32 diseases you can catch from animals - Livescience.com
Animals, as cute as some of them may be, can be a source of illness for humans. These so-called zoonotic diseases can originate from bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. In fact, most infectious diseases that plague people can be spread by animals. More than six in every 10 known infectious diseases in people can come from animals, while three out of every four new diseases in people originally come from animals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC).
From rabies to fish tank granuloma, here are 32 diseases that you can catch from animals… but hopefully won't.
1. Rabies
When an infected animal bites another animal, or a person, they can transmit this nervous system ailment. Rabies takes time to pass to the brain, which is when people show symptoms like fever or headache, which progress to delirium, hallucinations and abnormal behavior. The disease is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, though it can be prevented if animals are vaccinated. In the U.S., rabies is most common in wild animals — think bats, skunks and foxes. But dogs still carry it in other countries, and they're behind most human deaths from the disease, according to the CDC.
2. Trichinosis
Trichinosis, also known as trichinellosis, passes to humans when they eat undercooked or raw meat that carry the larvae of the roundworm Trichinella spiralis. It particularly affects bears, cougars, wild boars and pigs, according to the CDC. Though death from trichinosis is rare, it's possible. Usually, initial symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fever and fatigue; they can progress to aching joints, itchy skin, constipation and cough. In fact, most people may pass it off as a flu. Trichinosis is diagnosed with a blood test or muscle biopsy, and prescription medications can treat it. About 20 cases a year pop up in the U.S., so it's not common but worth noting, according to the CDC.
3. Cat Scratch Disease
Your favorite feline is cute and fuzzy until they bite or scratch you — that's when you can potentially develop cat scratch disease, which is caused by the bacterium Bartonella henselae. Most people don't show any symptoms after being infected and get better without treatment. Fleas are the culprit here, as they spread the bacteria between cats. Kittens are more likely to have it than grown adult cats, and they're more likely to pass it to humans. A blood test can diagnose if you have it, and symptoms range from swollen lymph nodes to fever, headache, appetite loss and pustules near the wound. Antibiotics can help, but it usually resolves on its own — maybe unlike your relationship with the cat.
4. Ancylostoma caninum
A variety of hookworm infections can pass from dogs and cats to humans — Ancylostoma caninum is just one type. The parasite's eggs are released into the environment when an animal defecates. Animals and humans can then become infected either by inadvertently eating them or touching them with unprotected, broken skin, according to the CDC. Most hookworm infestations lead to a skin condition known as "cutaneous larva migrans," which causes redness and itching. Over time, red tracks can appear that track the larvae's movement under the skin. Itching and pain can go on for several weeks until the larvae die and the reaction clears up. Regular deworming can help eliminate the worms from pets and thus lower the chances of the parasite getting into soil nearby, hopefully ensuring you never get this parasite.
5. Bird flu
Bird flu occurs if you're infected with the avian influenza type A viruses. These viruses regularly circulate in birds and other animals, but they normally don't affect humans. Infected birds can distribute the virus via their saliva, mucus and feces. In other animals, the virus may appear in organs, blood or bodily fluids, including milk. People can acquire bird flu by getting the virus in their eyes, nose or mouth, or by inhaling it. Touching something with the virus on it and then rubbing your eyes, for example, can also put it into your body. Doctors diagnose bird flu with a nasal swab, and medications are available that can treat it, according to the CDC. Symptoms can be mild, like a flu or cold, and include fever, body aches, nausea and diarrhea. However, some cases can be severe — between January 2003 and March 2024, nearly 890 cases of human infection with a bird flu subtype called H5N1 were reported in 23 countries, and 463 were fatal.
6. Herpes B
This one's super rare, but could happen if you regularly interact with macaque monkeys. The herpes B virus can be transmitted when an infected monkey bites or scratches a person. The virus is common in these monkeys, and it can be found in their saliva, urine, feces and brain or spinal cord tissue, according to the CDC. The virus can survive for hours on surfaces, which gives it more time to spread. In humans, symptoms can start out as flu-like and then progress to muscle coordination issues and difficulty breathing. The rare infection leads to death in an estimated 70% of untreated cases. If you do come down with herpes B, antivirals are available. Just one case has been reported where someone got this and gave it to another human, so at least if it happens it's just between you and the monkey.
7. Fish tank granuloma
Fish handlers, beware. Fish tank granuloma is a rare skin infection caused by Mycobacterium marinum, an organism found in stagnant saltwater and freshwater such as ponds and aquariums, according to the American College of Osteopathic Dermatology. Handling a fish tank or shucking oysters can put you at risk for this infection. The bacteria enters through the skin, but is not spread from person to person. Your doctor may suggest a skin biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. There are antibiotics that can help, though it can take up to two years to fully clear the infection.
