Parasitosis in Pet Dogs from Rondônia, Amazon Biome, and Human Perception of Zoonoses.

Zoonotic parasitic diseases in dogs are particularly concerning in regions with low human development indices due to inadequate sanitary services and insufficient environmental and health education. This study aimed to assess the parasitological status of dogs living in households and evaluate their owners' knowledge about zoonoses. A total of 183 dogs from Rolim de Moura, Rondônia State, were screened for the presence of ectoparasites, and 163 fecal samples were collected for analysis. The results showed that 74.23% (112/163) of the animals had at least one species of endoparasite. The most identified pathogens were Ancylostoma spp. (68.71%, 112/163), Trichuris vulpis (11.66%, 19/163), Toxocara canis (6.75%, 11/163), Cystoisospora canis (4.91%, 8/163), Dipylidium caninum (1.23%, 2/163), and Hammondia/Neospora (0.61%, 1/163). Ectoparasites were observed in 43.17% (79/183) of the evaluated animals, with Rhipicephalus sanguineus found in 31.15% (57/183) and Ctenocephalides felis felis in 20.77% (38/183). Only 11.48% (7/61) of the owners were familiar with the term "Zoonoses." However, a significant majority (83.61%, 51/61) believed that dogs can transmit diseases to humans. Our findings highlight the prevalence of parasites in the studied area and associated risk factors, underscoring the urgent need for educational interventions to raise awareness about these diseases and their risks to human health.

Actions for the prevention and control of zoonoses in health education: a systematic review and meta-analysis / Ações de prevenção e controle de zoonoses na educação em saúde: uma revisão sistemática e metanálise / Acciones para la prevención y control de las zoonosis en la educación para la salud: una revisión sistemática y metanálisis

Diseases arising from the imbalance between the triad environment, humans, and animals affect individuals' health, as well as the social, and economic well-being of the world's population. Across the globe, health education activities are being conducted to prevent and control zoonoses. To guide future educational interventions, we reviewed scientific articles published in the last five years to characterize and verify the tools: target audience, duration, effectiveness, and gaps and difficulties. Four databases were searched, and 16 articles were selected for the meta-analysis, with 81.3% of the studies being conducted in underdeveloped or developing countries. Of these, 56.3% involved children under 14 years of age, and 62.5% involved activities in elementary and middle schools. The researchers are the professionals who are the most engaged in the activities, and 56.3% of the studies are conducted by veterinarians. Several new teaching tools have been proposed, demonstrating remarkable effectiveness. For systematic reviews to provide a guide for the design of new educational activities, it is necessary to better describe teaching methodologies and evaluation tools, as well as to evaluate in the long term, not only the impact of knowledge on the population but also the incidence of zoonoses.

As doenças decorrentes do desequilíbrio entre a tríade ambiente, humanos e animais afetam a saúde dos indivíduos, bem como o bem-estar social e econômico da população mundial. Em todo o mundo, atividades de educação em saúde estão sendo realizadas para prevenir e controlar zoonoses. Para orientar futuras intervenções educativas, revisamos artigos científicos publicados nos últimos cinco anos para caracterizar e verificar as ferramentas: público-alvo, duração, efetividade, lacunas e dificuldades. Quatro bases de dados foram pesquisadas e 16 artigos foram selecionados para a meta-análise, com 81,3% dos estudos sendo conduzidos em países subdesenvolvidos ou em desenvolvimento. Destes, 56,3% envolviam menores de 14 anos e 62,5% envolviam atividades no ensino fundamental e médio. Os pesquisadores são os profissionais mais engajados nas atividades, sendo que 56,3% dos estudos são conduzidos por veterinários. Várias novas ferramentas de ensino foram propostas, demonstrando notável eficácia. Para que as revisões sistemáticas orientem o desenho de novas ações educativas, é necessário descrever melhor as metodologias de ensino e os instrumentos de avaliação, bem como avaliar a longo prazo não só o impacto do conhecimento na população, mas também a incidência de zoonoses.

Las enfermedades derivadas del desequilibrio entre el medio ambiente, los seres humanos y los animales afectan la salud de las personas, así como el bienestar social y económico de la población mundial. En todo el mundo se están realizando actividades de educación sanitaria para prevenir y controlar las zoonosis. Para orientar futuras intervenciones educativas, revisamos artículos científicos publicados en los últimos cinco años para caracterizar y verificar las herramientas: público objetivo, duración, efectividad, vacíos y dificultades. Se realizaron búsquedas en cuatro bases de datos y se seleccionaron 16 artículos para el metanálisis, y el 81,3 % de los estudios se realizaron en países subdesarrollados o en vías de desarrollo. De estos, el 56,3% involucraba a niños menores de 14 años y el 62,5% involucraba actividades en educación primaria y secundaria. Los investigadores son los profesionales más comprometidos con las actividades, siendo el 56,3% de los estudios realizados por veterinarios. Se han propuesto varias herramientas didácticas nuevas que han demostrado una eficacia notable. Para que las revisiones sistemáticas orienten el diseño de nuevas acciones educativas, es necesario describir mejor las metodologías docentes y los instrumentos de evaluación, así como evaluar a largo plazo no solo el impacto del conocimiento en la población, sino también la incidencia de las zoonosis.

SEROLOGICAL SURVEY FOR SELECTED PATHOGENS IN FREE-RANGING COUGARS (PUMA CONCOLOR) IN SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL.

This study performed a serological assay to assess the exposure of free-ranging cougars (Puma concolor) to four selected infectious agents, including Toxoplasma gondii, Leptospira spp., the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and the feline leukemia virus (FeLV). Serum samples were collected from 27 free-ranging cougars along the Tietê River Basin, in the central region of the State of São Paulo, Brazil. The presence of antibodies against T. gondii was detected in 59.3% (16/27) of the serum samples through the modified agglutination test (MAT-t), which was the most prevalent agent. The microscopic agglutination technique (MAT-1) was used to investigate the occurrence of anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies, showing that 11.1% (3/27) of the sampled cougars were seropositive. The only serovar detected was Djasiman (L. interrogans). A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) licensed for use in domestic felines was used to investigate the occurrence of retroviruses. The ELISA test kits detected a prevalence of 11.1% (3/27) of FIV antibodies, while none of the samples tested showed any evidence of FeLV antigen. These results suggest that free-ranging cougars are exposed to potentially pathogenic agents. This study presented the first recorded occurrence of the serovar Djasiman in P. concolor.