The rotten apple injures its neighbours

Russian translation

Гнилое яблоко портит соседние.
Дурное пагубно влияет на все, что с ним соприкасается.

Variants

The rotten apple spoils its companions.

Synonyms

One scabbed sheep will mar a whole flock.
One drop of poison infects the whole tun of wine.
Evil communications corrupt good manners.

Comparison

От одного порченого яблока целый воз загнивает.
Паршивая овца все стадо портит.
С кем поведешься от того и наберешься.

Examples

Brad was the atavism, the destroyer of all he touched. Representing only an infinitesimal part of the South, and its culture, he and his kind were the rotten apples that had ruined the barrel. (Slaughter)

"The judge told me when he sentenced me that I was being an enemy to society. I thought that meant being an enemy to the high-ups, like George Bancroff. But in court language society means everybody." "You, an enemy to society!" "Well, every rotten apple in the basket is an enemy to the rest of the apples." (Hurst)

"If we take you with us," he said, in solemn words, "it can only be as believers in our own creed. We shall have no wolves in our fold. Better far that your bones should bleach in this wilderness than that you should prove to be that little speck of decay which in time corrupts the whole fruit. Will you come with us on these terms?" (Holmes)

Buffalo's got a pretty clean force. Excpt for a few two-bit chiselers like Morrison who shoot anglers on their own. Every police force has a few bad apples. (Queen)