Spatial distribution of anti-rabies post-exposure treatments associated with the decentralization process in Belo Horizonte, 2007 to 2011

Cases of canine attacks on people are reported because of the proximity of the dog to the households in several Brazilian cities. In the present study, we aim to evaluate post-exposure anti-rabies treatments with canine accidents between the years 2007 to 2011 in Belo Horizonte - MG. Duly notified data were obtained from the National System of Notifiable Diseases (SINAN). The spatial characteristics of the cases during the period of the study referred to the neighborhoods and the nine sanitary districts of the municipality of Belo Horizonte - MG. For georeferencing and spatial analysis, we used the software Maporama to identify the coordinates and the Geographic Information System ArcGIS for mapping. Considering the 6.153 prophylactic services that were georeferenced, the Norte, Venda Nova, Leste, and Centro Sul regions were highlighted due to the higher frequency of registered cases. It is suggested that an integrative action focused on canine population control, health education and epidemiological surveillance studies could contribute to the reduction of canine aggression cases.

Retrospective Genotyping and Whole Genome Sequencing of a Canine Parvovirus Outbreak in Bangladesh

Canine parvovirus 2 (CPV-2) outbreaks in close quarters such as kennels or shelters can cause substantial case fatality. Thirteen dead Labradors from a secluded kennel of security dogs presented with typical clinical signs and gross pathology of parvovirus infection. Whole genome shotgun sequencing from tissue-extracted genomic DNA detected new CPV-2a as the contributing antigenic variant. Further genotyping using polymerase chain reaction coupled with high-resolution melt assays (PCR-HRM) confirmed new CPV-2a infection in all deceased dogs. PCR-HRM of additional thirty-four clinically suspected dogs suggested that this variant is in wider community circulation, at least in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. We present complete genome sequence of the new CPV-2a variant circulating in the domestic canine population of Bangladesh.

Profile of the canine population with atopic dermatitis at the dermatology service of the Veterinary Hospital from Federal University of Minas Gerais

Canine atopic dermatitis (AD) is an IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity reaction to sensitization to environmental allergens. Pathogenesis is quite complex, involving genetic and environmental factors, food allergens, skin barrier defects and immune dysfunction. Data on its prevalence and epidemiological aspects in Europe and North America are easily found in the literature. However, when searching for specific national locations, studies are still scarce. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of canine AD at the dermatology service of the Veterinary Hospital from Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). For this purpose, 761 medical records of dogs attended at the service from January 2015 to December 2020 were analyzed. The results revealed that of all dermatological diagnoses in the species, 28,12% (214/761) of the cases were of dogs with AD. 34,51% (291/761) of the dermatological cases were from allergic etiology, and of these, AD corresponded to 73,56% (214/291), representing the most prevalent allergic disease in dogs at the Veterinary Hospital from UFMG. Females were more affected than males, as well as dogs of defined breeds in comparison to mixed breed dogs, with shih tzu being the most prevalent pure breed, followed by mixed breed dogs. Because it is a highly pruritic disease that affects the quality of life of dogs and their owners, this study contributes to a better understanding and diagnostic approach to the disease in the local canine population.

Canine Leishmaniosis in Greece: An Updated Countrywide Serological Study and Associated Risk Factors

Canine leishmaniosis (Leishmania infantum) is a zoonotic disease that affects dogs worldwide. Greece is enzootic for this disease, and updated data for its current distribution are of major importance. The aim of this cross-sectional serological study was primarily to update the current knowledge of Leishmania infantum seropositivity status within the asymptomatic Greek canine population and, furthermore, to assess the possible climatological and other risk factors. In total, sera of 1265 asymptomatic dogs were collected from all prefectures of the country. A questionnaire that included all individual dog information was completed for all animals. The Speed Leish K® canine Leishmania antibody test kit (BVT Groupe Virbac, France) was employed. Potential risk factors were evaluated utilizing logistic regression models. Overall, 13.8% (n = 175) of the sampled dogs were seropositive to Leishmania infantum originating from all geographical departments of the country, whereas most prefectures had at least one seropositive animal. Outdoor living, high mean humidity, low mean wind speed and high total annual rainfall were found to increase the seropositivity status against the parasite. Conclusively, Leishmania infantum remains a common parasite challenge in the asymptomatic canine population of Greece, and therefore, its early diagnosis and effective prevention are significant in the country.

