zoonosis

noun

zoo·​no·​sis zō-ˈä-nə-səs  ˌzō-ə-ˈnō-səs 

plural zoonoses zō-ˈä-nə-ˌsēz 

ˌzō-ə-ˈnō-ˌsēz

: an infection or disease that is transmissible from animals to humans under natural conditions

Among the zoonoses associated with dogs, cats, and birds, those with diarrhea as a predominant manifestation include cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, campylobacteriosis, and salmonellosis.

—Peter Jesselet et al.

also : an infection or disease that is transmissible between animals and humans

bidirectional zoonosis

see also reverse zoonosis

zoonotic

ˌzō-ə-ˈnä-tik 

adjective

a zoonotic infection/disease

A zoonotic virus is a virus that lives naturally in an animal and can infect human cells, perhaps mutating slightly in the course of passage, which enables the virus to start a chain of infection through human hosts.

—Richard Preston

Examples of zoonosis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Republicans devote more than 50 pages of their report to an effort to denigrate a seminal paper supporting the zoonosis hypothesis. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024

The Virology authors warn that the vilification of scientists whose research supports the zoonosis hypothesis will leave society defenseless when the next pandemic threat emerges. —Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2024

Even though the consequences were globally devastating, scientists have primarily focused on the zoonosis process. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 30 Apr. 2024

It has been lightly edited for length and clarity. advertisement (Note: A zoonosis or zoonotic event is the infection of a person with an animal virus, in this case H5N1. —Helen Branswell, STAT, 5 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration, by conformation to -osis, of French zoonose, from zoo- zoo- + Greek nósos "disease" — more at nosology

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing zoonosis

• reverse zoonosis

Medical Definition

zoonosis

noun

zoo·​no·​sis ˌzō-ə-ˈnō-səs  zō-ˈän-ə-səs 

plural zoonoses -ˌsēz 

: an infection or disease that is transmissible from animals to humans under natural conditions

also : an infection or disease that is transmissible between animals and humans

bidirectional zoonosis

zoonotic

ˌzō-ə-ˈnät-ik 

adjective

Q fever, a febrile, zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution, typically results from exposure to domestic livestock animals …

—David R. Franz et al., The Journal of the American Medical Association