Which term describes an infectious disease that is transmitted between animals and people?

• A. Zoonotic
• B. Emerging
• C. Exotic
• D. Transboundary

Answer: (A)

Zoonotic describes diseases that can be transmitted between animals and humans. This term specifically captures the crossing of the species barrier, whether through direct contact, handling of animals or animal products, or vectors that carry the pathogen. That’s why it’s the right term for infectious diseases that move from animals to people and, in some cases, back again. The other terms don’t denote this cross-species transmission: emerging refers to diseases that are newly appearing or increasing in incidence; exotic means something foreign or not native to a region; transboundary focuses on geographic spread across borders rather than the host species involved.