Impact of the dog population and household environment for the maintenance of natural foci of Leishmania infantum transmission to human and animal hosts in endemic areas for visceral leishmaniasis in Sao Paulo state, Brazil

When it comes to visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Brazil, one of the main targets of public health policies of surveillance is the control of domestic canine reservoirs of Leishmania infantum. This paper aims to evaluate the effect of the dog population and household environment for the maintenance of natural foci in the transmission to human and animal hosts in an endemic city for VL, Bauru, in Brazil. We collected 6,578 blood samples of dogs living in 3,916 households from Nov.2019 to Mar.2020 and applied geospatial models to predict the disease risk based on the canine population. We used Kernel density estimation, cluster analysis, geostatistics, and Generalized Additive Models (GAM). To validate our models, we used cross-validation and created a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. We found an overall canine VL (CVL) seroprevalence of 5.6% for the sampled dogs, while for the households, the positivity rate was 8.7%. Odds ratios (OR) for CVL increased progressively according to the number of canines for >2 dogs (OR 2.70); households that already had CVL in the past increased the chances for CVL currently (OR 2.73); and the cases of CVL increase the chances for human VL cases (OR 1.16). Our models were statistically significant and demonstrated a spatial association between canine and human disease cases, mainly in VL foci that remain endemic. Although the Kernel density ratio map had the best performance (AUC = 82), all the models showed high risk in the city’s northwest area. Canine population dynamics must be considered in public policies, and geospatial methods may help target priority areas and planning VL surveillance in low and middle-income countries.

Identification and Clinical Significance of Heart Murmurs in Puppies Involved in Puppy Trade

The detection of a congenital heart defect at purchase is an important step in early detection from a clinical and legal standpoint. Indeed, some cardiac abnormalities may be corrected with surgery, and very often, treatment needs to be performed early before congestive heart failure or irreversible heart damage can occur. From a legal viewpoint, if the defect is revealed in a newly purchased puppy, the buyer may be required to return it and receive compensation. Puppies affected with congenital heart defects are likely to die prematurely, causing emotional suffering to the owner. Furthermore, by considering breed predisposition, early recognition allows breeders to avoid breeding from particular dogs with genetic defects and prevent the continuation of genetic defects in breeding lines. Given gaps in the literature about the recognition of murmurs in the puppy trade, the present article describes how to identify a heart murmur in a puppy during a pre-purchase examination and its significance from a clinical and legal viewpoint. In the canine population, the prevalence of cardiac defects ranges between 0.13 and 1.6%. Pulmonic stenosis is the most common defect found in puppies, followed by patent ductus arteriosus, subaortic stenosis, and ventricular septal defect. On the basis of the above considerations, the veterinarian should recognize and identify the murmur following a protocol for routine examination of puppies involved in trade.

Surveillance of canine filarial infection in Ulaanbaatar city

In this study, totally 180 stray and domestic dogs in 6 districts of Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia were tested for infection with microfilariae. Microfilariae were found in peripheral blood smears of 2 out of 180 (1.1%) tested dogs. In contrast, out of tested dogs, 2.2% were found to be infected by microfilariae by the Knott’s method. Higher prevalence was found in stray dogs (10%) than in domestic dogs. Canine filarosis present and it might be constituted an important health problem to dogs and humans in Mongolia. Thus, it would be useful to apply prevention measures to control filarial infection in the canine population of Ulaanbaatar city. Улаанбаатар хотын нохойноос филарозын халдварыг илрүүлэх тандан судалгаа Филароз нь шумуулаар дамжин халдварладаг нематодоор үүсгэгддэг бөгөөд хүн, мал, амьтны биед удаан хугацааны турш шимэгчилж улмаар үхэлд хүргэдэг хор хөнөөлтэй өвчин юм. Бид Улаанбаатар хотын нохойнд филарозын тандан судалгаа хийх зорилгоор 6 дүүргийн 180 гэрийн тэжээвэр болон золбин нохойг санамсаргүй түүврийн аргаар сонгон авч шинжилгээнд хамрууллаа. Кноттын арга ба цусны түрхэцийн шинжилгээгээр Улаанбаатар хотын нохой филарозын халдвар (1.1–3.9%)–тай болохыг тогтоолоо. Ялангуяа хүн амын төвлөрөл ихтэй хот суурин газрын золбин нохой филарозын халдвартай (10%) байгаа нь гэрийн тэжээвэр нохой төдийгүй хүнд халдвар тархах эрсдлийг бий болгож байна. Цаашид оношийг молекул биологийн аргаар баталгаажуулж, микрофилариагийн төрөл зүйл, удам зүйн хамаарлын нарийвчилсан судалгааг хийх шаардлагатай юм. Түлхүүр үг: нематод, микрофилариа, кноттын арга, түрхэц

