People have close connections to animals as both food and companions. These close links mean that there are different ways that humans can share diseases with animals.
There are over 150 diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control, six out of every 10 (60%) known infectious diseases in people can be spread from animals, and three out of every four (75%) new or emerging infectious diseases in people come from animals.
This means there is a critical role for producers, veterinarians, doctors, and public health officials to control animal diseases at the several stages of the food supply to keep animal diseases from spreading to humans.
Some of the ways in which these diseases spread include direct contact, such as when your dog slobbers all over your face or your cat scratches your hand. Indirect contact is when your pet isn’t present, but their germs still are. This can include scenarios such as when you’re cleaning up your chicken coop or cleaning your pet’s food and water dishes.
Most animals can harbor insects such as ticks that can feed on your animal and then on you. This is known as vector-borne transmission.
Finally, foodborne and waterborne transmission occurs when the food you eat or water you drink has been fouled by animals. Some examples include drinking unpasteurized milk, eating undercooked meat or eggs, and eating fruits and veggies that have been fertilized with fresh animal manure.