Zoonotic Disease Program

The Zoonotic Disease Program (ZDP) works to prevent and control diseases spread from animals (including mosquitoes and ticks) to people. Our team collaborates with local health departments and other agencies and organizations throughout Ohio in a One Health Approach to conduct disease surveillance of animals, including mosquitoes and ticks; investigate zoonotic diseases and conditions in people; provide consultations to animal and human health professionals; and implement disease interventions and educational initiatives.

Ohio Vector-borne Disease Surveillance Update

Update on vector-borne diseases in Ohio including current data on vector, human, and veterinary surveillance for mosquito-borne and tickborne diseases.

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Oral Rabies Vaccination Campaign

To protect Ohioans and their domestic animals from a new strain of rabies in wild raccoons, Ohio Department of Health and other state and local agencies partner with the United States Department of Agriculture to immunize wild raccoons for rabies using an oral rabies vaccine.

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Lyme Disease: A Continuing Concern in Ohio

Lyme disease is spread by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. The blacklegged tick was first established in Ohio in 2010. Since then, this tick’s range has expanded in Ohio, and Lyme disease has dramatically increased and continues to significantly impact Ohioans.

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Best Hygiene Practices for Fair Season

As fair season approaches in Ohio, follow these steps to keep everyone safe and healthy.

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Salmonella and Baby Poultry

Although baby chicks and ducklings are a welcome sign of spring, you might want to think twice before bringing them home as pets.

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Top Resources

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) or "Bird Flu"

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is a virus also known as the “bird flu”. Bird flu is caused by infection with avian influenza Type A viruses (e.g., H5N1, H7N9). These viruses spread naturally in wild aquatic birds but can infect poultry and other birds and other animal species.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by an infection with a bacterium, which is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick in Ohio. Lyme disease cases are increasing in Ohio as the range of blacklegged tick populations continue to expand in the state.

Mosquito-borne Diseases in Ohio

Diseases spread by mosquitoes are a concern in Ohio each year. Most are merely a nuisance and are not major vectors of diseases; however, the diseases these mosquitoes can carry are very serious ones.

Mosquitoes in Ohio

Each summer, mosquitoes are a familiar biting pest in backyards, parks, and campgrounds. Most are merely a nuisance and not major vectors of disease. In fact, only a few of the 59 species of mosquitoes in Ohio can transmit disease.

Rabies and Animal Bites

Rabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal or, less commonly, when saliva from an infected animal gets into an open wound or onto a mucous membrane. The Zoonotic Disease Program conducts rabies prevention activities to protect Ohio residents from the spread of wildlife rabies to people, pets, and other animals.

Tickborne Diseases in Ohio

Diseases spread by ticks are an increasing concern in Ohio and are being reported to the Ohio Department of Health more frequently in the past decade, with Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) being the most common. Other tickborne diseases such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis are also on the rise.

Ticks in Ohio

There are about a dozen species of ticks that have been identified in Ohio. Most species are associated with wild animals and are rarely encountered by people. However, three species are among the most likely ticks to be encountered by people or pets and are responsible for nearly all tickborne diseases reported to the Ohio Department of Health.

Zoonotic diseases (also called zoonoses) are infectious diseases that can be spread from animals to humans. These diseases may or may not produce clinical illness in the animal.

Zoonotic diseases include:

Those that can be transmitted directly from animals to humans (e.g., rabies).
Diseases that can be acquired indirectly by humans through ingestion, inhalation, or contact with infected animal products, soil, water, or other environmental surfaces that have been contaminated with animal waste or a dead animal (e.g., anthrax, leptospirosis).
Vector-borne diseases that require a mosquito, tick, or other arthropod to transmit disease from animals to humans (e.g., Rocky Mountain spotted fever, St. Louis encephalitis, West Nile virus).

Animals that can carry and spread diseases to people:

Rabbits, rodents, and pocket pets

Raccoons

Reptiles and amphibians

Arthropods that can carry and spread diseases to people:

Mosquitoes

Ticks

Diseases affecting animals and humans:

Baylisascaris procyonis

Blastomycosis

Botulism

Bovine spongiform encephalitis

Cutaneous larval migrans

Dengue

Dermatophytosis

Eastern equine encephalitis

Ehrlichiosis

E. coli, Shiga toxin-producing

Influenza A, novel virus

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis

Malaria

Methicillin-resistant S. aureus

St. Louis encephalitis

Salmonellosis

Sporotrichosis

Spotted fever rickettsiosis

Viral hemorrhagic fever

Visceral larval migrans

People at higher risk:

Some people are more likely to get disease from animals or develop more severe disease due to having a weaker or immature immune system. People at high risk include:

Organ transplant recipients.
People being treated with drugs that compromise the immune system such as therapies for cancer or immune-mediated diseases (e.g., lupus, rheumatoid arthritis).
People with HIV/AIDS.
Elderly people.
Pregnant women.
Children under 5 years of age.

Pregnant women should take special precautions to avoid infection with toxoplasmosis and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV).

Toxoplasmosis can be transmitted through contact with cat feces or environments that have been contaminated with cat feces (i.e., gardens).
LCMV can be carried by apparently healthy mice and hamsters, and pregnant women should avoid contact with them and their environment.

Additional information on people at higher risk for zoonotic diseases can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s website.

Contact Information

Bureau of Infectious Diseases

Ohio Department of Health
246 N. High St
Columbus, OH 43215

Email: Zoonoses@odh.ohio.gov
Phone: (614) 752-1029
Fax: (614) 564-2437

Monday - Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Video

Video: How to Catch a Bat.

Produced by Public Health Seattle & King County.

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Healthy Pets and People

Animals in Schools and Day Care Settings

Stay Healthy at Animal Exhibits

Travelers' Health: Be Safe Around Animals

Ohio Department of Agriculture: Division of Animal Health

Animals in Public Settings Toolkit (fact sheets, courses, websites, presentations, signs, etc.)