pneumonia, blood poisoning
Rat bite fever	Streptobacillus moniliformis	Rodents	Worldwide; rare	Bites of rodents; can be water- or foodborne	Fever, skin rash, arthritis, blood poisoning
	Spirillum minus	Rodents	Asia	Bites of rodents; can be water- or foodborne	Fever, rash with plaques, wound reactivates, blood poisoning
Relapsing fever (Borreliosis)	Borrelia recurrentis	No animal reservoir for louseborne form; wild rodents (tickborne form)	Occasional epidemics	Crushing infected lice, tick bites	Relapsing fever (every 3 to 5 days, up to 10 episodes); blood poisoning
Salmonellosis	Salmonella enterica	Horses, livestock, dogs, cats, reptiles, amphibians	Worldwide; very common	Foodborne infection, especially in the elderly, infants, or immunocompromised; work-related and recreational exposure	Inflammation of the intestines, blood poisoning
Southern tick-associated rash illness	Borrelia lonestari	Uncertain	Southern US	Ticks	Bull's eye-shaped rash, arthritis, blood poisoning
Streptococcal infections	Streptococcus pyogenes, other streptococci	Horses, livestock; occasionally other animals including dogs, cats	Worldwide	Ingestion, especially of raw milk; direct contact	Inflammation of the throat and connective tissues, pneumonia, inflammation of the covering of the brain, arthritis, blood poisoning
Tetanus	Clostridium tetani	Principally herbivores, but all animals may be intestinal carriers	Worldwide	Wound infection and injections	Muscle spasms and contractions (especially facial), seizures, high mortality
Tuberculosis (See also Mycobacteriosis.)	Mycobacterium bovis	Livestock, monkeys	Worldwide; rare in US, Canada, Europe	Ingestion, inhalation, work-related exposure	Skin rash, inflammation of lymph nodes and the intestines
	Mycobacterium tuberculosis	Monkeys and other primates; dogs, cats, and other domestic animals, but only rarely	Worldwide	Exposure to animals infected with human tuberculosis	Lung disease, inflammation of lymph nodes and the covering of the brain, widespread organ abscesses
Tularemia	Francisella tularensis	Rabbits, rodents, cats	Polar regions of America, Europe, and Asia	Work-related and recreational exposure; insect bites; ingestion; inhalation	Skin ulcers; inflammation of the throat, lymph nodes, and intestines; pneumonia; blood poisoning
Vibriosis	Vibrio parahaemolyticus; V. vulnificus and other vibrios	Marine shellfish	Pacific basin, warm shores of Asia, Australia, North America; probably worldwide	Ingestion; wound infection	Inflammation of the intestines with diarrhea, abdominal pain, blisters and sores on skin; blood poisoning; more severe in immunocompromised individuals
	Vibrio cholerae	Crabs, shrimp, mussels	Worldwide except Europe; epidemic in some developing countries	Ingestion; wound infection	Severe diarrhea, dehydration; deadly if untreated
Yersiniosis	Yersinia pseudotuberculosis	Mammals, birds, puppies, kittens	Temperate zones	Ingestion; recreational exposure	Inflammation of the lymph nodes and intestines
	Yersinia enterocolitica	Domestic animals, especially pigs, dogs, cats	Temperate zones	Ingestion; recreational exposure	Inflammation of the intestines with or without blood in stools, arthritis, blood poisoning
Rickettsial Diseases
Boutonneuse fever, tick bite fever	Rickettsia conorii, related Rickettsia	Dogs, rodents, other animals	Europe, Asia, Africa	Bite of infected ticks	Skin burns or ulcerations, inflammation of the lymph nodes, rash, fever
Ehrlichiosis	Ehrlichia chaffeensis	Deer, rodents, horses, dogs	US, Japan	Ticks	Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches
	Anaplasma phagocytophilum	Deer, rodents, horses, dogs	Worldwide	Ticks	Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches
	Ehrlichia sennetsu	Uncertain	Japan	Ticks	Fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes, blood poisoning, fever
	Ehrlichia ewingi	Uncertain	Missouri	Dogs	Fever, headache, fatigue, muscle aches
Eperythrozoonosis	Mycoplasma (Eperythrozoon) species	Livestock	Worldwide (animals); reports of human infection in China, Yugoslavia	Direct contact; through the placenta; insects	Low blood iron levels, hemolytic jaundice, fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes, hemoglobin in the urine; many patients show no signs
Murine typhus	Rickettsia typhi and related species	Rats, cats, opossums, skunks, racoons	Worldwide	Infected rodent fleas, possibly cat fleas	Fever, skin rash, relatively mild
North Asian tickborne rickettsiosis	Rickettsia siberica	Wild rodents	Siberia, Mongolia, China	Bite of infected ticks	Skin burns or ulcerations, inflammation of the lymph nodes, rash, fever
Q fever (Query fever)	Coxiella burnetii	Livestock, cats, dogs, rodents, other mammals, birds	Worldwide; common	Mainly airborne; exposure to placenta, birth tissues, animal excreta; occasionally ticks and milk	Fever, pneumonia, inflammation of the liver and the lining of the heart
Queensland tick typhus	Rickettsia australis	Bandicoots, rodents	Australia	Bite of infected tick	Similar to Boutonneuse fever
Rickettsial pox	Rickettsia akari	Mice	Eastern US, Africa, Russia; rare	Bite of infected rodent mites	Scabbing, rash, fever; mild
Rocky Mountain spotted fever	Rickettsia rickettsii	Rabbits, field mice, dogs	Western hemisphere	Bite of infected ticks, also from crushing tick	Fever, rash, blood poisoning
