Leptospirosis. A bacterial infection that occurs in a wide variety of wild and domestic animals. When exposed to the urine or tissues of infected animals, humans can get infected. The illness in humans varies from undetectable or mild to very serious or even fatal. Clinical diagnosis is often difficult because of the non-specific symptoms.
Rabies. A virus that infects the central nervous system of mammals, which, in humans, almost always results from the bite of a rabies-infected animal (often dogs). Symptoms in humans include difficulty swallowing, anxiety, hallucinations, and insomnia. In the developed world, where domesticated dogs are vaccinated against rabies and not allowed to run free, the disease is found in certain wild animals, such as bats. Any traveler who is bitten by an animal should seek medical attention to assess the risk of rabies.
