Efficacy of an oral formulation of afoxolaner and milbemycin oxime against Tunga penetrans in naturally infected dogs.

BACKGROUND: The sand flea Tunga penetrans is one of the agents of tungiasis, an important parasitic skin disease affecting humans and several mammalian species. Tungiasis is mainly observed in disadvantaged rural and peripheral urban communities in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa. The dog is a major reservoir of Tunga fleas. Hematophagous adult female Tunga spp. embed and grow in their host's epidermis and cause cutaneous inflammatory disorders. NexGard Spectra® is an orally administered endectocide for dogs, a co-formulation of the isoxazoline afoxolaner and the macrocyclic lactone milbemycin oxime. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of this product against canine tungiasis. METHODS: A blinded, negative-controlled field trial was conducted in a Brazilian community known to be highly endemic for tungiasis. Sixty-six dogs naturally infected with live T. penetrans were randomly allocated to a treated group (44 dogs) and an untreated control group (22 dogs). In a first phase, dogs from the treated group were treated on days 0, 30, and 60. Efficacy was evaluated on the basis of the macroscopic parasitic skin lesions (Fortaleza classification) on days 7, 14, 21, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 90. In a second phase, to evaluate natural reinfections, all dogs were treated on day 90 and evaluated every 2 weeks thereafter until at least 30% of dogs were infected with live sand fleas. RESULTS: During the first phase, efficacy (reduction in live sand fleas) of 92.4% was demonstrated on day 7. From day 14 until day 90, the efficacy of NexGard Spectra® was 100%. In the second phase, all dogs were free of live T. penetrans from 15 until 45 days after the day 90 treatment; 60 days post-treatment, 11% of dogs were reinfected, and 75 days post-treatment, 40% of dogs were reinfected. CONCLUSIONS: NexGard Spectra® was demonstrated to be highly effective against canine tungiasis. In addition to an obvious beneficial effect on the health and welfare of the treated dog, the use of this product may have a one-health benefit on human cases by controlling the main reservoir of sand fleas.

Vaccination principles for dogs and cats in animal shelters / Princípios da vacinação de cães e gatos em abrigos

Animal shelters are places with a high risk of exposure to infectious diseases due to the high density, population dynamics of the shelter, and the stress to which dogs and cats are subjected. The immunization process through vaccines is an essential component in the prevention and health and welfare management program for these animals. This review aims to evaluate the guidelines on vaccination of dogs and cats in shelter environments, highlighting points of comparison with the Brazilian reality.(AU)

Os abrigos de animais são locais com um alto risco de exposição às doenças infecciosas devido à alta densidade, à dinâmica populacional do abrigo e ao estresse a que os cães e gatos estão submetidos. O processo de imunização por meio das vacinas é um componente essencial no programa de prevenção e gestão de saúde e bem-estar para esses animais. Esta revisão tem como objetivo revisar as diretrizes sobre a vacinação de cães e gatos em ambientes de abrigos, ressaltando pontos de comparação com a realidade brasileira.(AU)

Vaccination principles for dogs and cats in animal shelters / Princípios da vacinação de cães e gatos em abrigos

Animal shelters are places with a high risk of exposure to infectious diseases due to the high density, population dynamics of the shelter, and the stress to which dogs and cats are subjected. The immunization process through vaccines is anessential component in the prevention and health and welfare management program for these animals. This review aimsto evaluate the guidelines on vaccination of dogs and cats in shelter environments, highlighting points of comparisonwith the Brazilian reality.

Os abrigos de animais são locais com um alto risco de exposição às doenças infecciosas devido à alta densidade, à dinâmica populacional do abrigo e ao estresse a que os cães e gatos estão submetidos. O processo de imunização por meio das vacinas é um componente essencial no programa  e prevenção e gestão de saúde e bem-estar para esses animais. Esta revisão tem como objetivo revisar as diretrizes sobre a vacinação de cães e gatos em ambientes de abrigos, ressaltando pontos de comparação com a realidade brasileira.

Estruturação e padronização do banco de sangue para felinos no hospital veterinário da Universidade de São Paulo / Structuring and standardization of feline blood bank at the veterinary hospital of São Paulo University

[...] Assim sendo, o projeto teve como objetivos: a viabilização do banco de sangue de gatos com a comparação de três métodos de coleta de bolsas de sangue em doadores felinos em sistema fechado, determinação dos grupos sanguíneos de raças puras e sem raça definidas de gatos domésticos mais comuns no Estado de São Paulo e avaliação do protocolo de sedação para doadores felinos. Para determinação do método de coleta foram empregados 45 gatos doadores de diferentes raças distribuídos aleatoriamente em três grupos de 15 animais cada. [...] A associação proposta para a sedação não acarretou diminuição significativa da pressão arterial com exceção no grupo de animais nos quais se empregou o aparelho a vácuo (grupo 3) para a retirada de sangue nos quais se verificou valores significativamente menores de pressão arterial quando comparados ao grupo 2. Tanto a frequência cardíaca quanto a respiratória, mantiveram-se estáveis durante o estudo. O grau de sedação obtido foi considerado adequado para a manipulação dos animais permitindo a doação de sangue excetuando-se 5 animais, excluídos do estudo. Com relação a tipagem sanguínea verificou-se que 204 gatos (92,7% ) eram do tipo A, 14 gatos (6,4%) eram do tipo B e apenas 2 gatos (0,9% ) do tipo AB. Os gatos sem raça definida demonstraram prevalência de 95% (62/65) de sangue do tipo A e 5% (3/65) do tipo B. Entre as raças testadas, os da raça Ragdoll foram os que apresentaram maior prevalência do tipo sanguíneo B e AB (16,7% ou 3/18 e 5,5% ou 1/18, respectivamente). Os gatos da raça Persa tiveram prevalência de 7,6 % (4/53) do sangue tipo B e 92,4% (49/53) do sangue tipo A, enquanto que os gatos da raça Maine Coon apresentaram prevalência do tipo B de 6,9% (4/58) e AB 1,7% (1/58). Os gatos da raça Britsh Shorthair, tiveram 100% (26/26) de prevalência do tipo A. Estes dados enfatizam a necessidade da realização da tipagem sanguínea, tendo-se em vista a importante diferença entre as raças

[...] The objective of this project was to create a cat blood bank in order to research comparative closed blood collection systems in cats, determination of blood group prevalence in domestic cats of different pure and mixed breeds in São Paulo state, and finally to establish the safest and most appropriate anesthesic protocol for feline donors. Forty-five cats were enrolled in the study of blood collection system. The cats were divided in tree groups with 15 animals each. [...] The anesthesic protocol was a good choice since there was no significant impact on arterial blood pressure or hematocrit of the donors, except in the group 3, when comparing with the group 2, had lower arterial blood pressure after collection. The sedation status was adequate and the animals allowed manipulation and the collection procedure, exception by 5 cats whose were excluded from the study. Frequencies of blood types A, B and AB were 92,7% (204/220), 6,4% (14/220) and 0,9% (2/220), respectively. The mixed breed cats shown a prevalence of 95% type A and 5% type B. Regarding the pure breed cats, the Ragdoll have shown the highest prevalence of B and AB blood types (16,7% e 5,5%, respectively). The Persian cats were 92,4% type A and 7,6 % type B blood and the Maine Coons shown a prevalence of 6,9% and 1,7% of B and AB blood types. Britsh Shorthair, were all type A blood. This prevalence study shown the importance of blood type for cats, especially in pure breed cats