# Which STIs can be transmitted from animals to humans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 31, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387 "2005-08-31T04:49:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/21 "2005-08-31T19:19:15Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > And when did they become STIs, instead of STDs? Because a disease shows symptoms and an infection doesn’t. A good percentage of people who have STIs show no symptoms. > [@Snickers](#): > > Aren’t humans and some animal (I’m remembering armadillo, for some reason, but that’s probably not it) the only creatures that can contract gonorrhea? I think that was it!! I read an article or book a long time ago that said some small, uncommon animal could give humans an STI but couldn’t for the life of me remember what it is. Armadillos and gonorrhea is probably what it was, we must’ve read the same source. I am confused by the “Go Ask Alice!” cite. I thought that AIDs could be spread through sexual contact between humans and apes? ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/22 "2005-08-31T21:39:32Z")
Yeah… Armadillos… _deep exhale_ BRB, have to go take cold shower… ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/23 "2005-08-31T23:19:47Z")
I’m just dropping into this thread to mention that I passed my last checkup… ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/24 "2005-09-07T14:01:47Z")
You can’t catch anything from hamsters. Hint hint. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/25 "2005-09-07T14:15:14Z")
o.O (I’m very helpful) ---
**Author:** ![Feydeau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df788c/32.png) [@Feydeau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feydeau)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/26 "2005-09-07T17:58:00Z")
> [@cricetus](#): > > You can’t catch anything from hamsters. Hint hint. …or gerbils. Umm, from what I’ve heard, y’know. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2005, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/27 "2005-09-07T20:13:57Z")
> [@Argent Towers](#): > > Haw haw, it’s ok. > > **Kimera,** you’re so hot! So, I had to go to her homepage to check on the alleged hotness and found this under Hobbies: > [@Kimera's homepage](#): > > …collecting porn, playing with animals… Perhaps an unfortunate choice of order considering the current question. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/28 "2005-09-09T02:16:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Aren’t humans and some animal (I’m remembering armadillo, for some reason, but that’s probably not it) the only creatures that can contract gonorrhea? [random factoid]and leprosy.[/rf] ---
**Author:** ![kimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@kimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kimera)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/29 "2005-09-09T03:11:37Z")
Okay, so I guess that STIs can theoretically be transmitted from animals to humans, but it’s extremely unlikely. So then, how did gonorrhea end up in armadillos and humans? (and any other non-virii STIs) Variations of a branch that was spread some non-sexual way? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2005, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387/30 "2005-09-09T04:22:13Z")
I love this board. I don’t want to think about some things on it, but I love this board. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-stis-can-be-transmitted-from-animals-to-humans/319387.md?page=1)