Spotted fever group	Rickettsia parkeri	Dogs and possibly cats	Western hemisphere	Likely Gulf Coast tick and other related ticks	Fever, mild headache, widespread pain in the muscles and joints, rash
Scrub typhus	Orientia tsutsugamushi and related species	Rodents	“Typhus islands” in Asia, Australia, East Indies	Bite of infected larval trombiculid mites	Scabbing, rash, fever, possibly pneumonia
Typhus	Rickettsia prowazekii	Flying squirrels	Eastern US	Squirrel fleas or ticks suspected	Fever, rash, blood poisoning
Fungal Diseases
Actinomycosis	Actinomyces israelii, rarely other Actinomyces species	Mammals	Worldwide	Contact; rare	Fever, blood poisoning
Aspergillosis (Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis)	Aspergillus species	Birds and mammals; principally environmental in decaying vegetation or grains	Worldwide; sporadic	Environmental exposure	Pneumonia with system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons; chronic lung disease
Blastomycosis	Blastomyces dermatitidis	Dogs, cats, horses, sea mammals; principally environmental in moist soil	Worldwide	Environmental exposure; also reported by animal exposure	Pneumonia, skin or bone lesions
Candidiasis (Moniliasis)	Candida species	Birds and mammals	Worldwide	Direct contact; often person to person	Skin and mucous membrane lesions; blood poisoning and spread to organs in immunocompromised persons
Coccidioidomycosis	Coccidioides immitis	Livestock, horses, dogs, desert rodents, other animals; principally environmental in specific dry areas	Southwestern US, Mexico, Central and South America	Environmental exposure	Self-limited feverish illness; persistent inflammation of the covering of the brain or infection of the bone in immunocompromised persons
Cryptococcosis	Cryptococcus neoformans	Pigeons, cockatoos, cats, other mammals; principally environmental	Worldwide	Environmental exposure, especially pigeon nests	Self-limiting masses in the lungs; inflammation of the covering of the brain and system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons
Dermatophilosis	Dermatophilus congolensis	Livestock, horses, deer, other mammals	Worldwide	Contact; insects	Irritation of the skin with pus and peeling
Histoplasmosis	Histoplasma capsulatum	Dogs; principally environmental in river valleys	Worldwide	Environmental exposure; grows abundantly in feces of chickens, blackbirds, bats	Flu-like, pneumonia, system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons
Nocardiosis	Nocardia species	Dogs, other mammals; principally environmental in decomposing organic matter	Worldwide	Environmental exposure	Pneumonia, system-wide spread in immunocompromised persons
Pneumocystis pneumonia	Pneumocystis carinii (human strain)	Rodents, dogs, cats, cattle	Worldwide; common in persons with AIDS	Environmental exposure; person to person; source yet to be determined, nor have animal strains been verified as human pathogens	Pneumonia, fever, dry cough
Rhinosporidiosis	Rhinosporidium seeberi	Horses, cattle, dogs, and birds; unidentified environmental sources	Worldwide, persistant in South Asia	Environmental exposure	Nasal and other mucous membrane masses and polyps; may cause obstruction
Ringworm (Dermatophytosis)	Microsporum, Trichophyton, and Epidermophyton species	Dogs, cats, cattle, rodents, other animals	Worldwide	Direct contact with infected animals or material (bedding)	Skin and hair lesions; rarely, widespread skin involvement in immunocompromised persons
Sporotrichosis	Sporothrix schenckii	Horses, other domestic and laboratory animals, birds; primarily environmental in vegetation (moss) and wood	Worldwide	Work-related contact, including with animals	Skin ulcers may follow course of draining lymphatics of arms and legs; may spread throughout system in immunocompromised persons
Parasitic Diseases—Protozoans
Babesiosis	Babesia microti, B. bovis	Wild rodents, cattle	Worldwide; rare	Bite of infected ticks	Fever and breakdown of red blood cells, low blood iron levels, especially severe in immunocompromised persons; repeated or longterm infections may develop
	Babesia divergens	Mammals	Europe	Bite of infected ticks	See above
Balantidiasis	Balantidium coli	Pigs, rats, primates	Worldwide; low frequency	Ingestion, especially of water	Inflammation of the intestines; may involve the stomach
Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis)	Trypanosoma cruzi	Opossums, rodents, dogs, cats, other wild and domestic animals	Southern US, Mexico, Central and South America	Feces of triatoma bug; contaminated bite wounds, abrasions, or mucous membranes; blood transfusion; through the placenta; tissue transplantation (infrequent)	Short-term—erratic fever, inflammation of the lymph nodes, enlargement of the spleen and liver, skin rash, inflammation of the heart or brain; worse in immunocompromised Longterm—enlargement of the heart, colon, and esophagus
Cryptosporidiosis	Cryptosporidium parvum	Cattle, other animals	Worldwide	Work-related contact and ingestion; waterborne	Inflammation of the intestine (cholera-like and persistent in immunocompromised persons); inflammation of the bladder
Giardiasis	Giardia lamblia	Beavers, porcupines, dogs, other animals	Worldwide; common	Water and less often food; person to person	Inflammation of the intestines; may be persistent
