
Infectious Animal Disease Specialist Career Profile
- Career Name - Infectious Animal Disease Specialist
- Category - Health / Specialist
- Skills Required - Life skills 40% - Career skills 60%
- Basic School Subjects - Biology, Science, Mathematics
- Minimum Required Education - Doctoral Degree (PhD)
- Species Worked With - Pets, Critters, Farm Animals, Wildlife
- Kind of Interaction with Animals - Direct
Do you want to work as an infectious animal disease specialist?
READ: This page helps you to read about the career and the info you need to decide on whether this is indeed the career you want to follow.
RESEARCH: ​Learn about the skills required and minimum subjects to enter this career, as well as the places where you can study further after school.
PREPARE: If you want to plan and prepare for your career, then join the OZT Community! Members have access to tools while chatting with other students and experts from around the world. Prepare to be amazed!
CAREER MENTORS

UPDATED:
3 May 2024
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What is an infectious animal disease specialist?
An infectious animal disease specialist is a veterinarian or scientist who specialises in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases in animals.

Alternative Names
Some alternative names for an infectious animal disease specialist include:
- Veterinary epidemiologist
- Veterinary microbiologist
- Veterinary infectious disease specialist
- Animal health epidemiologist
- Veterinary public health specialist
- Animal disease control officer
- Veterinary virologist
- Veterinary parasitologist
- Veterinary bacteriologist
- Veterinary immunologist
Career Categories
The Infectious Animal Disease Specialist career profile can be found within the following OZT career categories:
- Animal Care
- Specialist
Known diseases?
Rabies is the most well know transmittable animal disease (zoonosis). Close to 59,000 people die of rabies each year.
Livestock losses?
Infectious diseases amongst animals can cause billions of livestock to die if not treated in time
What does an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist do?
Groups of animals an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist works with










