The term 'zoonotic' is defined as:

• A. A disease transmitted between humans only
• B. A disease transmitted between animals and people
• C. A disease only in wild animals
• D. A disease found in plants

Answer: (B)

Zoonotic refers to diseases that can move between animals and humans. It describes pathogens that reside in animal hosts and can be transmitted to people, and in some cases may move back from humans to animals. This includes illnesses like rabies, and various strains of influenza that jump from birds or pigs to humans. It doesn’t describe diseases that only affect humans, nor those confined to wild animals with no human transmission, nor diseases found in plants. So the term clearly means a disease transmitted between animals and people.