Epizootic

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An epizootic is the nonhuman equivalent of an epidemic, meaning that large numbers of animals are infected with a disease.

As in epidemics, high population density is a major contributing factor to epizootics, with aquaculture being one notable example of an industry plagued by disease because of the large number of fish in a small area.

Due to the pathogens' specificity to a host, the risk to humans and other non-target species in the environment is minimal.

  • Typical epizootic example would be Chytrid fungus in frogs throughout the World.
  • Koi virus in Koi fish.