World Zoonoses Day: Why It Matters

Every year on July 6th, we recognize World Zoonoses Day, a day to remind us how human-animal interactions can affect our health. It’s an important time to learn about zoonotic diseases—illnesses that spread between animals and people. These diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites.

Understanding how zoonotic diseases spread and how to prevent them helps keep both people and animals safe!

Proper hand washing is one of the most important things you can do to help prevent the spread of diseases

How Do Zoonotic Diseases Spread?

Zoonotic diseases can spread in many different ways, including:

🖐️ Direct Contact – Touching an infected animal, its saliva, blood, or body fluids. (Example: Getting bitten or scratched by an animal with rabies.)

🦟 Vector-Borne – Getting bitten by an insect that carries a disease. (Example: A tick spreading Lyme disease.)

🚰 Indirect Contact – Touching surfaces, soil, or water contaminated by an infected animal. (Example: Cleaning an animal enclosure with harmful bacteria present.)

🍽️ Oral Transmission – Eating or drinking something that has been contaminated. (Example: Drinking unpasteurized milk or undercooked meat.)

🌬️ Airborne Transmission – Breathing in tiny infected particles from an animal’s respiratory system. (Example: Hantavirus from rodent droppings.)

Always handle raw meat with gloves, and wash hands after you're finished

What Causes Zoonotic Diseases?

Several human activities increase the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading. These include:

🌳 Deforestation & Urbanization – Cutting down forests forces animals to live closer to people, increasing contact and disease risk.

🐾 Wildlife Trade – Selling and transporting wild animals can introduce new diseases to different areas.

🌎 Climate Change – Rising temperatures allow disease-carrying insects, like mosquitoes, to spread to new places.

🚜 Agriculture & Livestock – Raising animals for food increases close contact between people and animals, sometimes leading to disease outbreaks.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Expanding Human Populations – As more people live near wildlife, there are more chances for disease to spread.

Rinsing fruits and vegetables before eating them helps wash away any unwanted hitchhikers, including microscopic parasite eggs and larvae

Common Zoonotic Diseases to Watch Out For

Here are a few zoonotic diseases that everyone should be aware of:

🦇 Rabies – A deadly virus that spreads through bites or scratches from infected mammals. It’s preventable with vaccines!

🐭 Hantavirus – A disease carried by rodents that spreads to humans through the air or direct contact with droppings.

🐕 Mange – A skin disease caused by mites that can spread through direct contact or contaminated areas.

🦝 Raccoon Roundworm – A parasite that lives in raccoons’ and skunks’ intestines. It spreads through feces and can infect people if they accidentally ingest the eggs.

🐱 Ringworm – A fungal infection that affects the skin and hair. It can spread through touch, contaminated surfaces, or shared objects.

🐔 Salmonella – A bacterial infection that can cause serious stomach illness. It spreads through contaminated food, water, or contact with infected animals like reptiles, birds, and rodents.

These are just a few examples, but there are many more zoonotic diseases in the world.

Use disinfectants that sanitize and disinfects, ensuring your cleaning protocols kill viruses, bacteria, fungus, and other disease carriers

How Can You Protect Yourself?

Preventing zoonotic diseases is easier than you think! Here are some simple but important ways to stay safe:

✅ Wash your hands after touching animals or their habitats.

✅ Avoid touching your face and eyes when handling animals.

✅ Stay away from sick or injured wild animals—call a wildlife rehabilitator for help instead! (Find one near you in Texas here.)

✅ Make sure pets are up to date on vaccines and flea/tick prevention.

✅ Wear proper protective equipment (PPE) when handling animals at work.

✅ Keep animal areas clean and disinfected.

✅ Be careful with food handling—wash fruits and vegetables, cook meat properly, and avoid unpasteurized dairy.

Keeping your pets vaccinated and on flea, tick, and other parasite prevention is just as essential when keeping yourself healthy

Why World Zoonoses Day Matters

Zoonotic diseases affect millions of people each year. By learning about them and taking simple precautions, we can protect both humans and animals from getting sick.

So this World Zoonoses Day, take a moment to appreciate the connection between animals, people, and the environment—and do your part to keep yourself and your furry (or feathered) friends safe! 🐾💙