Pathogens Associated with Common Animal Diseases

This page lists animal diseases and associated pathogens. Documentary links to online medical and research references are provided at the end of each entry. The long numbers are accession numbers of research articles available at PubMed. Click on a linked number to read an abstract (summary) of the article.

It is not possible to list all pathogens that are capable of causing certain conditions, such as feline (or canine) respiratory disease, tracheobronchitis, etc. For such conditions, known common pathogens are shown. In some instances, newly emerging pathogens are still being researched and verified to cause disease.

This material provides disease information and references.
** It is not a listing of available frequency sets. **
For that list, please go here.

The information below is not intended to be used for diagnostic purposes.
For more details, please see the disclaimer.

Name of Condition ••• Associated Pathogen(s) ••• PubMed or other reference

A

Abortion (late stage, ruminants & pigs) ••• Chlamydophila abortus ••• 15837807

African swine fever ••• African swine fever virus ••• CIDRAP Univ GA Grey Book OIE PigHealth

Anaplasmosis, bovine ••• Anaplasma marginale, Anaplasma centrale ••• MerckVetManual

Anaplasmosis, in sheep, deer & goats ••• Anaplasma ovis ••• MerckVetManual

Anthrax ••• Bacillus anthracis ••• FAO

Ascariasis ••• Ascaris suum ••• MerckVetManual

Aspergillosis ••• Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus, other Aspergillus species ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Atrophic rhinitis (swine) ••• Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica ••• MerckVetManual

Aujeszky's disease ••• Porcine Herpesvirus 1 (also known as Suid herpesvirus 1 or Pseudorabies virus) ••• APHIS LANL

B

Babesiosis, bovine/ruminant (also known as piroplasmosis, Texas fever, redwater, tick fever) ••• Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, Babesia divergens, Babesia jakimovi, Babesia major, Babesia ovate. See also Theileriosis, bovine. ••• 17953480 16504404 Univ GA Grey Book

Babesiosis, canine ••• Babesia canis, Babesia vogeli, Babesia gibsonii, Babesia conradae, Babesia rossi, Theileria annae, Theileria equi, Theileria annulata ••• 19436443

Babesiosis, equine (also known as equine piroplasmosis) ••• Babesia caballi, Theileria equi (formerly known as Babesia equi) ••• Univ GA Grey Book MerckVetManual 17135560

Babesiosis, sheep and goats ••• Babesia motasi (sheep); Babesia ovis (sheep and goats) ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Babesiosis, swine ••• Babesia trautmanni, Babesia perroncitol ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Bang's disease (also known as brucellosis) ••• Brucella abortus, Brucella suis ••• FAO APHIS

Bartonellosis ••• Bartonella henselae, Bartonella vinsonii subspecies berkhoffii, Bartonella rochalimae; other Bartonella species (numerous) ••• 19538271 19961681 17553243 19331727

Beak and feather disease ••• Beak and feather disease virus ••• 27151279

Bird cholera (also known as Fowl cholera) ••• Pasteurella multocida ••• 17107417 10935284 MerckVetManual

Bluetongue disease ••• Bluetongue virus ••• Univ GA Grey Book FAO

Border disease (also known as Hairy shaker disease) ••• Border disease virus ••• MerckVetManual

Borreliosis, bovine ••• Borrelia theileri ••• 11158095

Botulism ••• Clostridium botulinum ••• FAO

Bovine abortion ••• Neospora caninum ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Bovine ephemeral fever ••• (Bovine) ephemeral fever virus ••• IowaState

Bovine leukosis (also known as bovine lymphosarcoma, bovine leukemia, or bovine malignant lymphoma) ••• Bovine leukemia virus ••• MerckVetManual

Bovine tuberculosis ••• Mycobacterium bovis ••• APHIS

Bovine viral diarrhea ••• Bovine viral diarrhea virus ••• MerckVetManual

Brucellosis, bovine (also known as Bang's disease) ••• Brucella abortus ••• FAO

Brucellosis, ovine/caprine ••• Brucella melitensis ••• FAO

Brucellosis, swine ••• Brucella suis ••• APHIS

C

Canine bacterial pyoderma ••• Staphylococcus pseudintermedius ••• 21398539 21278300

Canine distemper (also known as Hardpad disease) ••• Canine distemper virus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Canine tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) ••• Bordetella bronchiseptica, Canine parainfluenza virus, Canine adenovirus type 2, Canine distemper virus, Mycoplasma, other pathogens ••• Zoologix MerckVetManual

