Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be passed from animals to humans. Although the average horse owner is unlikely to contract a disease or infection from their horse it's a good idea to be aware of the diseases that could infect you so that you can take the necessary precautions should you be unfortunate enough to come into contact with them.
The following list includes diseases that can be caught by direct transmission from equine to human via
- ingestion
- inhalation
- skin contact
- contact with mucous membrane or open wounds
- bites
and by indirect transmission ie. via an insect vector (eg. insect bite ) and by contact with an inanimate object (eg. through contact with contaminated equipment).
- Anthrax
- Brucellosis
- Campylobacter gastroenteritis
- Clostridium difficile infection
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Dermatophilosis (Rain scald / rain rot)
- Equine viral encephalomyelitis - West Nile virus, Venezuelan encephalitis, western encephalitis, and eastern encephalitis
- Hendra virus
- Giardiasis
- Glanders
- Leptospirosis
- Lyme disease
- MRSA - Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus
- Ringworm - Dermatophytosis
- Rabies
- Salmonellosis
- Vesicular stomatitis
