Botulism

Botulism, brucellosis, Lyme-disease and tetanus are infectious, but not contagious diseases.

Along with thousands of other soldiers, Tom's great grandfather died of botulism during the Spanish-American War because the US government fed improperly canned potted meat to its soldiers.

In 1971, the deaths of two people from botulism, a severe foodborne illness caused by bacteria, prompted the National Canners Association to adopt stricter standards.

New animal illnesses generally originate in invasive species. Zebra mussels that have spread throughout the U.S. Great Lake introduced a type of botulism that has killed some 100,000 birds in the last decade. A fungus spread by the trade in amphibians has led to the extinction of about 120 species of frogs around the world.