Certain diseases are called reverse zoonoses. These are diseases of people that are transmissible to animals.
EXAMPLES OF REVERSE ZOONOSES
The mumps virus causes mumps in man and parotiditis in dogs. Tuberculosis in humans causes tuberculosis in elephants, dogs, and deer. Infectious hepatitis in people causes hepatitis in monkeys and other primates.
A bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus causes a skin disease “Furunculosis” in people. In cattle, it causes a mammary gland infection called “mastitis” as well as the skin condition, Furunculosis. The agent responsible for causing Scarlet Fever in people, a bacterium called Streptococcus pyogenes, causes mastitis in cattle. A protozoal organism Giardia lambia causes nausea and diarrhea in people and beavers. The influenza virus (strains A & B) responsible for the human cold causes severe respiratory disease in pet rabbits and ferrets.
