The normal horse owner is extremely unlikely to contract an illness or infection that is transmitted from a horse to a human; nevertheless, veterinarians are one of the most vulnerable groups for the transfer of equine zoonotic diseases since they deal with more sick animals on a regular basis. Equine practitioners are familiar with numerous zoonotic diseases in horses, but they may not be as knowledgeable about how these diseases manifest clinically in people. Equine vets need to be aware of the zoonotic risk of specific illnesses and the organisms that afflict horses. A considerable likelihood of underreporting exists because of health professionals’ ignorance of equine zoonotic diseases that spread from horses, despite the fact that case reports of these infections are still rare. Public health professionals, clinicians, and individuals who have recreational or occupational equine exposure should be aware of these zoonotic diseases, how their diseases manifest in horses and humans, and any risk factors for cross-species infection. In order to take the proper precautions, it is crucial to identify the potential risk factors. The list of important equine zoonotic diseases that horses can transmit to humans is provided below.
Bacterial zoonotic diseases
The list of bacterial zoonotic diseases is as follows.
| Sr. No. | Zoonoses | Causative agent | Mode of transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brucellosis | Brucella species | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 2 | Campylobacteriosis | Campylobacter species | Ingestion |
| 3 | Anthrax | Bacillus anthracis | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 4 | Glanders | Burkholderia mallei | Ingestion |
| 5 | Leptospirosis | Leptospira spp. | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 6 | Lyme disease | Borrelia burgdorferi (spirochaete) | Tick-borne, tick bite |
| 7 | Equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis (EGE) | Ehrlichia equi (spirochaete) | Vector-borne (Ixodes pacificus) |
| 8 | Acinetobacter spp. infection | Acinetobacter spp. | Ingestion, inhalation |
| 9 | Salmonellosis | Salmonella species | Fecal-oral transmission |
| 10 | Staphylococcus aureus infections | Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 11 | Pigeon Fever (dryland distemper or equine distemper) | Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis biovar equi | Open wound or fly bite |
| 12 | Rhodococcus equi infections | Rhodococcus equi | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 13 | Actinobacillosis | Actinobacillus spp. | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 14 | Anaplasmosis | Anaplasma phagocytophilum | Vector-borne |
| 15 | Bartonellosis | Bartonella spp. | Vector-borne |
| 16 | Botulism | Clostridium botulinum | Ingestion, wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 17 | Chlamydiosis | Chlamydia spp. | Inhalation |
| 18 | Clostridium difficile infection | Clostridium difficile | Ingestion |
| 19 | Coxiella burnetii infection | Coxiella burnetii | Ingestion, inhalation, vector-borne |
| 20 | Enterococcus infection | Enterococcus spp. | Ingestion |
| 21 | Colibacillosis | Escherichia coli | Ingestion |
| 22 | Bacterial pneumonia | Klebsiella spp. | Ingestion, wound, bit, or skin exposure |
| 23 | Listeriosis | Listeria monocytogenes | Ingestion |
| 24 | Equine mycobacteriosis | Mycobacterium spp. | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bit, or skin exposure |
| 25 | Rickettsia infection | Rickettsia spp. | Vector-borne |
| 26 | Staphylococcus infections | Staphylococcus spp. | Ingestion, inhalation, wound, bit, or skin exposure |
| 27 | Streptococcus infections | Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus and ruminatorum | Ingestion, inhalation |
Viral zoonotic diseases
A list of viral zoonotic diseases communicable from horses to humans are listed below.