Leishmaniasis (Kalaazar [visceral])	Leishmania donovani and other species	Dogs, wolves, other wild canids	Southern Asia, South America, Africa	Bite of infected sand flies	Fever, enlargement of the spleen and liver, loss of red and white blood cells
Leishmaniasis (skin and mucosal)	Leishmania tropica, L. braziliensis complex	Dogs, wild canids, rodents, marsupials, sloths, other wild mammals	Southern Asia, South America, Africa	Bite of infected sand flies	Raised bumps or ulcers on skin; may spread to oral mucous membranes and persist or recur
Malaria of nonhuman primates	Many species of Plasmodium	Monkeys, chimpanzees	Tropical Americas, Asia, Africa	Mosquitoes	Fever; human infection is rare
Microsporidiosis	Microsporidia, Enterocytozoon bieneusis, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Encephalitozoon hellem	Rodents, birds, other wild and domestic animals	Worldwide	Zoonotic transmission: contamination by feces; direct contact; waterborne possible; person to person common	Inflammation of the cornea of the eye (pain, redness, and visual blurring); short-term diarrhea (traveler's diarrhea); longterm diarrhea (immunocompromised persons)
Sarcocystosis (Sarcosporidiosis)	Sarcocystis suihominis, S. hominis	Pigs, cattle	Worldwide	Ingestion of raw pork or beef; ingestion of feces	Intestinal signs (from raw meat ingestion), muscular pain (from ingestion of feces)
Toxoplasmosis	Toxoplasma gondii	Mammals, especially cats, livestock, birds	Worldwide; common	Ingestion of feces of infected cats or found in meat or raw milk	Fever and inflammation of the lymph nodes; system-wide, multi-organ disease in immunocompromised persons, including brain abscess; infection of fetus may result in severe damage to central nervous system
Trypanosomiasis (African sleeping sickness)	Trypanosoma brucei, T. brucei rhodesiense, T. brucei gambiense	Wild and domestic dogs, other carnivores, ruminants	Africa; common south of the Sahara desert	Bite of infected tsetse fly	Painful sore at bite site, fever, headache, inflammation of lymph nodes, rash, drowsiness; gambiense disease may last years; rhodesiense disease may last weeks; both usually fatal without treatment
Parasitic Diseases—Trematodes (Flukes)
Clonorchiasis	Clonorchis sinensis (Chinese liver fluke)	Dogs, cats, pigs, rats, wild animals	Asia	Ingestion of raw or partially cooked infected freshwater fish	Inflammation of the gallbladder; longterm infections associated with disease of the liver or cholangiocarcinoma (tumor of the bile duct)
Dicrocoeliasis	Dicrocoelium dendriticum, D. hospes (lancet fluke)	Cattle, sheep, goats	Worldwide; Africa (D. hospes)	Ingestion of infected ants	Abdominal discomfort
Echinostomiasis	Echinostoma ilocanum and other Echinostoma species	Cats, dogs, rodents, fish	Asia	Ingestion of uncooked fish, shellfish, or contaminated water	Abdominal discomfort, diarrhea
Fascioliasis	Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica	Cattle, sheep, other large ruminants	Worldwide; Africa and western Pacific (F. gigantica)	Ingestion of contaminated greens (such as watercress)	Colic, jaundice; migrating skin lesions seen with F. gigantica
Fasciolopsiasis	Fasciolopsis buski	Pigs, dogs	Asian pig-raising regions	Ingestion of raw tubers and nuts of aquatic plants	Inflammation of the intestines with diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting; lack of appetite; facial, abdominal, and limb swelling may occur
Gastrodiscoidiasis	Gastrodiscoides hominis	Pigs, rats	Asia	Snails (larval flukes encyst on plants)	Mild diarrhea
Heterophyiasis	Heterophyes and other heterophids	Cats, dogs, foxes, fish-eating birds	Nile delta, Turkey, Asia	Ingestion of undercooked fish	Diarrhea with mucus; rarely heart or central nervous system involvement
Metagonimiasis	Metagonimus yokogawai	Cats, dogs, other fish-eating mammals, fish	Asia, Europe, Siberia	Ingestion of undercooked fish	Diarrhea with mucus
Opisthorchiasis	Opisthorchis felineus (cat liver fluke)	Cats, dogs, foxes, pigs	Eastern Europe, Asia, Siberia	Ingestion of uncooked fish containing encysted larvae	Fever; stomach pain associated with the bile system; enlarged liver due to inflammation of the bile ducts, abscess, or tumor of the bile duct
	Opisthorchis viverrini (small liver fluke)	Dogs, cats, fish-eating mammals	Thailand, Laos	Ingestion of undercooked fish containing encysted larva	See above
	Amphimerus pseudofelineus	Dogs, cats, coyotes, opossums	US, Central and South America	Undetermined	See above
Paragonimiasis (Lung fluke disease)	Paragonimus westermani, P. africanus, P. mexicanus, and other species	Dogs, cats, swine, wild carnivores	China, India, Myanmar, Africa, tropical America	Ingestion of raw or partially cooked infected freshwater crustaceans	Lung disease resembling tuberculosis; less often inflammation of the brain and its covering and spreading skin nodules
Schistosomiasis (Bilharziasis)	Schistosoma japonicum	Cattle, pigs, dogs, cats, rodents	Southeast Asia, China, Philippines	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	Some cases have sudden onset (especially S. japonicum, S. mansoni) with fever, chills, cough, diarrhea, enlargement of the spleen and liver. In other chronic cases, bloody diarrhea, high blood pressure, vomiting of blood, and enlargement of spleen, liver, and other organs may occur. Central nervous system problems may be seen.
