In: Biology
Zoonotic infection: An infection which is common in animals and is capable of being passed to humans. Humans are the incidental hosts to such infections and usually there is no spread of infection from human to human in zoonotic infections. These are spread by direct contact (blood, saliva, urine, feces, hair, skin), vectors (fleas, ticks, mites) and fomites.
Zoonotic infection | Characteristics and description | Most prevalent area in US |
Ringworm infection | Spread by Dermatophytoses, microsporum species and trichophyton species | Central america |
Cutaneous larval migrans | The larva of some nematodes can live in soil and capable of penetration into the skin, Hookworms like ancylostoma is the most common zoonotic problem | South america |
Visceral larval migrans | Invasion of parasite into the improper host and parasite wanders in various body organs. Dogs are contaminated from sandboxes and can carry the infection | North America |
Giardiasis | Common in younger animals. Causes chronic intestinal protozoal infection and is the most commonly diagnosed parasite in US | Missisiippi, North carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky |
Toxoplasmosis | Also called as Litter box disease and most of the adults are seropositive for the pathogen but immune system prevents the development of infection and symptoms | South america |
Cryptosporidiosis | Rare protozoan disease caused by cryptosporidium parvum and results in prolific, painful and watery diarrhea. Transmitted from calves | Canada, Mexico |
Trichinosis/ Trichinellosis | Transmitted from infected pork | Chile, argentina, Canada |
Taenia solium and Taenia saginata | Parasites invade the small intestine and transmitted from pigs | Central america and south america |
Dipylidium caninum | Infection occurs by ingestion of dog or cat fleas | Latin american countries |
Cat scratch disease | Bacterial disesase caused by Bartonella henselae and transmitted from cats | North central America |
Leptospirosis | Caused by spirochete bacteria and transmitted from urine of infected rodents, wild and domestic animals | South America |
Salmonella | Bacteria live in the intestinal tract of several animals and can be transmitted to humans | All throughout America |
Lyme disease | Caused by spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi and ticks serve as vectors | Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota,, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin |
Plague | Caused by Yersinia pests and transmitted from cats when they eat the infected rats | Northern New Mexico, Northern Arizone, southern Colorado, California, Southern oregon, far western Nevada |
Psittacosis | Caused by Chlamodophila psittaci and transmitted from feces and respiratory secretions of infected birds | South America |
West Nile virus | Caused by Flavivirus group and infected from horses, birds and other animals | New York, Connecticut, Canada |
Rabies | Caused by rhabdovirus and infected from saliva of dogs and cats. The virus enters the body when infected dogs or cats bite the victim | Canada, Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, East coast of US |