Introduction to Zoonotic Diseases

※ What’s a zoonotic disease?
A zoonotic infection is a disease caused by a microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, or parasitic worm, that is transmitted to humans from other animals like bats, cats, or rats. Together, we call these infectious diseases “zoonoses.”
※ Okay, what are viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc.?
Viruses, bacteria, helminths (parasitic worms), protozoa, fungi, and prions (misfolded proteins) are the main categories of microorganisms that elicit disease. Microorganisms are also called “microbes.” Microbes that cause disease are often referred to as “pathogens” or “infectious agents.”
※ How do they cause disease in people?
A zoonotic infection is a disease caused by a microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, or parasitic worm, that is transmitted to humans from other animals like bats, cats, or rats. Together, we call these infectious diseases “zoonoses.”

※ What’s a spillover event?
A zoonotic infection is a disease caused by a microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, or parasitic worm, that is transmitted to humans from other animals like bats, cats, or rats. Together, we call these infectious diseases “zoonoses.”
※ What drives spillovers?
A zoonotic infection is a disease caused by a microorganism, such as a virus, bacterium, or parasitic worm, that is transmitted to humans from other animals like bats, cats, or rats. Together, we call these infectious diseases “zoonoses.”
Climate change
Deforestation, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
※ Where do we go from here?
Something something

The CDC’s 8 Most Concerning Zoonotic Diseases in the USA
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
Salmonellosis
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
West Nile fever
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
Severe form: High fever, brain inflammation, meningitis, disorientation, weakness, or tremors
Plague
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
Septicemic Form: Fever, weakness, chills abdominal pain, shock, bleeding, or skin necrosis
Pneumonic plague: Lung infection, fever, headache, weakness, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, or bloody mucus
Emerging coronaviruses
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
Rabies
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
Brucellosis
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
Lyme disease
Pathogen(s)
Involved Animals
Transmission
Signs & Symptoms
Untreated: Neck stiffness, headaches, facial palsy, joint swelling or pain, central nervous system inflammation, or arthritis
Sources
Bauerfeind, R., Von Graevenitz, A., Kimmig, P., Schiefer, H. G., Schwarz, T., Slenczka, W., & Zahner, H. (Eds.). (2016). Zoonoses: Infectious Diseases Transmissible Between Animals and Humans. ASM Press. (Original work published 2013)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Symptoms of COVID-19. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html
Salyer, S. J., Silver, R., Simone, K., & Barton Behravesh, C. (2017). Prioritizing Zoonoses for Global Health Capacity Building—Themes from One Health Zoonotic Disease Workshops in 7 Countries, 2014–2016. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(13). https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2313.170418
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, & U.S. Department of the Interior. (2019). Prioritizing Zoonotic Diseases for Multisectoral, One Health Collaboration in the United States: Workshop Summary. https://www.cdc.gov/onehealth/pdfs/us-ohzdp-report-508.pdf