	Schistosoma mansoni	Baboons, rodents, cattle, dogs	Africa, Arabia, tropical America	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
	Schistosoma mattbeei	Cattle	Southern Africa	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
	Schistosoma mekongi	Dogs, monkeys	Southeast Asia	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
	Schistosoma intercalatum	Cattle, sheep, goats, antelope	Central Africa	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in water	See above
Swimmer's itch	Schistosome cercariae	Birds, mammals	Worldwide	Penetration of unbroken skin by larvae from infected snails in fresh- and saltwater	Hives
Parasitic Diseases—Cestodes (Tapeworms)
Asian taeniasis	Taenia asiatica	Domestic and wild pigs, cattle, monkeys	East and southeast Asia	Ingestion of undercooked meat	Vague abdominal complaints; spreading of worms
Bertielliasis	Bertiella studeri, B. mucronata	Primates, certain nonparasitic mites	Asia, South America, Africa	Ingestion of infected insects	Abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation
Coenuriasis	Taenia multiceps	Dogs and wild canids, sheep, other herbivores	Worldwide	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs in canine feces	Painless skin swelling; rarely neurologic involvement, including eye
	Taenia serialis	Rabbits	Africa, Europe, US; rare	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs in canine feces	See above
	Taenia brauni	Wild rodents	Africa	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs in canine feces	See above
Diphyllobothriasis (fish tapeworm infection)	Diphyllobothrium latum, D. pacificum	Humans, dogs, fish-eating animals, freshwater fish	Worldwide	Ingestion of raw or partially cooked infected fish	Usually without signs; may cause mild abdominal distress; rarely anemia
Dipylidiasis (dog tapeworm infection)	Dipylidium caninum	Dogs, cats, fleas	Worldwide	Ingestion of dog or cat fleas	Usually in children, without signs or mild abdominal distress; pieces of worms in stool resemble cucumber seeds
Echinococcosis	Echinococcus granulosus	Dogs, livestock, rodents, deer, moose	Worldwide but mostly in Mediterranean region and southern South America	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs	Cause lesions of organs such as lung, liver, kidney; rarely affects central nervous system
Echinococcosis	Echinococcus multilocularis	Foxes, rodents, dogs and wild canids, cats, voles, lemmings, shrews	Alaska, Canada, Asia, Central Europe	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs	Usually large masses in liver, occasionally affects lungs or central nervous system
	Echinococcus vogeli	Dogs, some rodents	Central and South America	Ingestion of tapeworm eggs	Usually involves liver, may invade adjacent tissues
Hymenolepiasis (dwarf tapeworm infection)	Hymenolepis nana	Humans, rodents	Worldwide	Accidental ingestion of tapeworm eggs or infected insects	Mild abdominal distress, may be accompanied by nausea or vomiting
Inermicapsifer infection	Inermicapsifer madagascariensis	Rodents	Africa, southeast Asia, tropical America	Ingestion of infected insects	Mild abdominal signs, if any
Mouse or rat tapeworm	Hymenolepis nana, H. diminuta	Rats, mice	Worldwide	Ingestion of infected insects (such as fleas or mealworms)	Mild abdominal signs of short duration
Raillietina infection	Raillietina species	Birds, mammals	Tropical America, east Asia, Australia, Africa	Ingestion of infected insects	Vague discomfort
Sparganosis	Spirometra species	Cats, dogs, pigs, ferrets, rats, chickens, snakes, frogs, mice, monkeys	Worldwide; uncommon	Ingestion of infected crustacean (water flea) or raw infected animal flesh or application of animal flesh to human	Nodular, itchy skin rash that can spread; conjunctival and eyelid lesions; other organ involvement including central nervous system
Taeniasis (beef tapeworm disease)	Taenia saginata	Cattle, water buffalo, reindeer, camels	Worldwide	Ingestion of undercooked meat containing larvae	Mild abdominal discomfort; tapeworm segments may appear in feces
Taeniasis (pork tapeworm disease); cysticercosis and neurocysticercosis	Taenia solium	Pigs, humans	Worldwide where pigs are raised (rare in US, Canada, United Kingdom, Scandinavia)	Ingestion of undercooked pork containing larvae	Usually no signs are seen for years until larvae result in central nervous system involvement (seizures) or involvement of the eye or heart; adult stage infection is mild or without signs
Parasitic Diseases—Nematodes (Roundworms)
Angiostrongyliasis	Parastrongylus costaricensis	Cotton rats, slugs	Central and South America, US	Accidental ingestion of slugs or plants contaminated by their secretions	May cause a syndrome resembling appendicitis, especially in children, called abdominal or intestinal angiostrongyliasis
	Angiostrongylus cantonensis	Rats, snails, slugs, prawns, fish	Japan, east and southeast Asia to Australia, Pacific Islands, Africa	Accidental ingestion of slugs or plants contaminated by their secretions	Inflammation of the covering of the brain, eye involvement occurs with decreased vision, eye muscle paralysis
