In my research project I will be studying the diversity through zoonotic diseases. I will be showing the causes and effects of the least severe pathogens and some of the worst. Zoonotic diseases are pathogens that can be passed between humans and animals. These diseases can be from a bacteria, virus, parasite or fungi. Within the emerging diseases that humans are now encountering about 75% stem from animals. About 60% of those diseases are zoonotic. Considering the growing increase of zoonotic diseases I think it is important to have as much information as possible. I want to see what potential risk a zoonotic could pose on a food supply if there was a pathogen to reach a large number of livestock. I am doing my essay on this to show how common these diseases are and their effects they have on different populations. Through my research thus far I have seen that there is a great amount of fear that comes from these diseases such as conspiracy theories to women getting rid of their pets during pregnancy. Throughout my research I hope to discover why many people have these fears and to see the range that zoonotic diseases have throughout different populations. I also want to find out if there is a reason that people assume zoonotic diseases to be lethal and to see how researching them could help prevent them from becoming a larger threat to populations.

~AW

A table of wildlife-associated zoonotic diseases can be found here.