What does zoonosis mean?
A zoonosis is an infectious disease that occurs naturally in a vertebrate animal and can be transmitted to a human. The term is especially important in public health, veterinary medicine, and epidemiology, where zoonoses are monitored because they can emerge in people and spread through communities. Examples include rabies, which may be transmitted through the bite of an infected mammal, and brucellosis, which can be acquired through contact with infected animals or contaminated food. In general writing, zoonosis is a technical term rather than an everyday label for any animal-related illness. The related adjective zoonotic is common in phrases such as zoonotic disease and zoonotic outbreak. The singular zoonosis has the plural zoonoses, a form that reflects its Greek formation. Although people sometimes use zoonosis broadly for diseases associated with animal-to-human transmission, its standard definition specifically concerns a disease transmitted from a vertebrate animal to a human.
nounAn infectious disease that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans.
- An infectious disease that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans.
"Health officials traced the zoonosis to close contact with infected livestock."
"Rabies is a zoonosis that can be transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mammal."
"Researchers warned that climate change could increase the range of certain zoonoses."
The singular denotes one disease; the plural denotes multiple diseases or cases collectively.
"Vaccination programs help prevent zoonoses from spreading among people and animals."
A zoonosis is a reminder that humans and animals can share the same infection—and sometimes pass it across species.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of zoonosis
The word is formed from Greek zōon, meaning “animal,” and nosos, meaning “sickness” or “disease.” It entered English as a modern scientific term in the late nineteenth century. Related English words such as zoology, zoologist, and zoomorphic preserve the same Greek root for “animal.”
Related word forms
How zoonosis is actually used
A formal medical and public-health term, rarely used in everyday speech. It normally denotes the disease rather than the act of transmission.