Chlamydiosis ••• Chlamydophila psittaci, Chlamydophila felis (in cats) ••• MerckVetManual 16766509

Classical swine fever (also known as hog cholera) ••• Classical swine fever virus ••• MerckVetManual

Coccidiosis ••• Eimeria species, Isospora species ••• MerckVetManual MerckVetManual

Contagious agalactia of sheep and goats ••• Mycoplasma agalactiae, Mycoplasma capricolum capricolum, Mycoplasma putrefasciens, Mycoplasma mycoides capri, Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides (large colony type) ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia ••• Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides ••• APHIS 8914769 Univ GA Grey Book

Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia ••• Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (also known as Mycoplasma strain F38) ••• Univ GA Grey Book FAO

Contagious equine metritis ••• Taylorella equigenitalis ••• MerckVetManual Univ GA Grey Book

Cowdriosis (also known as Heartwater; occurs in ruminants) ••• Ehrlichia ruminantium (also known as Cowdria ruminantium) ••• 16547041 APHIS

Cysticercosis (porcine) ••• Taenia solium ••• FAO

D

Dicrocoeliosis ••• Dicrocoelium chinensis, Dicrocoelium dendriticum ••• 16336711 12163243 24998394

Distemper (canine) ••• Canine distemper virus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Distemper (feline) ••• Feline panleukopenia virus ••• MedlinePlus Zoologix

Dourine ••• Trypanosoma equiperdum ••• Univ GA Grey Book

E

East coast fever (also known as Zimbabwean tick fever, African Coast fever, Corridor disease, January disease) ••• Theileria parva ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Eastern equine encephalitis ••• Eastern equine encephalitis virus ••• CDC eMedicine

Echinococcosis ••• Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus granulosus ••• eMedicine eMedicine #2 FAO

Ehrlichiosis ••• Anaplasma platys (in dogs); Ehrlichia canis (in dogs); Ehrlichia chaffeensis (in dogs); Ehrlichia ewingii (in dogs); Anaplasma phagocytophilum (in horses) ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Elokomin fluke fever ••• Neorickettsia elokominica ••• MerckVetManual

Enteritis (dogs) ••• Canine coronavirus ••• Zoologix

Enterocolitis ••• Clostridium difficile ••• Enterocolitis

Epizootic hemorrhagic disease ••• Epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Equine abortion virus ••• Equine herpesvirus 1 ••• MerckVetManual

Equine granulocytic ehrlichiosis ••• Anaplasma phagocytophila (formerly, Ehrlichia equi) ••• MerckVetManual

Equine herpesvirus myeloencephalopathy (EHM) ••• Equine herpesvirus 1 ••• MerckVetManual

Equine infectious anemia ••• Equine infectious anemia virus ••• APHIS

Equine monocytic ehrlichiosis (also known as Potomac horse fever, Ditch fever, Shasta River crud, Equine ehrlichiosis) ••• Neorickettsia risticii (formerly, Ehrlichia risticii) ••• MerckVetManual

Equine piroplasmosis ••• Theileria equi (formerly, Babesia equi), Babesia caballi ••• APHIS Univ GA Grey Book

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis ••• Sarcocystis neurona, other protozoa ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Equine sarcoids (horses) ••• Bovine papillomaviruses 1 & 2 ••• 12692268

Equine tapeworm ••• Anoplocephala perfoliata, Anoplocephgala magna, Paranoplocephala mamillana ••• MerckVetManual

Equine viral rhinopneumonitis ••• Equine herpesvirus 1, Equine herpesvirus 4 ••• MerckVetManual

Erysipelas ••• Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae ••• MerckVetManual

F

Fascioliasis ••• Fasciola hepatica (common or sheep liver fluke), Fasciola gigantica (causes "tropical fascioliasis") ••• MerckVetManual

Fasciolopsiasis ••• Fasciolopsis buski (intestinal fluke) ••• eMedicine CDC

Feline chlamydiosis (also known as feline pneumonitis) ••• Chlamydophila psittaci ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Feline distemper (also known as Feline infectious enteritis, Feline panleukopenia) ••• Feline panleukopenia virus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Feline immunodeficiency syndrome ••• Feline immunodeficiency virus ••• Cornell

Feline infectious anemia (also known as Hemobartonellosis) ••• Haemobartonella felis (also known as Eperythrozoon felis) ••• MerckVetManual

Feline infectious enteritis (also known as Feline distemper, Feline panleukopenia) ••• Feline panleukopenia virus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Feline infectious peritonitis ••• Feline infectious peritonitis virus, Feline enteric coronavirus ••• MerckVetManual MerckVetManual Zoologix

