Understanding Zoonotic Diseases: Community Health – Animals and You

Each year, throughout Animal Health Week, the veterinary community draws attention to an important health-related message. National Animal Health Week highlights the importance of veterinary care to the health of Albertans, the sustainability of our communities and the success and growth of our agricultural sector.

The theme of National Animal Health Week 2020, October 4 – 10, is ‘Understanding Zoonotic Diseases: Community Health – Animals and You’, with a focus on the following key messages: 

1. Regular veterinary wellness checks can help protect you, your family and your pet from zoonotic diseases.
2. Zoonotic diseases may be transmitted from animals to people but they can be easily prevented.
3. Always wash your hands after being around animals, even if you did not touch them.
4. Talk to your veterinary team for information on zoonotic diseases.

What are Zoonotic Diseases?

Zoonoses are diseases that animals and people share – in the wild, on the farm or in your home. These diseases are spread from pets to people mainly through biting and scratching. Some zoonotic diseases are not transmissible directly from your pet but both you and your pet can contract it i.e. lyme disease after a bite by an infected tick. Thousands of Albertans become sick each year because of disease transmission between animals and humans. Farmers and farm workers often have higher levels of risk for contracting zoonotic diseases because of the frequency of their exposure to animals, therefore spreading awareness and knowledge of zoonotic diseases is vital. 

Examples of zoonotic diseases are:

• Lyme disease

• Rabies

• Avian Influenza

• Coronavirus

• Echinococcus multilocularis

• & more

Resources

Below are a number of helpful resources to help you learn more about zoonoses, the various kinds of zoonotic diseases, the prevention of zoonotic transmission, and more.
Learn more from the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association:

• Animal Health Week information

• Animal Health Week resources & documents page

• Vaccination of Animals – Position Statement

• Importation of Dogs into Canada – Position Statement

• Keeping Native or Exotic Wild Animals as Pets – Position Statement 

• Zoonoses – Shared Disease Agents of People and Pets

• Rabies Fact Sheet

• Rabies – Prevention Tips for Pet Owners

• Rabies – The Great Pretender

• Recommendations for Adopting an Exotic Pet

• Avian Influenza

• Recommendations for the Epidemiological Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 Transmission to Farmed and Companion Animals in Contact with COVID-19 Infected Humans

• Risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at the human-animal interface: what is known so far?

• Exposure of humans or animals to SARS-CoV-2 from wild, livestock, companion and aquatic animals

• Suspected Mink-to-Human Transmission of SARS-CoV-2

• COVID-19: FAQs for Pet Owners

• One Health…Less Talk, More Action

Here are links to local provincial zoonotic diseases from the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association Resources website:

• Zoonoses Information – Includes list of diseases, how they transmit, tips for prevention, and more.

• Biosecurity in Practice – Zoonotic Disease

• Rabies Information

• Avian Influenza

• Echinococcus multilocularis

• Lyme Disease Found in Alberta, Please Check for Ticks

• Salmonella Enteritidis