Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholera of serogroups O1 or O139. Humans are the only relevant reservoir, even though Vibrios can survive for a long time in coastal waters contaminated by human excreta.
Cryptosporidia are intestinal parasites infecting a variety of animals (e.g. cattle, sheep, rodents, cats and dogs, but also birds, fish and reptiles). Human infections occur due to Cryptosporidium parvum, a species that also affects domestic animals.
Legionnaires’ disease is a multisystem disease which causes pneumonia due to gram-negative bacteria (Legionella spp.) found in freshwater environments around the world.
Rabies is a disease caused by rabies virus (a Lyssavirus). Every year, a small number of cases of rabies is reported in Europe - travel-related or autochthonous.
Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) is a relatively new and rare neurological disease, classified as a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE).
Diphtheria is spread through droplets from coughing or sneezing. Most often the disease causes a sore throat and low grade fever in the first few days of the illness.