Definition of "zoonosis" []

• A disease of animals, such as rabies or psittacosis, that can be transmitted to humans. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The transmission of disease from one species to another is called zoonosis and is of great concern to the CDC."
• "Pets, animals e.g.  Q fever  Psittacosis  hantavirus pulmonary syndrome  "zoonosis""
• "She said although this was a zoonosis (diseases that can be passed between animals, whether wild or domesticated, to humans), there was no need for the public to panic."