8. Bubonic plague
It may sound like a thing of the past, but the bubonic plague that sparked the famous Black Death epidemic still happens today. It's caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. Dogs, cats and rodents, such as rats and squirrels, can acquire the bacteria and spread it to humans that come in contact with their contaminated fluids or tissues. Most often, though, the microbe is transmitted to humans when they're bitten by a flea that's carrying it. Rarely, people can also get it from airborne droplets coughed out by an infected person, or by coming into contact with that person's bodily fluids. Fever, chills, weakness and swollen, painful lymph nodes are the main symptoms. Bubonic plague can still kill you if left untreated, but antibiotics can successfully cure the infection.
9. Cysticercosis
Cysts from the tapeworm Taenia solium can cause a parasitic infection known as cysticercosis. People get this by inadvertently swallowing eggs found in the feces of a person who has the tapeworm. Hand washing can help prevent its spread. Sometimes, noshing on raw or undercooked pork containing these cysts can also transmit the parasite. Blood tests can diagnose mild infections, while a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scan can be used to identify worms that have burrowed into the brain. Some people don't require treatment for cysticercosis, but it can cause symptoms such as seizures and other side effects in others, in which case medication can treat the infection.
10. Ebola
It's thought that the Ebola virus spreads to humans through close contact with the blood, bodily fluids or organs of these primates, as well as infected monkeys, fruit bats, forest antelope and porcupines, according to the World Health Organization. Sudden fever, weakness, sore throat, headache and vomiting are initial symptoms of infection in people; impaired kidney and liver function can follow, along with both internal and external bleeding. About half of all people who contract Ebola die from it, but early care can reduce the risk of death. The good news is that we have a vaccine that works against one strain of Ebola virus, and scientists are working to develop shots for the other strains.
11. Lyme Disease
Tick bites can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. In the U.S., the bacterial culprit is typically Borrelia burgdorferi, but B. mayonii is sometimes to blame. Fever, fatigue, headache and a ring-like rash may accompany a bite. If left untreated, Lyme disease can affect your heart, joints and nervous system, and pain, fatigue or difficulty thinking can persist in Lyme patients for years. Doctors use a blood test to diagnose Lyme disease and, if you catch it early enough, antibiotics may be able to help treat the infection. The CDC estimates that about 476,000 people in the U.S. may be diagnosed with and treated for the disease each year.
12. Brucellosis
If you eat or drink unpasteurized dairy products or have an open wound, you can be at risk of Brucella infection, or brucellosis. The bacteria infect goats, cows, sheep, pigs, dogs and camels, getting into their bodies and milk. People working with the bacteria in labs are especially prone to this infection, as they can breathe in the microbe, and people who work in meat-packing plants and slaughterhouses are also vulnerable. The infection can't spread from person to person. Symptoms include malaise, anorexia, headache, depression, arthritis and fever, according to the CDC. Some symptoms can go away but others can recur. If you suspect that you have brucellosis, your doctor will conduct tests on blood, bone marrow or other body fluids. Antibiotics are available, but recovery can take a few weeks or months. The good news: death from the bacteria is rare.
13. Mad cow disease
Also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), mad cow disease affects cattle and causes progressive neurological problems in the animals. BSE is caused by prions, or abnormal, pathogenic forms of proteins that can cause normal proteins near them to misfold and malfunction. Cows can develop the disease if fed meal containing tissues from affected cows, or less commonly, they can develop it spontaneously. The human form of the disease is called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) and people can get it by eating food products made from infected cattle. The human disease leads to rapid dementia and neuromuscular disturbances that quickly get worse. It's super rare for people to get it, but worth a mention on this list because, as of a 2020 report, no person who has contracted CJD has survived.
14. Toxocariasis
The roundworm that causes toxocariasis can go from dogs and cats to humans, but not from human to human. Larvae from two species of Toxocara roundworms — T. canis from dogs and T. cati from cats — are shed in the animals' feces, and those eggs can be accidently swallowed by people if they touch their mouths with contaminated hands. You may not have symptoms if you pick up this parasite. That said, the infection can become systemic, in which case medications are available, while a form of the infection that affects the eyes is harder to treat, according to the CDC.
15. Echinococcosis
Echinococcosis is a parasitic disease caused by a tapeworm in the genus Echinococcus. The infection is classified either as cystic echinococcosis (CE) or alveolar echinococcosis (AE). The E. granulosus tapeworm that causes CE is found in dogs, sheep, goats and pigs. Most people that contract CE don't have symptoms but it can sometimes lead to enlarged cysts in the liver, lungs and other organs. Foxes, dogs and coyotes carry E. multilocularis, which causes AE. It's rare in humans but more serious than CE, and it can cause tumors and be fatal, according to the CDC.
16. Giardiasis
Giardia is a tiny parasite that causes the diarrheal disease giardiasis. You can pick it up from contaminated surfaces as well as from soil, food and water containing the feces of infected people or animals. The infection occurs worldwide. Some people have no symptoms while others have diarrhea, gas, greasy stools, stomach cramps, vomiting and dehydration within one to two weeks of infection, according to the CDC. Similar symptoms can emerge in pets and humans. There's a low risk of getting this parasite from your pet, but dog and cat stool can sometimes contain it.
17. Gnathostomiasis
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