What is the level of Interaction with the Animals?
- Directly - A person works directly with the animals with some form of physical contact at least once every few days
- Indirectly - The career doesn't require direct or physical contact at all.
With who does an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist work?
Besides working with all of the animals, Infectious Animal Disease Specialists will need to interact with other people while doing their daily tasks. The people might include fellow staff members or the public.
Fellow staff might include:
- Supervisors/Managers
- Operational staff, such as Human Resources, Finance and Maintenance
- Veterinary staff
- Research Scientists
- Lab Technicians
What does an Infectious Animal Disease Specialis focus on?
The primary focus of an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist is to identify infectious or contagious diseases in specific domesticated animals or wildlife, and then working on stopping the spread to other animals.
What are the daily tasks of an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist?
- Discuss brief with clients
- Diagnose the infected animal
- Request laboratory analysis of blood samples
- Research and identify specific diseases
- Report to client and government on findings
- Cooperate with other veterinary professionals in curbing the spread of a disease
- Administration and filing
Working conditions of an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist?
Where does an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist work?
Environment –
Infectious animal disease specialists work mostly indoors, but may be called out to assist in diagnosing a sedated wild animal out in the field.
Places of Employment –
Most specialists may be employed by government veterinary agencies, animal hospitals, research companies, pharmaceutical corporations and large private game reserves. A smaller amount do go on to start their own private practice.
What is the average annual salary of an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist?
On average the income per year is around $150,000. This will differ from country to country.
Can an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist be promoted?
Advancement in the field typically depends on work experience. First-year scientists often fit their training commitments around other work demands.
The levels of each promotion might differ from organization to organization, but generally are the following:
Intern -> Junior Scientist -> Senior Scientist -> Specialist -> Manager
What kind of difficulties can an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist face?
The most difficult part is working with sick animals that may bite, scratch or kick. Specialists may also be required to travel and work long hours.
​Future growth and Possibilities
The average growth for this career is average, around 5% per year. This is a niche market and requires many years of studies.
Availability of Jobs
Average
Which Skills are required by an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist?
The skills required for a career as an infectious animal disease specialists can be divided into two very important groups. The first is the group containing life skills, which are the core skills that are necessary or desirable for full participation in everyday life. The second group is career skills, or the specific skills required to allow a person to enter and operate effectively within a specific career. Some or maybe even all of the life skills can assist in strengthening the career skills, and they might even be the same for specific careers.
Life Skills
- ​Self-awareness
- Empathy
- Critical thinking
- Creative thinking
- Decision making
- Problem Solving
- Effective communication
- Interpersonal relationship
Career Skills
- ​Good animal care and handling
- Basic customer service skills
- Good health and physical fitness
- Excellent computer literacy
Which Subjects must I have at School to help prepare for this career?
Biology should be your most important subject in school as universities will require a high pass mark for entry or admission to veterinary courses.
Science (and in most cases chemistry as well) will be required together with biology for veterinary studies.
A high level in high school maths might be required to enter university.
The subjects you choose at school are important as they lay the foundation for further studies at college or university. While still at school, it’s also important to learn more about the animals you will work with, as well as gain some experience.
OZT has a list of various tertiary institutions where you can study further, after school. Each of these institutions also have their own Group page on OZT where you will find the exact subjects they require of you to have passed in school. Keep these requirements in mind, and discuss it with your school, guidance counselor and parents to ensure that you are prepared!
What will I need to Study to become an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist?
Minimum Requirements
The minimum requirement to enter this career will be a Doctoral Degree in veterinary medicine, together with a completed residency and fellowship requirements to become board certified in infectious diseases.
Study Focus
Major –
A major in subjects such as microbiology, virology and immunology.
Short Courses –
There will always be loads of short courses to augment the studies on infectious diseases. Courses will be presented by universities, laboratories medical institutions.
Study Duration
The duration of Bachelor’s Degrees can be up to 4 years, plus another 3 years for residency. A further 2 to 3 years might be required to specialize in infectious diseases. Short Courses are usually between a few weeks and a year.
FREE Career Path Plan
If this is your dream career that you want to pursue, then it’s important to plan the way forward.
Why is planning important?
​To ensure that you understand the requirements for your career, and that you are always prepared for the next step on the road towards your dream. A preparation path is like a road map to where you want to be.
Possible Paths:
Here’s a possible career preparation path for a high school student interested in becoming an infectious animal disease specialist:
1. Attend Career Guidance Sessions:
Participate in career guidance sessions to learn about various careers in veterinary medicine and public health, including infectious animal disease specialist roles.
2. Research Possible Careers:
Research different careers within veterinary medicine and public health, focusing on infectious disease specialisations.
3. Explore Educational Paths:
Explore the educational paths required to become an infectious animal disease specialist, which typically involve earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree or a related degree in veterinary science, microbiology, or epidemiology.
4. Align High School Subjects:
Take science courses such as biology, chemistry, and physics to build a strong foundation for future studies in veterinary medicine and related fields.
5. Obtain High School Diploma or Equivalent:
Successfully complete high school and obtain a high school diploma or equivalent qualification.
6. Learn About Animals:
Learn about various animal species and their biology, behaviour, and health needs, focusing on those relevant to infectious diseases.
7. Align Post-School Path:
Decide whether to enter a career/job directly after high school, pursue further education (such as a bachelor’s degree or veterinary school), or start a business related to animal health.
8. Gain Experience:
Gain experience through volunteering at animal shelters, internships at veterinary clinics or research institutions, and seeking mentorship from professionals in the field.
9. Pursue Extracurricular Activities:
Participate in extracurricular activities related to animals, science, and public health, such as 4-H clubs, science fairs, and volunteer work.
10. Join Professional Associations:
Join relevant professional associations and organisations related to veterinary medicine, microbiology, and epidemiology to network with professionals and stay updated on industry developments.
11. Gain Specialised Skills:
Acquire specialised skills in laboratory techniques, data analysis, and epidemiological methods through coursework, internships, and self-study.
12. Network with Professionals:
Network with professionals in the field by attending conferences, workshops, and career fairs, and by reaching out for informational interviews and job shadowing opportunities.
13. Enter the Job Market or Continue Education:
Enter the job market with relevant experience and education, pursue further studies (such as a master’s or doctoral degree), or consider starting a business in veterinary medicine or public health.
14. Stay Updated and Pursue Continuing Education:
Stay updated on advances in veterinary medicine and infectious disease research by pursuing continuing education opportunities, attending conferences, and engaging in lifelong learning.
Possible Combined Career Paths
It is possible to sometimes combine two or more related careers. This normally happens when you study and practice a specific main career, but the knowledge and experience gained also help you to have a paying hobby or secondary income career.
Possible Alternatives (there are a lot more):
Training and apprenticeship
Even though it is important to study to get into some of the animal careers, most of the skills you will need as an infectious disease specialist will be acquired through practice. This means that you will learn how to perform some of the daily tasks by actually doing it a few times and learning the steps.
In some cases entry level internal medicine students (interns or residents) require vigorous hands-on training sessions even before they are allowed to actually perform normal duties. These sessions are offered by animal hospitals and research facilities.
Join the Infectious Animal Disease Specialists Group to learn more and even interact with the educational institutions that will help you secure your dream career!
Average level of educational qualification people had when entering the Career
Licenses, Certificate, Registration and Professional Associations
Certain animal careers require some form of legal certification to prove that you can indeed do the work, and work with the necessary equipment.
Veterinary medicine practitioners will require certification through a board, and acceptance examinations. In some countries disease specialists also need to register before they may be able to practice.
Learn more about requirements by joining the OZT Community.
Professional Associations
Where can I study further?
All of the above information will help you understand more about the Career, including the fact that there are different paths to take to reach it. But if you are almost done with High School (Grades 11 or 12), you also need to start thinking about further studies, and WHERE you will study.
See the List of Universities, Colleges and Online Training Academies who offer courses towards veterinary medicine.
How do I start to prepare for this Career?
If you do decide on following this career, then OZT can assist you in figuring out a path to prepare, as well as help you to gain further knowledge about the career and the animals you will be working with. We do this by offering you FREE career development tools. There are almost a dozen free tools, but these are the three primary ones:
CAREER PATH PLAN
Use the career path plan above on this profile as an example to follow, or to work out your own path.
COST; Free
ACCESS: Open to visitors and MembersÂ
SHORT COURSES
Access easy-to-use short courses to make your career preparation easier! The basic information in each course is free, but the rewards can only be unlocked as an OZT member!
COST; Free
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STUDY GUIDE
Get a supercharged study guide that fits into the career path plan! Now that's really upping your preparation game! Join us for free to gain access!
COST; Free
ACCESS: Members Only
But, if you are still uncertain about choosing this specific career, and even where to start, then have a look at our special series of WHAT NEXT courses (link below). They take you through all of the questions you might have on how to choose the right career, what to do while at and after school, and even how to start your own business.
Join the OZT community
Join us as a special member and learn more about becoming an infectious animal disease specialist.
Members of the Platform have special access to:
- Info on the best places where you can study (colleges, universities and online)
- Expertly designed advice to prepare you for the career, and links to places where you can gain valuable experience. For some career experience is necessary, otherwise you wont get the job!
- Top notch info on each of the different species you will work with
- Make friends around the world and share knowledge
- Compete and win points, badges, games, prizes and certificates. Be the best of the best, while you learn and prepare!
If you have decided on being an Infectious Animal Disease Specialist, please click on the JOIN GROUP button. Members will be directed to the Group, while non-members will be assisted to register first.
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