The zoonoses table in the Public Health section of the professional version of the MSD Veterinary Manual lists the most important zoonoses that have been documented. Many of these are quite rare and only occur in certain areas of the world, or under certain conditions. The table is divided into categories, based on the type of organism that causes disease (for example, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and so on). The table included here lists the zoonotic diseases that are more common or that have a large impact (such as a high chance of causing death) when they do occur.
It is also important to note that, in the majority of zoonoses, infection is due to contact with a wild animal or an insect rather than a pet. For instance, where rodents are listed in the table, it is most commonly a wild rodent that is the source of disease, not one that has been bred and kept in captivity.
Many proven zoonoses, including some relatively rare viral infections carried by insects and infections caused by parasitic worms, have been omitted, as well as those diseases caused by fish and reptile toxins.
