Causative agents of zoonoses can be transmitted to humans through a numbers of routes, including direct contact, food, water, insects, rodents etc. The BSE crisis and recent the avian influeza crisis heightened public concern over the safety of foods of animal origin. Often some zoonotic pathogens may cause unsymptomatic or no diseases (carrier states), difficult to detect, either on farm or at slautherhouse examination. Many of these pathogens reside in the intestinal tract of healthy animals and may spread through faecal contamination of the environment and products such as meat, milk or eggs. Their presence in food products is a potential of food-borne diseases. This risk can be minimised if food hygirne principles are applied throughout the entire food chain from production, t5hrough processing to preparation at home. These patogens and diseases which may affect man are discussed.

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