Zoonotic Diseases

Zoonotic diseases are those infectious diseases that are transmissible to humans from animals, including wildlife.  Zoonotic diseases have significant implications for people, as roughly 75% of emerging diseases among humans are zoonotic in origin. Type A influenza viruses, plague, West Nile Virus, rabies, and salmonellosis are all examples of potentially high consequence zoonotic diseases that are currently of great concern to both human and animal health interests. While other agencies and institutions investigate zoonotic diseases from the human health perspective, our facility may investigate zoonotic diseases from the animal host or environmental perspective.  Our unique combination of expertise, facilities with enhanced biocontainment capability, and diagnostic/investigative tools and skills make the Leetown Science Center well poised to address zoonotic pathogens as they impact wildlife or otherwise persist in the environment.