Diseases common to man and animals in Malta

Abstract

More than one hundred zoonoses are recognised in the world, of which relatively few are likely to be of local interest. It is not proposed here to enlist them all, or for that matter to attempt to give full details of those relevant to Malta. The purpose of this article is rather to record some recent developments in our own knowledge of animal diseases which are, or may, of significance to humans in Malta. Amongst the diseases that are known to exist in Malta are bacterial, such as tuberculosis, tetanus, anthrax, brucellosis, salmonellosis, erysipelas, listeria infections, monocytogenes, clostridial infections, staphylococcal food poisoning, leishmaniasis, and leptospirosis. Furthermore, other fungal and parasitic diseases are also briefly discussed. On the other hand, viral diseases, protozoal infections and parasitic conditions result to be very uncommon diseases in Malta.