New Insights on Leptospira Infections in a Canine Population from North Sardinia, Italy: A Sero-Epidemiological Study

Leptospirosis is a widespread zoonosis recognized as a re-emerging infectious disease in a wide variety of animal species, including humans and dogs. No data exist regarding the presence of Leptospira species in the canine population of Sardinia Island. This study reports the first sero-survey for leptospirosis in kennel and owned dogs from six areas of the north of Sardinia. Sera from 1296 dogs were tested by microscopic agglutination test (MAT) specific for nine different serovars that are known to be well widespread in the Mediterranean environment. Moreover, kidney homogenates from rodents collected from the study area were also analyzed by LipL32 real-time PCR and multi-locus sequence type (MLST) on the basis of the analysis of seven concatenated loci. A total of 13% of the examined sera (95%CI: 11–15) tested positive for one or more serovars of Leptospira MAT detected; antibodies for serogroup Icterohaemorrhagiae (57%; 95%CI: 49–65) were the most common, followed by serovars Bratislava (22%; 95%CI: 16–28), Canicola (14%; 95%CI: 9–19), and Grippotyphosa (7%; 95%CI: 3–11). MLST analyses on isolates from rodents identified L. interrogans and L. borgpetersenii genomospecies. Different serovars belonging to pathogenic Leptospira serogroups are circulating in dogs from the island. Moreover, data obtained from rodents, indicated that rodents likely act as reservoir of spirochetes. Further sero-epidemiological studies are needed in order to obtain data from other collection sites in Sardinia and to increase the information on Leptospira species circulating in this area.

The detection of canine parvovirus type 2c of Asian origin in dogs in Romania evidenced its progressive worldwide diffusion

Background Canine parvovirus (CPV) is one of the most important pathogens of dogs. Despite vaccination, CPV infections are still ubiquitous in dogs, and the three antigenic variants 2a, 2b and 2c are variously distributed in the canine population worldwide. To date, no information is available on CPV variants circulating in some European countries. The aim of this study was to genetically characterise the CPV detected in ten dogs with clinical signs of acute gastroenteritis in Romania. The presence of Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 DNA was investigated in faecal samples using an end-point PCR targeting the complete VP2 gene and positive amplicons were sequenced and analysed. Results All ten dogs with acute gastroenteritis tested positive to Carnivore protoparvovirus 1 DNA in faecal samples. The identified viruses belonged to CPV-2c type, showed identical sequences of the VP2 gene and were characterised by distinctive amino acid residues in the deduced VP2 protein: 5-glicine (5Gly), 267-tirosine (267Tyr), 324-isoleucine (324Ile) and 370-arginine (370Arg). These distinctive amino acid residues have already been reported in CPV-2c widespread in Asia and occasionally detected in Italy and Nigeria. Conclusions Since CPV-2c with VP2 amino acid residues 5Gly, 267Tyr, 324Ile and 370Arg were never reported before 2013, it can be assumed that this virus is progressively expanding its spread in the world dog population. This study adds new data about the presence of this new virus in Europe and underline worrying questions about its potential impact on the health of the canine population.

Understanding the pharmaceutical approach to pain management in canine osteoarthritis

Canine osteoarthritis was recently reclassified as a welfare concern by the Veterinary Companion Animal Surveillance System (VetCompass), an initiative run by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, focused on improving companion animal health. This condition is a common cause for consultation in first opinion practice, with an estimated 35% of the canine population being affected. Chronic pain is complex and a multimodal approach is best for management, which includes pharmaceuticals employed in a methodical manner. This article provides an overview of the types of pain associated with canine osteoarthritis, as well as how to recognise them. Making reference to hypothetical cases, the appropriate pharmaceutical management is described. Further management strategies, as part of a multimodal approach, are summarised to ensure best practice.