Anisakiasis	Larvae of Anisakis and Pseudoterranova species	Fish, marine mammals and invertebrates	Japan, Holland, Scandinavia, western South America, western Europe, US	Ingestion of undercooked marine fish, squid, octopus	Inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines with pain may be accompanied by vomiting of blood; coughing
Capillariasis (intestinal)	Capillaria philippinensis	Aquatic birds, freshwater fish	Northern Philippines, Thailand, east Asia, Egypt	Ingestion of infected fish	Intestinal disease, diarrhea, vomiting
Capillariasis (liver)	Capillaria hepatica	Rodents, other wild and domestic animals	Worldwide in scattered locations	Ingestion of embryonated eggs in soil	Inflammation of the liver
Capillariasis (lung)	Capillaria aerophila	Dogs, cats, other carnivores	Worldwide	Accidental ingestion of infective eggs in soil or contaminated food	Fever, cough, bronchial spasm
Dioctophymosis (giant kidney worm infection)	Dioctophyma renale	Dogs, mink, other carnivores, frogs, fish	Europe, Asia, North and South America; rare	Ingestion of infected fish or frogs	Flank pain, kidney pain, blood in the urine, blockage of the ureter
Dracunculiasis (Guinea worm infection)	Dracunculus insignis	Raccoons, mink, dogs	North America	Ingestion of frogs and other hosts	Skin lesion that opens to reveal worm; allergic reaction and secondary infection may occur
Dirofilariasis (heartworm infection)	Dirofilaria immitis	Dogs, cats, ferrets, raccoons, mosquitoes	Worldwide	Bite of infected mosquitoes	Fever, cough; longterm damage to blood vessels or damage in the lungs; often without signs; rarely involves eye
Gnathostomiasis	Gnathostoma spinigerum	Dogs, cats, wild carnivores, freshwater fish	East Asia, India, Australia	Ingestion of infected fish or poultry	Shifting skin sores; may involve internal body parts or central nervous system
Gongylonemiasis	Gongylonema pulchrum	Ruminants, domestic and wild pigs, other mammals, beetles	Worldwide; rare	Ingestion of infected insects	Intestinal discomfort
Larva migrans, skin (See also Gnathostomiasis.)	Ancylostoma braziliense, A. caninum, Uncinaria stenocephala	Cats, dogs, wild carnivores	Worldwide in tropics and subtropics; common	Contact with infective larvae that penetrate skin	Itchy, slow-spreading, shifting skin lesions, usually of extremities; wheezing, cough, and hives may occur
	Strongyloides stercoralis	Cats, dogs, sheep, pigs	Worldwide in tropics and subtropics; rare to common	Contact with infective larvae that penetrate skin	Itchy hives, usually on buttocks, groin, or trunk, along with intestinal signs; spreading with lung or central nervous system disease may occur in immunocompromised persons
Larva migrans, visceral (See also Angiostrongyliasis and Anisakiasis.)	Toxocara canis, T. cati	Dogs, cats	Worldwide	Ingestion of eggs shed in feces of dogs and cats	Fever, wheezing cough; rash on trunk and extremities; may wax and wane for months; eye involvement (larvae may settle in retina and impair vision)
	Baylisascaris procyonis	Raccoons	North America, Europe	Accidental ingestion of eggs in soil or material contaminated with feces	Can cause fatal inflammation of the brain and membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord in infants; larvae may settle in retina and impair vision
Malayan filariasis	Brugia malayi	Cats, other carnivores, monkeys, mosquitoes	Asia; common	Bite of infected mosquitoes	Skin rash, may include lymph node involvement
Strongyloidiasis	Strongyloides stercoralis, S. fuelleborni	Dogs, cats, foxes, primates	Worldwide	Contact with infective larvae that penetrate skin	Frequently without signs; features include abdominal pain, diarrhea, hive-like rash (waist, buttocks); abdominal pain and swelling, shock, lung and neurologic complications, blood poisoning, and death may occur in immunocompromised persons
Thelaziasis	Thelazia species	Dogs, cats, other domestic and wild animals, flies	East and south Asia; rare	Infected insects	Conjunctivitis
Trichinosis (Trichinellosis)	Trichinella spiralis and subspecies, T. nativa, T. britovi, T. nelsoni, T. pseudospiralis	Pigs, rodents, horses, wild carnivores, marine mammals	Worldwide, especially subarctic region	Ingestion of pork and flesh of wild animals containing cysts	Inflammation of the lining of the stomach and intestines followed by fever, severe pain in the joints, facial swelling; central nervous system or heart muscle involvement may follow
Tropical eosinophilia	Brugia pahangi	Cats, other carnivores, monkeys, mosquitoes	Asia; common	Bite of infected mosquitoes	Skin rash, may include lymph node involvement
Parasitic Diseases—Others
Hirudiniasis	Limnatis nilotica and other leeches	Livestock, horses, dogs	Africa, Asia, Europe, Chile	Direct contact with leeches	Attaches to skin to suck blood; secondary infection may occur
