Zoonoses are of particular importance as disease contracted by a person in the course of his or her occupation, e.g. anthrax, brucellosis, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Ebola virus disease, erysipeloid, psittacosis, Q-fever, rabies, Rift Valley fever and ringworm, among others.

The relationship or bond between people and animals is presently receiving worldwide attention because of the mutual benefits that such a dynamic relationship has for both parties.

Dogs and cats (and sometimes cattle) harbouring hookworms in their intestines create the danger of people contracting sandworm. The condition develops when larvae penetrate the skin and migrate aimlessly, thereby causing an inflammatory reaction. (Ancylostoma caninum*)

Echinococcosis and hydatidosis are forms of a parasitic disease. The former involves the dog as the definitive host and the latter the sheep as the most common intermediate host. A person is an incidentally infested intermediate host. Echinococcus granulosis*

Tapeworms constitute a health hazard to humans. For the stock farmer, they have important financial implications as they cause cattle and pigs to yield ‘measly’ meat, which is unfit for human consumption.

Trichinosis is a disease that occurs in people when the larvae of a specific type of roundworm penetrate the muscle fibres. The infestation may be contracted by eating the raw or partially cooked meat of pigs and various wild animals. The parasite completes its life cycle in all vertebrate animals that consume meat. Trichinella spiralis*

Roundworms that occur in the intestinal tract of the dogs and cats and spend part of their cycle in a non-animal environment (the soil), cause visceral larva migrans in humans when the larvae are taken in by mouth.

Animals with anthrax constitute a serious danger to humans. Because of this, the disease is controlled by the state and accordingly strict rules exist concerning the immunisation of livestock, post-mortem examinations and the destruction of infected cadavers.

Brucellosis is a highly infectious bacterial disease of cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, dogs and game that also occurs in humans. Stockmen, veterinarians, abattoir personal, hunters and all who handle livestock run the risk of contracting brucellosis. In addition, the public at large also face the hazard of brucellosis in as much as the consumption of raw infected milk and milk products may result in the disease. (Brucella abortus*)

The same bacteria responsible for the so-called ‘diamond skin disease’ in pigs are capable of causing disease in people, who may contract the infection handling contaminated fish.

Plague is primarily a disease of rodents such as mice and rats. It is a cyclozoonosis and is transmitted by fleas to other animals and people. It may be fatal in humans. Control of rodents and fleas constitutes an important measure in combatting plague.

Raw milk constitutes one of the more important sources of Q-fever infection in humans. Although the prevalence of the disease in humans appears to have dropped in recent years, the efficient pasteurisation of milk for consumption and the production of processed dairy products remain absolutely essential. Coxiella burnetii*

Unpasteurised bovine milk and milk products infected with Mycobacteruim bovisbacteria* are the main sources of infection that cause bovine tuberculosis in humans. Buffalo milk which is infected with bacteria may also be a source of infection for humans. 

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is caused by infection with a tickborne virus. Ticks of the genus Hyalomma (bont-legged tick) are the principal vectors. This zoonotic viral disease has caused severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, and is one of the deadly haemorrhagic fevers. Hyalomma*

The virus is transmitted to people from some wild animal species and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmissions. This disease is a direct zoonosis. The first Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreaks occurred in remote villages in Central Africa, near tropical rainforests. Pteropodidae*

Rabies is a fatal disease transmitted from animals to man. This virus causes acute inflammation (encephalitis) of the brain in humans and warm-blooded animals after infection. It is characteristic of the disease that affected animals show distinct behavioural deviations. 

Rift Valley fever – a haemorrhagic virus disease of sheep and cattle transmitted by mosquitoes – constitutes a considerable health hazard for humans. RVF is a notifiable animal disease in South Africa in terms of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984 (Act No. 35 of 1984). Aëdes*

Zoonotic influenza must be distinguished from the well-known seasonal influenza (commonly called flu) that is a highly contagious respiratory disease common to humans and a limited number of lower animal species, mainly pigs, poultry, domestic, aquatic and wild birds, horses, dogs and wild aquatic mammals, such as seals and whales. CoAquatic*

Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrhoeal disease caused by a microscopic enteric protozoan parasite, Cryptosporidium. Many species of the parasite affect the intestine of humans and animals and it is passed in the stool of the infected persons or animals. Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic water- and foodborne disease. Cryptosporidium (or 'Crypto')*

Giardiasis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by a flagellate protozoon that is present in the intestinal tract of many domestic and wild animal species, as well as humans, and causes a diarrhoeal disease. Giardia*

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide problem and one of the more common zoonoses. Humans are particularly affected as a result of contact with soil contaminated with cat excrement. Unborn babies may also contract the disease. T. gondii * and Toxoplasma gondii* 

Ringworm is a skin disease seen particularly in children as a result of contact with infected pets. Various domestic and wild animals may be infected. In combatting this disease, it must be borne in mind that the spores of the responsible fungi may survive for long periods, even years, on contaminated surfaces under favourable circumstances.

A variety of fungi is capable of infecting both animals and humans and usually there is a common source in the environment in which they live. Strictly speaking they are not zoonoses, although animals may be responsible for large-scale contamination of the environment. This again increases the possibility of human infection.  Cryptococcus neoformans* 

Sarcoptic mange or scabies is a skin infestation of humans and animals caused by a very tiny mite (cannot be seen by the naked eye) known as Sarcoptes scabiei. The microscopic mite burrows into the upper layer (epidermis) of the skin where it lives for up to two months and lays eggs. The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching (a reaction within the skin to the faeces of the mite) and a pimple-like skin rash. The mite usually is spread by direct skin contact.