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 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.

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

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 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:

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.

About

Ticks in the United States can spread at least 15 different diseases to humans. Ticks in Maine can spread 5 germs that make people sick. These include anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Hard Tick Relapsing Fever, Lyme disease, and Powassan virus disease. However, ticks in other parts of the U.S. can spread other germs that make people sick. Tickborne diseases and conditions in other parts of the U.S. include: 

About 14 different tick species live in Maine, but not all of these ticks bite people. The most common ticks seen in Maine are the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), and the woodchuck tick (Ixodes cookei). In Maine, deer ticks can carry germs that cause several illnesses. These include:

About Rabies

What is rabies?

Rabies is a disease caused by a virus. It affects the brain and spinal cord. Rabies can cause death if left untreated. Rabies in people is very rare in the United States, but rabies in animals - especially wildlife - is common in most parts of the country, including Maine. We call an animal with rabies a rabid animal.