Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can pass from insects or animals to people, or from people to animals. Viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi are causes of zoonotic diseases. It's estimated that sixty percent of the infectious diseases in people originated in animals. While serious, zoonotic diseases are usually preventable.
West Nile Virus
In 2009, coinciding with state's worst outbreak of West Nile virus, environmental surveillance detected infection in 72 horses, many of which died or were euthanized, one dog, 22 birds, and 364 mosquito samples.
The mosquito species, Culex pipiens and Cx. tarsalis, are principal carriers of West Nile virus. Both species are found across the state.
Canine Leptospirosis
The majority of canine leptospirosis cases are reported from western Washington. This trend closely follows the pattern of precipitation typical of this region.
Why is zoonotic disease data important?
By monitoring zoonotic disease activity in animals, we can identify when and where there may be an exposure risk for people and animals. We can then target control and prevention responses to minimize the health impacts. While there are many zoonotic diseases, two of them have sufficient data to provide through this data portal.
View the Data
Reduce Exposure
To learn more about these zoontic diseases and the impact they can have on health, visit the West Nile virus and Canine Leptospirosis webpages.
Additional Resources
Health Pets, Health People - CDC
Contact Us
For information or questions related to the Washington Tracking Network, email DOH.WTN@doh.wa.gov.
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We love hearing about how our data is being used to make an impact on the health of Washingtonians. It also helps us to know what is meeting our users’ needs and how we can improve the information we provide. If you used our data, please tell us about it by sending an email to DOH.WTN@doh.wa.gov.
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