Feline leukemia (Feline lymphoma) ••• Feline leukemia virus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Feline panleukpenia (also known as Feline distemper, Feline infectious enteritis) ••• Feline panleukopenia virus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Feline pneumonitis (also known as Feline chlamydiosis) ••• Chlamydophila felis (formerly, Chlamydia psittaci) ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix 16766509

Feline respiratory disease ••• Feline calicivirus, Feline rhinotracheitis virus (also known as feline herpesvirus 1), Mycoplasma felis, Chlamydophila felis (formerly, Chlamydophila psittaci), Bordetella bronchiseptica ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Foot and mouth disease ••• Foot and mouth disease virus ••• CIDRAP

Fowl cholera (also known as Bird cholera) ••• Pasteurella multocida ••• 17107417 10935284 MerckVetManual

G

Glanders (also known as Farcy) ••• Burkholderia mallei (formerly, Pseudomonas mallei) ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Goat pox (also known as caprine variola, variola of goats) ••• Goat poxvirus ••• FAO Univ GA Grey Book

Gumboro disease (also known as Infectious bursal disease) ••• Infectious bursal disease virus ••• MerckVetManual

H

Hairy shaker disease (also known as Border disease) ••• Border disease virus ••• MerckVetManual

Hardpad disease (also known as Canine distemper) ••• Canine distemper virus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Heartwater (also known as Cowdriosis) (occurs in ruminants) ••• Ehrlichia ruminantium (also known as Cowdria ruminantium) ••• 16547041 APHIS

Hemorrhagic septicemia (cattle) ••• Pasteurella multocida ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Hemorrhagic streptococcal pneumonia (dogs) ••• Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus ••• Zoologix

Hog cholera (also known as classical swine fever) ••• Classical swine fever virus ••• MerckVetManual

Hydatid disease (also known as Hydatidosis, Echinococcosis) ••• Echinococcus granulosus ••• FAO eMedicine

I

Infectious bursal disease (also known as Gumboro disease) ••• Infectious bursal disease virus ••• MerckVetManual

Infectious canine hepatitis ••• Canine adenovirus type 1 ••• MerckVetManual

Infectious laryngotracheitis ••• Gallid herpesvirus 1 (also known as infectious laryngotracheitis virus) ••• 16873243

J

Johne's disease (also known as Paratuberculosis) ••• Mycobacterium paratuberculosis ••• MerckVetManual

K

Kennel cough (also known as Canine tracheobronchitis) ••• Bordetella bronchiseptica, Canine parainfluenza virus, Canine adenovirus type 2, Canine distemper virus, Mycoplasma, other pathogens ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

L

Leptospirosis ••• Leptospira interrogans sensu lato, Leptospira pomona, Leptospira grippotyphosa, Leptospira ballum, Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae, Leptospira canicola, Leptospira autumnalis, other Leptospira species ••• eMedicine FAO Zoologix

M

Mad itch ••• Porcine Herpesvirus 1 (also known as Suid herpesvirus 1 or Pseudorabies virus) ••• APHIS LANL

Malignant Catarrhal Fever ••• Ovine herpesvirus 2, Alcelaphine herpesvirus 1, Caprine herpesvirus 2, other animal herpesviruses ••• MerckVetManual

Marek's disease type 1 ••• Gallid herpesvirus 2 (also known as Marek's disease virus type 1) ••• 10933706 Taxonomy MerckVetManual

Marek's disease type 2 ••• Gallid herpesvirus 3 (also known as Marek's disease virus serotype 2) ••• Taxonomy MerckVetManual

Marek's disease type 3 ••• Meleagrid herpesvirus type 1 (also known as Turkey herpesvirus) ••• MerckVetManual Taxonomy 11134310

Melioidosis ••• Burkholderia pseudomallei ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Metastrongylosis ••• Metastrongylus species: M. salmi, M. pudentodectus, M. elongatus, M. confusus, others ••• MerckVetManual

Mouse (murine) typhus (also known as Endemic typhus) ••• Rickettsia typhi ••• MedlinePlus

Mouse hepatitis & liver disease ••• Helicobacter hepaticus ••• CDC

Myxomatosis (rabbits) ••• Myxoma virus ••• 15448364 MerckVetManual

N

Newcastle disease ••• Newcastle disease virus (also known as Avian paramyxovirus 1) ••• MerckVetManual

