Healthy Communities

Diseases from Animals & Insects

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Zoonotic diseases are those that are spread from animals to people. Many diseases that affect people can come from animals. Zoonotic diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Approximately 75% of recently emerging infectious diseases affecting humans are diseases of animal origin; approximately 60% of all human pathogens are zoonotic. Some of those diseases are transmitted through the bite of an animal, such as rabies from animals infected with the rabies virus, or diseases spread through the bite of a tick or mosquito. Others are spread through non-bite animal contact or even result from contamination of the environment by animals. 

The goal of the Department of Health is to improve the health of Arkansans by reducing the impact of these infectious diseases using a comprehensive approach that includes human, animal, and environmental health. This is called One Health, defined as the collaborative effort of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally and globally to obtain optimal health for people, animals and the environment.

The Department of Health is able to reduce the impact of infectious diseases shared between people and animals by:

Office Address Phone Fax
Zoonotic Disease 4815 W. Markham St., Slot 42
Little Rock, AR
501-661-2381  501-280-4431 

Public Health Accrediation Board
Arkansas Department of Health
© 2017 Arkansas Department of Health. All Rights Reserved. www.healthy.arkansas.gov
4815 W. Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205-3867
1-800-462-0599