What Are Zoonotic Diseases?
Discover how some sneaky germs travel from animals to people!
Hello Young Explorers!
Have you ever played with a puppy, watched a bird, or seen a cow in a field? Animals are amazing — but did you know they can sometimes carry germs that make people sick? These illnesses are called zoonotic diseases (say: zoo-not-ick diseases).
That’s just a fancy word for when a disease spreads from animals to humans.
How Do These Diseases Spread?
Germs can travel in many ways. Here’s how zoonotic diseases can spread:
Bites or scratches from an infected animal (like rabies from a dog)
Touching animal poop, pee, or saliva (like salmonella from reptiles)
Eating undercooked meat or eggs
Drinking dirty water that animals have been in
Getting bitten by insects like fleas, ticks, or mosquitoes
Even healthy-looking animals can carry germs, so it's important to stay careful.
Common Zoonotic Diseases and Their Carriers
Disease How It Spreads Animal Carrier
Rabies Bite or scratch Dogs, bats
Bird Flu Touching sick birds or droppings Chickens, ducks
Ringworm Touching infected fur or skin Cats, dogs
Salmonella Touching reptiles or raw eggs Turtles, lizards,chickens
Leptospirosis Dirty water with animal urine Rats, cows, pigs
Plague Flea bites Rats, mice
Toxoplasmosis Handling cat litter or soil Cats
Lyme Disease Tick bite Ticks (from deer or mice)
How Can We Stay Safe?
Don’t worry — we can still love and care for animals! Just follow these simple rules:
Wash your hands after touching animals, cages, or poop
Don’t kiss pets or let them lick your face
Don’t touch wild animals, even if they look cute
Clean pet cages, bowls, and toys regularly
Visit the vet and keep pets vaccinated
Cook food properly, especially meat and eggs
Drink clean water and avoid dirty puddles
About 60% of all known infectious diseases in humans come from animals! Even tiny bugs like mosquitoes spread diseases like malaria and dengue — those are also zoonotic. Kids, older people, and those with weak immune systems should be extra careful!
Animals are our friends — and when we treat them kindly and follow good hygiene, we can live happily and safely together!