Human Cases

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Anthrax 
Diseases ICD-9 022; ICD-10 A22 
(Zoonotic Diseases, Zoonosis)

Zoonotic Diseases*

Zoonoses are diseases transmissible from animals to humans. Although there are over 150 recognized zoonoses, those of significance to Texas include:

Disease 2020 2021*  2022*  2023* 2024  2025 2026 2027 2028 2029
Anaplasmosis 3 2              
Anthrax                  
Babesiosis 3              
Brucellosis 17 13 17 1            
California Encephalitis1 1                  
Chagas Disease 19 26 20              
Chikungunya 3                  
Cysticercosis 6 4 9              
Dengue 62 18 43              
Eastern Equine Encephalitis                     
Echinococcosis  2                  
Ehrlichiosis 8 6 7              
Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis2                     
Hantavirus Infection                     
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome   1                
Japanese Encephalitis                    
Leishmaniasis 1 9 7              
Lyme Disease 11 32 22              
Malaria 47 112 148 13            
Plague                    
Q-Fever 5 12  4              
Rabies in Humans    1                
Rickettsiosis, unspecified3  5 6 3              
Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis4 12 10 18              
St. Louis Encephalitis 3   1              
Taenia infection    2   2              
Tick-borne Relapsing Fever5 1 1                
Trichinosis                    
Tularemia   1 1              
Typhus 526 663 546 28            
West Nile Virus Disease 122 143 39              
     West Nile Neuroinvasive  101 130 34              
     West Nile Fever 21 13  5              
Yellow Fever                    
Zika Virus Disease                  
*Provisional data for 2021-2023 as of 2/28/2023. 
NOTE: These data reflect only those cases reported to the Department of State Health Services. The actual incidence of these diseases in the state may be higher.
1California encephalitis/meningitis refers to all California serogroup viruses. California serogroup includes California encephalitis, Jamestown Canyon, Keystone, La Crosse, snowshoe hare, and trivittatus virus. 
2Denotes “Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis – undetermined,” used when a case has compatible clinical criteria with laboratory evidence to support infection, but without sufficient clarity to identify the causative organism as E. chaffeensis, A. phagocytophilum, or E. ewingii.
3Rickettsiosis, unspecified replaced "dual reporting" in typhus/spotted fever cases in 2015.
4The case definition for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever was changed to Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis in 2010 to capture cases due to other spotted fever Group Rickettsia species, such as Rickettsia parkeri. Commonly available serologic tests are unable to differentiate between spotted fever group Rickettsia species.
5Tick-borne Relapsing Fever was not a reportable condition from 2016-2020; cases were reported during these years in the reporting category of "outbreak, exotic disease, or unusual group expression of disease that may be of public health concern."
 NR = Not Reportable.                   
Human Cases of Reportable Zoonotic Diseases in Texas 2020-2029

Zoonotic Diseases*

More information about zoonotic diseases in Texas can be found in the alphabetized list below.

*The purpose of surveillance is to try to detect where disease organisms, such as bacteria and viruses, occur in Texas. Rabies surveillance for example is basically an observation or watch for the virus that causes rabies. When an animal is exhibiting the signs of rabies, the brain may be submitted to an approved laboratory for testing. Animals that have bitten or otherwise may have exposed a person or a domestic animal to the virus should also be tested. If an animal is positive, it means that the virus was found during testing. If an animal is negative, it means that the virus was not found during testing. Similar surveillance is conducted on samples from animals for a variety of diseases. The amount of testing in the surveillance process will vary for different counties statewide. If a report indicates that an area does not have any positive test results for a particular disease, it does not necessarily mean that the disease organisms are not in that area. It just reflects the fact that either there were no samples submitted from that area or that submitted samples were negative.