Human Cases 2020-2024

Zoonotic Diseases*

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

Human Cases of Reportable Zoonotic Diseases in Texas 2020-2024

 Disease

 2020

 2021

 2022

 2023*

 2024*

 Anaplasmosis

 1 

 3

 2

2

 

 Anthrax

 1 

 

 

 

 1

 Babesiosis

 3 

 1 

 4

 3

 

 Brucellosis

 17

 13

 19

 19

 

 California Encephalitis1

 1

 

 

 

 

 Chagas Disease

 19

 26

 22

 18

 

 Chikungunya

 3

 

 

1

 

 Cysticercosis

 6

 4

 10

 20

 1

 Dengue

 62

 18

 57

 58

 

 Eastern Equine Encephalitis 

 

 

 

 

 

 Echinococcosis 

 2

 

 

 4

 

 Ehrlichiosis

 8

 6

 10

 12

 1

 Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis2

 

 

 

 

 

 Hantavirus Infection 

 

 

 

 

 

 Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome

 

 1

 

 

 

 Japanese Encephalitis

 

 

 

 

 

 Leishmaniasis

 1

 9

 11

 9

 

 Lyme Disease

 11

 32

 23

 26

 

 Malaria

 47

 112

 166

 232

 17

 Melioidosis

 NR  NR  NR  1  

 Plague

 

 

 

 

 

 Q-Fever

 5

 12

 5

 10

 1

 Rabies in Humans 

 

 1

 

 

 

 Rickettsiosis, unspecified3

 5

 6

 4

 8

 

 Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis4

 12

 10

 19

 15

 

 St. Louis Encephalitis

 3

 

 1

 

 

 Taenia infection   

 2

 

 2

 3

 

 Tick-borne Relapsing Fever5

 1

 1

 

 

 

 Trichinosis

 

 

 

 

 

 Tularemia

 

 1

 1

 

 

 Typhus

 526

 663

 580

 736

 25

 West Nile Virus Disease

 122

 143

 46

 103

 

     West Nile Neuroinvasive 

 101

 130

 39

 77

 

     West Nile Fever

 21

 13

 7

 26

 

 Yellow Fever

 

 

 

 

 

 Zika Virus Disease

 

 1 

 

   

*Provisional data for 2023 and 2024 as of 2/29/2024. 
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.

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.