zoonosis
Americannoun
plural
zoonosesnoun
Other Word Forms
- zoonotic adjective
Etymology
Origin of zoonosis
1875–80; < New Latin, irregular < Greek zōio- zoo- + nósos sickness, with ending apparently conformed to -sis
Explanation
An illness that can be spread between animals and humans is a zoonosis. Rabies is one example of a zoonosis that's transmitted when a rabid animal bites a person. Some kinds of zoonoses can be directly transferred from animal to human, while others go through a third animal that acts as a carrier but shows no symptoms. If a human transmits a disease to an animal, it's known as "reverse zoonosis." The list of zoonoses includes cat scratch disease, anthrax, avian flu, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The word comes from the Greek roots zōon, "animal," and nosos, "disease."
Vocabulary lists containing zoonosis
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2024
Public health concerns, including zoonosis and tick-borne diseases, further highlight the importance of careful management in this unique context, where the conservation of a population with a millennium-long history is at stake.
From Science Daily • Feb. 20, 2024
When a virus jumps from animals to humans, it's known as zoonosis.
From Salon • Feb. 12, 2023
“Our paper recognizes that there are different possible origins, but the evidence towards zoonosis is overwhelming,” says co-author Danielle Anderson, a virologist at the University of Melbourne.
From Science Magazine • Oct. 9, 2022
A zoonosis is a disease that infects animals but can be transmitted from animals to humans.
From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
