Zoonotic diseases (zoonoses): guidance, data and analysis
The diagnosis, management and epidemiology of zoonotic diseases.
Zoonoses are infections that can pass between animals and humans.
You can get zoonotic diseases through direct contact with animals if you:
- work with animals
- have pets
- have hobbies that involve animals
You can also get some of these diseases from contaminated food or water, or via insects such as ticks.
Zoonotic diseases
Some zoonotic diseases are endemic in the UK, and others are considered ‘exotic. This list includes information on the main reservoirs and routes of transmission, and links to supplementary information for:
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zoonotic diseases found in the UK
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selected zoonotic diseases exotic to the UK
Investigating and managing risk
Information on how the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) manages incidents of endemic zoonotic diseases in England can be found in the zoonoses contingency plan.
- Zoonotic diseases: investigation guidelines
- Raw pet foods: handling and preventing infection
- Farm visits: avoiding infection
- Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis): reducing the risk of human infection
- Pet rats, mice, hamsters: reducing the risk of infection
- Pregnancy: advice on contact with animals that are giving birth
- Q fever: good practice for farmers
- Rabies: risks from bat bites
- Rabies in bats: how to spot it and report it
- Salmonella: reducing infection from reptiles
- Health spa pedicures: preventing infections
Epidemiology
Quarterly surveillance reports for zoonotic infections are published in the Health Protection Report.
Annual reports providing information on cases of zoonotic infections reported in the UK are also published.
Data sources
Last updated 2 August 2021 + show all updates
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Added link to zoonoses contingency plan.
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Added "Raw pet foods: handling and preventing infection"
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Added zoonoses report UK for 2015.
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First published.