Final answer:
A zoonosis is a disease that originates in animals and can be transmitted to humans. Examples include swine flu, rabies, anthrax, and bubonic plague, among others. These diseases can be part of emerging health threats if they increase in occurrence and geographic spread.
Step-by-step explanation:
A zoonosis is a disease primarily of other animals that can also affect humans; examples include swine flu, rabies, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), anthrax, and bubonic plague. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that are transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans, and sometimes this definition is expanded to include diseases transmitted by all animals, like those involving insect vectors. These diseases, which can be of viral or bacterial origin, are not typically transmitted directly between humans but rather through animal hosts or vectors. Rabies, for example, is spread from animals to humans through bites, while diseases like yellow fever and RMSF rely on arthropods such as mosquitoes and ticks for dissemination to humans.
Emerging diseases like Ebola virus, West Nile virus, and Zika virus, as well as strains of influenza like H1N1, are also examples of zoonoses that have shown substantial increases in occurrence, affecting larger populations and broadening their geographic range. Veterinarians and researchers work to understand the transmission of these zoonotic diseases to prevent the spread to the human population. Insight into animal viruses and their associated human diseases is invaluable in curbing epidemics and preparing for potential pandemics, which are large-scale outbreaks of diseases like pandemics that can spread across countries and continents.