Macracanthorhynchosis	Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus and other species (thorny-headed worms)	Domestic and wild pigs, beetles, squirrels, muskrats, dogs, sea otters, fish, crustaceans	Worldwide; uncommon	Ingestion of infected beetles	Inflammation of the intestines, may lead to gut perforation
Diseases Spread by Insects, Ticks, or Mites
Acariasis (Mange)	Mites of Sarcoptes, Cheyletiella, Dermanyssus, and Ornithonyssus species	Domestic animals	Worldwide	Contact with infected individuals or animals; contaminated clothing	Itchy skin lesions
Myiasis	Cochliomyia hominivorax (screwworm)	Mammals	Tropical America	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	Skin wounds; nasal infestations; intestinal infestation; usually mild; some may be shifting and destructive causing burrows and boils
	Chrysomya bezziana (Old World screwworm)	Mammals	Asia, Africa	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	See above
	Cordylobia anthropophaga (Tumbu fly)	Mammals	Africa	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	See above
	Cuterebra species (rodent or rabbit bot fly)	Mammals	North America	Eggs laid in fresh wounds or on skin	See above
	Dermatobia hominis (human bot fly)	Mammals	South America, Mexico	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Gasterophilus species (equine bot fly)	Mammals	Worldwide	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Hypoderma lineatum	Mammals	North America, Europe	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Hypoderma bovis (warbles)	Mammals	Asia, North Africa	Can invade living tissue; eats dead tissue in wounds	See above
	Oestrus ovis, Rhinoestrus purpurensis	Cattle	Worldwide	Eggs and their larvae	See above
	Wohlfahrtia species	Cattle	North America, Europe, North Africa, Asia	Eggs and their larvae	See above
Nanophyetiasis	Troglotrema salmincola	Raccoons, skunks, snails	North America, Russia	Ingestion of fish or fish eggs (roe)	Mild gastrointestinal signs
Pentastomid infections	Linguatula serrata, Armillifer species (tongue worms)	Dogs, snakes, other vertebrates	Northern hemisphere, worldwide	Ingestion of infected animal tissues, water, or vegetation	Usually without signs; pressure from larvae may cause signs in lungs or other organs, including central nervous system and eye
Tick paralysis	Envenomization of ticks Dermacentor andersoni, D. variabilis, and sometimes Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Rhinocephalus, and Argas species	Various animals	North America, Australia, South Africa, Ethiopia	Direct contact (attachment) with tick	Inflammation of lining of stomach and intestines followed by nerve paralysis; burning or prickling sensation may be noted
Tunga infections	Tunga penetrans (sand fleas, jiggers)	Dogs, humans, pigs, other mammals	Subtropical Africa, Americas, south Asia	Contact with contaminated soil	Penetration of skin and burrowing result in pain and itching; may be secondarily infected
Viral Diseases
Argentinean, Bolivian, Brazilian, or Venezuela hemorrhagic fever	Various arenaviruses	Rodents	Americas	Exposure to rodents or rodent excretions or secretions; person to person	Gradual onset of joint pain and fever; blood vessels may rupture, bleeding, central nervous system signs
Central European tickborne encephalitis	Central European encephalitis virus	Rodents, birds, goats, sheep	Europe	Tick bites; may be milkborne	2-phase illness with inflammation of the brain occurring in second phase; paralysis or psychiatric signs may develop
Colorado tick fever	Colorado tick fever virus	Ground squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, small rodents	Western US; common	Tick bites	2- to 3-phase illness with inflammation of the brain and its covering occurring in late phases; abdominal pain and vomiting may occur
Contagious ecthyma (Orf)	Orf virus (parapox)	Sheep, goats, wild hoofed mammals	Worldwide; common	Work-related exposure	Raised rash with sores, usually on hands
Cowpox	Cowpox virus	Cattle, rodents, domestic and wild cats	Worldwide; rare	Contact exposure	Blisters that may contain pus, usually on hands; regional inflammation of the lymph nodes
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever	Nairovirus	Cattle, rodents, sheep, goats, hares, birds	Africa, Middle East, central Asia, eastern Europe	Tick bites; work-related risk among animal workers	Fever, headache, inflammation of the throat, abdominal signs, rash, bleeding; very severe in pregnant women
Eastern equine encephalomyelitis	Eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus	Wild and domestic birds, horses, mules, donkeys	Western hemisphere	Mosquito bites	Nonspecific fever, inflammation of the brain which may be severe and accompanied by seizures; neurologic signs occur in 30 to 50% of cases with inflammation of the brain
Ebola hemorrhagic fever; Marburg hemorrhagic fever	Ebola and Marburg viruses	Primates and bats suspected	Central and southern Africa	Contact with infected animals or animal tissues	Abrupt onset of fever; joint and muscle pain; headache; gastrointestinal signs with vomiting; rash; hepatitis; widespread bleeding 3 to 4 days after onset; death rate 50 to 90% for Ebola, 20 to 30% for Marburg