| Sr. No. | Zoonoses | Causative agent | Mode of transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rabies | Rabies virus | Inhalation, wound, bite, or skin exposure |
| 2 | Hendra virus infection | Hendra virus | Inhalation |
| 3 | West Nile Virus infection | West Nile Virus | Vector-borne |
| 4 | Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus infections | Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus | Vector-borne |
| 5 | Vaccina virus (Cowpox) | Vaccina virus | Wound, bite, or skin exposure |
| 6 | St. Louis encephalitis virus | St. Louis encephalitis virus | Vector-borne |
| 7 | Australian bat lyssa virus infection | Australian bat lyssa virus | Inhalation, wound, bite, or skin exposure |
| 8 | Eastern equine encephalitis virus infection | Eastern equine encephalitis virus | Vector-borne |
| 9 | Equine rhinovirus infection | Equine rhinovirus | Inhalation |
| 10 | Hepatitis E virus infection | Hepatitis E virus | Ingestion |
| 11 | Ilheus virus infection | Ilheus virus | Vector-borne |
| 12 | Equine influenza | Influenza virus A and B | Inhalation |
| 13 | Japanese encephalitis | Japanese encephalitis virus | Vector-borne |
| 14 | Parapoxvirus infection | Parapoxvirus (novel) | Wound, bite, or skin exposure |
| 15 | Picobirna virus infection | Picobirna virus | Ingestion |
| 16 | Sindbis virus infection | Sindbis virus | Vector-borne |
Parasitic zoonotic diseases
List of important parasitic zoonotic diseases is given below.
| Sr. No. | Zoonoses | Causative agent | Mode of transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giardiasis | Giardia intestinalis, Giardia duodenalis | Fecal-oral transmission |
| 2 | Cryptosporidiosis | Cryptosporidium parvum | Fecal-oral transmission |
| 3 | Blastocystis infections | Blastocystis hominis | Ingestion |
| 4 | Echinococcus infections | Echinococcus species | Ingestion |
| 5 | Fasciolas hepatica infections | Fasciolas hepatica | Ingestion |
| 6 | Halicephalobus gingivalis infections | Halicephalobus gingivalis | Wound, bite or skin exposure |
| 7 | Leishmaniasis | Leishmania spp. | Vector-borne |
| 8 | Equine Onchocerciasis | Onchocerca cervicalis | Vector-borne (Culicoides spp.) |
| 9 | Toxoplasmmosis | Toxoplasma gondii | Ingestion |
| 10 | Trichinellosis | Trichinella spp. | Ingestion |
| 11 | Trichostrongylus infections | Trichostrongylus spp. | Ingestion |
Fungal zoonotic diseases
The list of important zoonotic diseases caused by fungi is given below.
| Sr. No. | Zoonoses | Causative agent | Mode of transmission |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dermatophytosis/ Ringworm | Trichophyton equinum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Microsporum | Direct contact with an infected animal |
| 2 | Enterocytozoon bieneusi | Enterocytozoon bieneusi | Ingestion |
| 3 | Blastomycosis | Blastomyces | Inhalation, wound, bite or skin exposure |
Preventive measures for people at risk of zoonotic diseases
Those who work in barns, stables, veterinary clinics, para-veterinary clinics, and equine competitions may be susceptible to different horse-to-human illnesses. Groupings of horses from various locations that have been subjected to shipping and competition stress present possible circumstances for the spread of disease. Attendees at events should take extra precautions and prioritise practising good hygiene.
Each animal needs regular veterinary treatment to be healthy. To protect the horse from contagious zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, the veterinarian can suggest a parasite prevention and immunisation strategy. After touching, feeding, or caring for your horse, as well as after cleaning up its waste, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
For small children, adults should oversee hand washing. Use hand sanitiser until you have access to soap and water to wash your hands.
In equestrian and cattle contexts, manure management and parasite/insect control programmes are crucial. The disease can be conveyed by humans through boots, hands, and tools. In order to reduce the risk, proper disinfection procedures should be followed.
Direct touch when handling and grooming horses, contact with contaminated objects like grooming equipment, unintentional ingestion of faeces or urine, or inhalation of aerosolized materials are the main ways that zoonotic diseases from horses are spread. By following the following steps, we can safeguard ourselves against the majority of diseases:
- Take care when handling animals to prevent bites, kicks, and other harm.
- Wash bite wounds thoroughly and report injuries.
- Avoid using tobacco products, eating, drinking, wearing makeup, or petting horses while they are in stalls or enclosures.
- Prior to eating or drinking, wash your hands after coming into contact with animals or their faeces.
- Dress appropriately to handle large animals, such as long pants and covered shoes or boots (no sandals).
- Separately wash the dirty garments on your own, preferably at the animal facility.
- When necessary, put on respiratory protection.
- Maintain clean animal areas and disinfect equipment used on or in areas with animals.
You may want to read more about horses and their types/breeds.
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