Zoonotic diseases are ones transmitted between humans and animals or vice versa.

Here is a list of ailments you can acquire from your cat or dog:

Diseases from cats and dogs can be somewhat rare but are still important to be aware of including, cat scratch disease (specific to cats), tapeworm , hookworm infection, and roundworm. 

One way these can be acquired is a bite from an animal. According to the Washington State Department of Health, about 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year with about 1 in 5 needing additional medical attention. So it’s important to take precautions by calling your health care provider whenever you are bitten by any mammal.

Common diseases you can get from your pets as well as farm animals are Campylobactor Infection and Cryptosporidium infection. Diseases you can get more specifically from just farm animals include Brucella infection, rabies, Ringworm, Salmonella, and Yersiniosis.

Some common diseases you can get from cattle are Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (or mad cow disease), Escherichia Coli, and Q Fever.

These types of diseases can also be passed on by coming in contact with the germs from the manure of farm animals or house pets. Germs from manure travel quickly to many surfaces that we may be unaware of so it’s important to always wash hands after coming in contact with animals.

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