Encephalomyocarditis	Encephalomyocarditis virus	Rats, mice, squirrels, pigs, primates, elephants	Worldwide	Environmental contamination	Rare, sudden onset inflammation of the heart muscles
Far eastern tickborne encephalitis (Russian spring-summer encephalitis)	Far eastern (Russian spring-summer encephalitis) virus	Birds, small mammals, sheep	Asia, Europe; rare	Tick bites	Similar to central European tickborne inflammation of the brain; paralysis of shoulders and arms may be seen; fatality rate 20 to 25%; neurologic signs in 30 to 60% of survivors
Foot-and-mouth disease	Foot-and-mouth disease virus	Cattle, pigs, other cloven-hoofed mammals	Europe, Asia, Africa, South America	Contact exposure	Humans can become carriers but do not become ill
Hantaviral pulmonary syndrome	Sin Nombre virus, Black Creek Canal virus	Deer mice, cotton rats	US, may be more widespread throughout Americas	Aerosols from rodent excretions and secretions	Fever, joint pain, respiratory failure, decrease in blood cell counts; death rate of 40 to 50%
Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome	Hantaan virus, Dobrava virus, Puumala virus, Seoul virus	Field mice, voles, rats	China, Siberia, Korea, Manchuria, Japan, Balkan countries, Europe	Aerosols from rodent excretions and secretions	Abrupt onset of fever, back pain, rupture of blood vessels, bleeding, kidney failure; death rate 5 to 15%
Hendra virus infection	Hendra virus	Horses, fruit bats	Australia (Queensland)	Direct contact with infected animals or contaminated tissue	Respiratory infection, inflammation of the brain; can be fatal
Hepatitis E	Hepatitis E virus	Pigs, deer, others	Worldwide	Ingestion of contaminated fecal matter or raw or undercooked liver	Fever, gastrointestinal signs, jaundice; may be prolonged; worse in pregnancy
Herpes B virus disease	Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 (Herpesvirus simiae, B virus)	Old World monkeys	Worldwide; rare	Monkey bites and scratches; work-related exposure	Skin blisters followed by severe encephalitis with seizures, coma, paralysis; fatal in 70% of cases
Influenza type A (swine flu, avian flu, bird flu, Hong Kong flu)	Influenza virus (myxovirus)	Birds, pigs, other mammals; migratory waterfowl serve as reservoirs and carriers for highly pathogenic avian influenza	Worldwide; common	Contact exposure; animals rarely a source	Upper and lower respiratory signs; may progress to influenza, pneumonia, or secondary bacterial pneumonia; seasonally endemic or epidemic
Japanese B encephalitis	Japanese encephalitis virus	Pigs, wild birds, horses	Asia, Pacific islands from Japan to the Philippines	Mosquito bites	Fever, intestinal signs to severe inflammation of the brain with seizures, paralysis; neurologic signs in up to 80% of survivors
Kyasanur forest disease	Kyasanur forest virus	Rodents, monkeys	India	Tick bites	Fever, rash, slowed heart rate; remission may be followed by inflammation of the brain and its covering
LaCrosse encephalitis	Bunyavirus species	Ground squirrels, other rodents	US, Canada	Mosquito bites	Fever, inflammation of the brain with seizures, paralysis, and other focal neurologic signs
Lassa fever	Lassa virus	Wild rodents	Africa	Exposure to rodents or rodent excretions or secretions; person to person	Gradual onset of joint pain and fever; may develop severe swelling of head and neck; fluid in lungs or chest; bleeding less common
Louping ill	Louping ill virus	Sheep, goats, grouse, small rodents	Great Britain, Northern Ireland; rare	Tick bites	2-phase illness with inflammation of the brain and its covering in second phase; relatively mild compared with central European tickborne encephalitis, which it resembles
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis	Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus	House mice, dogs, guinea pigs, hamsters	Worldwide	Host excretions and secretions	Ranges from mild flu-like illness to severe inflammation of the covering of the brain in second phase; arthritis, swelling of the testes and/or salivary glands may occur; may cause abortion or birth defects
Menangle virus infection	Menangle virus	Pigs, fruit bats	Australia	Respiratory secretions, feces	Fever
Milker's nodules (Pseudocowpox)	Pseudocowpox virus	Cattle	Worldwide; common	Work-related exposure to cattle	Painless, red nodules or bumps on skin, will resolve without treatment
Monkeypox	Monkeypox virus	Prairie dogs, Gambian rats, other African rodents, other pet rodents in US, primates	West and central Africa; rare	Contact; aerosols	Usually mild, smallpox-like disease; even milder in those vaccinated for smallpox; swelling of the lymph nodes and other glands prominent
Murray Valley encephalitis	Murray Valley encephalitis virus	Wild birds	Australia, New Guinea; rare	Mosquito bites	No signs in most infections; when disease occurs it can be severe inflammation of the brain with neurologic signs
