Creutzfeld-Jakob Disease
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) is a rare and fatal brain disorder. CJD is caused by a type of protein called a prion. Prion proteins occur in both a normal form, which is a harmless protein found in the body's cells, and in an infectious form, which causes disease. Prion diseases can be found in human and in animals.
CJD occurs worldwide and the estimated annual incidence in many countries, including the United States, has been reported to be about one case per million population.
Psittacosis
Psittacosis is an infection caused by bacteria. This disease is also known as Ornithosis or Parrot Fever and is most commonly associated with pet birds.
Psittacosis spreads by breathing in droppings or respiratory secretions from infected birds. Person to person spread is rare. Parrot-type birds are the most often infected. Pigeons and doves, turkeys, chickens, and ducks can sometimes get the disease
Plague
Plague is a disease caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. There are three different forms of plague, depending on how a person becomes infected:
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by the bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The bacteria can be found in urine and bodily fluids of infected animals.
Leptospirosis spreads by touching urine and bodily fluids of infected animals and through drinking or touching contaminated water or soil.
Hantavirus (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome)
Hantaviruses are a group of viruses mainly carried by certain rodents. In the United States this includes some rats and mice. Hantavirus infection can cause different syndromes.
Hantavirus spreads by breathing in infected rodents' saliva, urine, droppings, or nesting materials that are in the air. It is rare that a rodent bite could cause hantavirus. It is typically not spread from person to person.
Brucellosis - Q Fever - Trichinosis
- Brucellosis
About Brucellosis
Brucellosis is a disease caused by Brucella bacteria. People can get brucellosis from infected animals or contaminated animal products. Both domestic animals (dogs, cats, livestock, etc.) and wild animals can have brucellosis.
Spread
Brucellosis spreads from animals to humans in several ways. These include:
Anthrax
Anthrax is a disease caused by the bacteria called Bacillus anthracis. It occurs naturally in soil around the world. It can infect people, domestic animals, and wild animals.
How do people get infected with Anthrax?
People get infected when they:
Ebola/Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
About Ebola
Ebola is a disease caused by ebola viruses. Most of the viruses that cause ebola are in sub-Saharan Africa. Ebola viruses spread through direct contact with the body fluids (including blood, sweat, vomit, feces) of an ill or dead person infected with ebola virus. Ebola is NOT spread through the air and a person can only spread the virus when they are having symptoms.
Outbreaks of ebola viruses occur from time to time. Learn more about ebola outbreaks in the world.