Animal Infectious Diseases

Foot-and-mouth disease is caused by a virus of the family Picornaviridae, genus Aphthovirus. It is a highly contagious and economically important disease of cloven-hoofed domestic animals (cattle, buffaloes, pigs, sheep, goats) and wild animals (adapted from FAO no date; WOAH, no date).  

Lumpy skin disease is a vector-borne pox disease of domestic cattle and Asian water buffalo and is characterised by the appearance of skin nodules on all body surfaces including the udder (FAO, 2017). 

The New World screwworm (NWS), Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), is an obligate parasite of mammals, including humans, during their larval stages. Larvae feeding on the skin and underlying tissues of the host cause a condition known as wound or traumatic myiasis, which can be fatal (adapted from PAHO, no date and WOAH, no date). 

Newcastle Disease (ND) is a highly contagious and often severe disease found worldwide that affects birds caused by virulent strains of avian paramyxovirus type 1 (WOAH, no date).

Peste des petits ruminants is a highly contagious and devastating disease of goats and sheep. The causative agent, Peste des petits ruminants virus, is a member of the genus Morbillivirus, Family Paramyxoviridae and Order Mononegavirales (adapted from FAO, no date and WOAH, 2024a). 

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute haemorrhagic viral disease, affecting small and large ruminants and camels. RVF virus is a member of the Phlebovirus genus. The disease causes high mortality, especially in newborns and mass abortions in pregnant animals. Humans become infected from contact with tissues/blood of infected animals including abortive material and through mosquito bites. Disease in humans presents as influenza-like illness, haemorrhagic fever, encephalitis and occasionally death (adapted from FAO, 2003; WHO, 2018; OIE 2020). 

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%. It is not a danger to human health, but it has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy. (WOAH, no date). 

Classical swine fever, also known as hog cholera, is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild swine. It is caused by a virus of the genus Pestivirus of the family Flaviviridae (WOAH, no date).   

Non-zoonotic infectious animal diseases are not shared between animals and humans (WHO, FAO, & OIE, 2019). 

Rinderpest was an acute, highly contagious viral disease of wild and domesticated ruminants and pigs, characterized by sudden onset of fever, oculonasal discharges, necrotic stomatitis, gastroenteritis and death. Rinderpest was eradicated in 2011 (FAO & OIE, 2011).