Newcastle disease	Newcastle disease virus	Domestic fowl (poultry), wild birds	Worldwide; common	Work-related exposure	Conjunctivitis
New World hemorrhagic fever	Arenavirus	Rodents	Americas	Exposure to rodents or rodent excretions, secretions; person to person	Gradual onset of joint pain and fever; may develop rupture of the blood vessels, bleeding, central nervous system signs
Nipah virus infection	Nipah virus	Pigs, dogs, fruit bats, other animals	Malaysia	Direct contact with infected animals or contaminated tissue	Fever, headache, vomiting, inflammation of the brain; 30% death rate
Omsk hemorrhagic fever	Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus	Rodents, muskrats	Omsk, Siberia; rare	Tick bites; direct contact with ticks	2-phase illness with inflammation of the brain occurring in second phase; deafness may follow infection
Rabies and rabies-related infections	Lyssaviruses (Rabies virus, Duvenhage virus, Mokola virus, Ibadan shrew virus)	Wild and domestic dogs, ferrets, skunks, mink, civets, bats, other mammals	Worldwide except Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Scandinavia, Japan, Taiwan; many smaller islands, including Hawaii, are free of infection	Bites of diseased animals; aerosols in closed environments	Tingling of the skin or pain at bite site, fever, joint pain, mood changes progress to excessively rapid breathing, general tingling of the skin, paralysis, seizures, fear of water; death rate more than 99%; other strains of virus very rare, but deadly
Rift Valley fever	Phlebovirus	Sheep, goats, cattle, camels	Africa; common to rare	Mosquitoes; contact during autopsy or handling of fresh meat	2-phase illness with slowed heart rate, rash or red spots on skin, bleeding
Ross River fever	Ross River virus	Undetermined	Australia, South Pacific Islands	Mosquito bites	Fever, pain in the joints, rash, may persist for months; bruises on lower extremities
St. Louis encephalitis	St. Louis encephalitis virus	Wild birds, poultry	Western hemisphere	Mosquito bites	Inflammation of the brain, hepatitis, painful urination; more severe in elderly
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)	Coronavirus	Civet cats most likely	China, southeast Asia	Direct contact suspected, person to person	Fever, joint pain, headache, diarrhea, pneumonia; fatality rate 10%
Sindbis virus disease	Sindbis virus	Birds	Eastern hemisphere; rare	Mosquito bites	Fever, arthritis, rash that may bleed, prominent joint pain
Tahyna fever	Bunyavirus species	Hares, rodents, other mammals	Europe, Africa	Mosquito bites	Fever, inflammation of the brain with seizures, paralysis, and other focal neurologic signs
Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis	Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus	Rodents, horses and related species	Western hemisphere; common	Mosquito bites	Most have nonspecific fever and illness; fewer than 5% progress to inflammation of the brain with death rate of 20% of those patients
Vesicular stomatitis	Vesicular stomatitis virus	Livestock, horses, bats, rodents, other wild mammals	North and South America	Contact exposure and insect bites, including mosquitoes and biting flies	Fever, joint pain, inflammation of the throat, enlargement of the lymph nodes, blisters around mouth or rectum
Wesselsbron fever	Wesselsbron virus	Sheep	Southern Africa, southeast Asia	Mosquito bites	Fever, muscle pain, increased sensitivity of skin, rash
West Nile virus infection	West Nile virus	Wild birds, horses, other mammals	Eastern and Western hemisphere; common	Mosquito bites; blood transfusion, tissue transplant rarely; may be milkborne	Fever, rash, worse in elderly; inflammation of the brain may be accompanied by paralysis and respiratory failure
Western equine encephalomyelitis	Western equine encephalomyelitis virus	Wild birds, poultry, horses, mules, donkeys, bats, reptiles, amphibians	Western and Central US, Canada, South America	Mosquito bites	Fever progresses to inflammation of the brain; worse in infants and children in whom neurologic signs are more likely
Yellow fever	Yellow fever virus	Monkeys, baboons	Tropical America, Africa	Mosquito bites	Fever, muscle pain, weakness; progressing to jaundice, slowed heart rate, liver and kidney failure in 20 to 50%; often fatal if bleeding occurs
Prion Diseases
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease	Prion protein (likely from bovine spongiform encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease)	Cattle	Primarily in England, sporadic cases in France, Ireland, Italy, Canada, US, Japan	Ingestion of beef	Degeneration of nervous system; rapidly fatal
*Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic worms, have been omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.

Last full review/revision July 2011 by Stephen C. Waring, DVM, PhD; Donald Armstrong, MD; James H. Steele, DVM, MPH

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