O

Orf disease ••• Orf virus ••• 14671098

Ornithosis ••• Chlamydophila psittaci ••• MerckVetManual

Otitis media / interna (rabbits) ••• Pasteurella multocida, Encephalitozoon cuniculi ••• MerckVetManual

P

Pacheco's disease ••• Psittacid herpesvirus 1 ••• 16873243

Parrot fever ••• Chlamydophila psittaci ••• MerckVetManual

Parvo ••• Canine parvovirus ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Pasteurellosis (rabbits) ••• Pasteurella multocida ••• MerckVetManual

Piroplasmosis ••• see Babesiosis, Theileriosis

Porcine intestinal adenomatosis ••• Lawsonia intracellularis ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Potomac horse fever (also known as Equine monocytic ehrlichiosis, Ditch fever, Shasta River crud, Equine ehrlichiosis) ••• Neorickettsia risticii (formerly, Ehrlichia risticii) ••• MerckVetManual

Proliferative hemorrhagic enteropathy ••• Lawsonia intracellularis ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Pseudorabies ••• Pseudorabies virus ••• APHIS

Psittacosis ••• Chlamydophila psittaci ••• MerckVetManual

Pyoderma, canine bacterial ••• Staphylococcus pseudintermedius ••• 21398539 21278300

Q

Q fever ••• Coxiella burnetti ••• MerckVetManual

R

Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (also known as Viral hemorrhagic disease) ••• Rabbit calicivirus ••• MerckVetManual

Rabbit papillomatosis ••• Shope (cottontail) papillomavirus ••• MerckVetManual

Rabbit respiratory disease ••• Pasteurella multocida, Bordetella bronchiseptica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas species, Streptococcus species ••• MerckVetManual Rabbit respiratory

Rabbitpox ••• Rabbitpox virus ••• MerckVetManual

Rabies ••• Rabies virus ••• VirologyOnline MerckVetManual

Rift Valley fever ••• Rift Valley fever virus ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Rinderpest disease ••• Rinderpest virus ••• Univ GA Grey Book 9000095 MerckVetManual

S

Salmon Poisoning Disease (also infects dogs) ••• Neorickettsia helminthoeca, Neorickettsia elokominica ••• MerckVetManual

Sarcocystosis or sarcosporidiosis (pigs) ••• Sarcocystis miescheriana, Sarcocystis suihominis, Sarcocystis porcifelis ••• MerckVetManual

Scabby mouth disease ••• Orf virus ••• 14671098

Schistosomiasis ••• Schistosoma spindale, S. indicum, S. nasale, S. incognitum, S. japonicum, S. mattheei, S. bovis, S. curassoni ••• MerckVetManual

Sheep pox ••• Sheep pox virus ••• 12021338 FAO Univ GA Grey Book

Sparganosis ••• Spirometra species of tapeworm ••• CDC

Strangles (horses) ••• Streptococcus equi subspecies equi ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

Swine brucellosis ••• Brucella suis ••• APHIS

Swine vesicular disease ••• Swine vesicular disease virus ••• DEFRA

T

Theileriosis, bovine ••• Theileria parva, Theileria annulata, Theileria orientalis, Theileria mutans, Theileria taurotragi ••• 15994557
MerckVetManual #2

Theileriosis, equine ••• Theileria equi ••• MerckManual 9660136 17135560

Theileriosis, sheep and goats ••• Theileria lestoquardi (formerly, Theileria hirci), Theileria ovis ••• MerckVetManual

Thelaziasis ••• Various Thelazia species ••• MerckVetManual MerckVetManual

Toxoplasmosis ••• Toxoplasma gondii ••• Zoologix FAO eMedicine

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) ••• Spiroplasma mirum ••• 17761489

Trichinosis ••• Trichinella spiralis, other species of trichinella ••• FAO eMedicine

Trypanosomiasis (also known as African animal trypanosomiasis, Nagana, tsetse disease, tsetse fly disease) ••• Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma vivax, Trypanosoma brucei brucei ••• Univ GA Grey Book

Tuberculosis ••• Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium avium group, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium fortuitum, Mycobacterium microti ••• MerckVetManual MerckVetManual

Tuberculosis (bovine) ••• Mycobacterium bovis ••• APHIS

Typhus ••• Rickettsia typhi, Rickettsia prowazekii ••• MedlinePlus

Tyzzer's disease ••• Clostridium piliforme ••• MerckVetManual Zoologix

V

Venezuelan equine encephalitis ••• Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus ••• eMedicine

W

West Nile disease / West Nile encephalomyelitis ••• West Nile virus ••• Zoologix MerckVetManual MerckVetManual