Man’s best friend and our shared infectious diseases

Abstract

This review categorizes 62 zoonoses humans share with dogs based on their clinical, public health importance, and global distribution. Three categories were identified. Category 1 comprise the most widespread and public health important zoonoses and includes 13 zoonoses where dogs play an essential role in the maintenance and transmission of the infectious organisms. This category comprises Rabies lyssavirus , Leptospirosis, Leishmania, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei spp ., Clonorchis sinsensis, Opisthorchis viverrini, Paragonimus spp ., Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis, Taenia multiceps, Dracunculus medinensis, Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma spp ., and Strongyloides stercoralis. Category 2 includes 24 zoonoses of lesser public health importance in which human or dog behavior plays a major role in transmission. Category 2 includes, Microsporum spp ., Prevotella spp ., Bacteroides spp ., Porphyromonas spp ., Bergeyella zoohelcum, Neisseria spp ., Pasteurella spp ., Capnocytophaga canimorsus, Staphylococcus spp ., Streptococcus spp ., Salmonella spp ., Anaplasma spp ., Ehrlichia spp ., Borrelia spp ., Rickettsia spp ., Yersina pestis, Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp ., Toxoplasma gondii, Dibothriocephalus latum, Spirometra spp ., Schistosoma spp ., Echinococcus canadensis, and Sarcoptes scabei var canis. Category 3 includes human infection where the zoonotic infection link is rare but has occasionally implicated dogs. This category includes SARS-CoV-2, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Mycobacterium spp ., Corynebacterium spp ., Coxiella burnetti, Helicobacter spp. , Campylobacter spp ., Brucella canis, Balantioides coli, Blastocystis hominis, Bacillus anthracis, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia spp ., Trichuris vulpis, Gnathostoma spp ., Thelazia spp ., Dirofilaria spp ., Onchocera lupi, Heterophyes heterophyes, Metagonimus spp. , Fasciolopsis buski, Ctenocephalides felis, Cheyletiella spp ., Otodectes cynotis , and Cochliomya homnivorax . Changes in human behavior and control of canine infection would reduce the public health importance of these zoonoses.