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How is the term "zoonosis" defined?

A zoonosis is any animal disease that can be spread to humans. Zoonosis diseases are transmitted either directly by germs or by parasitic organisms that travel between infected animals and humans.

Cat-scratch fever and toxoplasmosis are examples of zoonosis that are spread directly from animals to humans. Cat-scratch fever is a viral infection transmitted by the scratch or bite of a cat, characterized by fever and swelling of the lymph glands. Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a protozoan parasite—transmitted by dogs, cats, and other animals—that, in humans, invades tissues and sometimes damages the central nervous system. By the same token, people can become infected with rabies if bitten by a dog or other animal.

Lyme disease is a disease transmitted by ticks that affect several of the body's systems. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a sometimes-fatal bacterial...

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