Which term describes a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans or vice versa?

Which term describes a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans or vice versa?

• A. Sentinel
• B. Zoonotic
• C. Endemic
• D. Epizootic

Answer: (B)

Zoonotic describes diseases that can move between animals and people. This means a pathogen can be transmitted from animals to humans or from humans to animals, depending on exposure and transmission routes. In practice, this includes illnesses like rabies or Salmonella that can be carried by animals and passed to humans under certain conditions, highlighting why protective measures and proper handling in lab and clinical settings are essential. The other terms describe different ideas: a sentinel is an animal used to monitor for disease, not a disease itself; endemic means a disease is regularly present in a population or area; an epizootic is an outbreak among animals. Zoonotic best captures the cross-species transmission concept.

Zoonotic describes diseases that can move between animals and people. This means a pathogen can be transmitted from animals to humans or from humans to animals, depending on exposure and transmission routes. In practice, this includes illnesses like rabies or Salmonella that can be carried by animals and passed to humans under certain conditions, highlighting why protective measures and proper handling in lab and clinical settings are essential. The other terms describe different ideas: a sentinel is an animal used to monitor for disease, not a disease itself; endemic means a disease is regularly present in a population or area; an epizootic is an outbreak among animals. Zoonotic best captures the cross-species transmission concept.