Dysautonomia in a bitch with hypothyroidismˆien

Background: Thyroid hormones have important effects on the cardiovascular system, of which the main ones are the in-crease in the heart response to the autonomic sympathetic nervous system. Heart rate variability is a non-invasive method of assessing autonomic heart modulation, thus being an important form of evaluation in patients with thyroid dysfunctions. This study aimed to report electrocardiographic and heart rate variability data of a dog with hypothyroidism that presented a parasympathetic dysfunction.Case:A 7-year-old female Dalmatian dog was admitted for clinical evaluation in Fortaleza, Brazil. According to the owner, she had been apathetic for a year, had gained weight, always had a sad expression, and her hair was generally brittle and opaque. On physical examination, skin lesions were observed at the end of the spine, extending to the tail region, with the latter showing total alopecia. Low T4 levels confirmed the diagnosis of primary hypothyroidism. Then, a 24-h Holter monitoring was performed, which showed that the animal had sinus arrhythmia associated with moments of second-degree sinoatrial block and rare moments of sinus tachycardia. In addition, moments of premature multifocal ventricular extra-systoles and 1st-degree atrioventricular block were observed.Based on the Holter results, heart rate variability (HRV) was calculated. Regarding the HRV in the frequency domain, 32.16 was obtained in the low frequency (LF) band, 67.84 in the high frequency (HF) band, and the LF / HF ratio was 0.46, with a total power of 5205. As for the HRV in the time domain, RMSSD was 117, pNN50 was 62.64 and SDNN was 384. This showed an increase in the parasympathetic activity of the heart and, due to this increased activity, a...

Dysautonomia in a bitch with hypothyroidismˆien

Background: Thyroid hormones have important effects on the cardiovascular system, of which the main ones are the in-crease in the heart response to the autonomic sympathetic nervous system. Heart rate variability is a non-invasive method of assessing autonomic heart modulation, thus being an important form of evaluation in patients with thyroid dysfunctions. This study aimed to report electrocardiographic and heart rate variability data of a dog with hypothyroidism that presented a parasympathetic dysfunction.Case:A 7-year-old female Dalmatian dog was admitted for clinical evaluation in Fortaleza, Brazil. According to the owner, she had been apathetic for a year, had gained weight, always had a sad expression, and her hair was generally brittle and opaque. On physical examination, skin lesions were observed at the end of the spine, extending to the tail region, with the latter showing total alopecia. Low T4 levels confirmed the diagnosis of primary hypothyroidism. Then, a 24-h Holter monitoring was performed, which showed that the animal had sinus arrhythmia associated with moments of second-degree sinoatrial block and rare moments of sinus tachycardia. In addition, moments of premature multifocal ventricular extra-systoles and 1st-degree atrioventricular block were observed.Based on the Holter results, heart rate variability (HRV) was calculated. Regarding the HRV in the frequency domain, 32.16 was obtained in the low frequency (LF) band, 67.84 in the high frequency (HF) band, and the LF / HF ratio was 0.46, with a total power of 5205. As for the HRV in the time domain, RMSSD was 117, pNN50 was 62.64 and SDNN was 384. This showed an increase in the parasympathetic activity of the heart and, due to this increased activity, a...(AU)

Impact of 4% Deltamethrin-Impregnated Dog Collars on the Prevalence and Incidence of Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis.

In Brazil, visceral leishmaniasis is caused by the protozoan Leishmania infantum, primarily transmitted by Lutzomyia longipalpis and with the dog as its main urban reservoir. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of 4% deltamethrin-impregnated dog collars (DMC) DIC, Scalibor® 65 cm model and MSD manufacturer, on the prevalence and incidence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) and on the rate of infection of sandflies by L. infantum. The research was conducted in two areas of the municipality Mossoró, State of Rio Grande do Norte in Northeast of Brazil. Two semiannual serosurveys, followed by culling seropositive dogs, and searches for phlebotominae were performed in the control area (CA), whereas in the collar intervention area (IA), aside from those procedures, DMC were fitted to dogs every 6 months. CVL was diagnosed by the Dual Path Platform rapid test (TR-DPP®) and the Immunoenzymatic assay (EIE). The sandflies were collected monthly, identified, and the females were submitted to Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction for detection of L. infantum DNA. The use of collars was associated with a 53-59% reduction in the incidence of CVL. The most abundant phlebotomine species were L. longipalpis (81.8%). Positive pools of L. longipalpis were obtained in the IA only in the first survey, whereas the presence of the DNA of the parasite in the vector was observed in the CA in both surveys. We conclude that the continuous use of these collars may have the potential to reduce both the incidence of CVL and the rate of infected phlebotomine sandflies.

Knowledge of the population about visceral leishmaniasis transmission in endemic areas near the banks of the Mossoró River in northeastern Brazil.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is an anthropozoonosis with high prevalence and incidence in the Northeastern region of Brazil. This study aimed to determine whether people living near the Mossoró River in the city of Mossoró, Rio Grande do Norte, have knowledge of VL and to characterize the environmental properties of this region. Questionnaires were administered to 478 residents in three neighborhoods near the Mossoró River, addressing the population's knowledge about VL and environmental characteristics. Most survey participants were female, with ages between 18 and 40 years, 53.8% had completed primary education, and 61.5% owned pet dogs (p<0.05). The majority (95.9%) showed little knowledge about the characteristics inherent to sandflies, and 85.3% were unaware of the environments preferred by this vector (p<0.05). Sewage from the homes of respondents was mainly dumped into the river (44.6%), and 76.6% of the respondents complained about the accumulation of garbage in the streets (p<0.05). The association between education and knowledge about the transmission of VL and preferred vector locations was statistically significant (p<0.05). The lack of knowledge in the population about VL and the residential environment indicates a risk of maintaining sand fly habitats and hence disease transmission.

Awareness of visceral leishmaniasis and its relationship to canine infection in riverside endemic areas in Northeastern Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: An awareness of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is necessary to encourage the population to participate in prevention and control in collaboration with more efficient, centrally organized health programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of the riverside population regarding VL and the association between awareness and the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). METHODS: In total, 71 people living in riverside areas in the City of Mossoró in State of Rio Grande do Norte participated of the study, and 71 dogs were tested for CVL by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Association analysis of several variables related to knowledge of the riverside population regarding CVL positivity was performed, yielding odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), and significance was determined using chi-square (χ2) and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: Among individuals whose dogs tested positive for CVL, 60% did not know the cure for CVL, and these subjects were three times more likely to have a dog test positive for CVL than those who were aware the cure for CVL. Knowledge of CVL cure was the only variable that remained in the logistic model after the successive removal of variables, with an adjusted OR of 3.11 (95%CI: 1.1-8,799; p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient awareness regarding VL in riverside areas with CVL-positive dogs was associated with increased rates of canine infection, which suggests that changes in habits and the adoption of attitudes and preventive practices may contribute to the control and prevention of this disease. This study reinforces the need to invest in better health education programs regarding VL.

Awareness of visceral leishmaniasis and its relationship to canine infection in riverside endemic areas in Northeastern Brazil

Introduction An awareness of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is necessary to encourage the population to participate in prevention and control in collaboration with more efficient, centrally organized health programs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the awareness of the riverside population regarding VL and the association between awareness and the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL). Methods In total, 71 people living in riverside areas in the City of Mossoró in State of Rio Grande do Norte participated of the study, and 71 dogs were tested for CVL by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Association analysis of several variables related to knowledge of the riverside population regarding CVL positivity was performed, yielding odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), and significance was determined using chi-square (χ2) and Fisher's exact tests. Results Among individuals whose dogs tested positive for CVL, 60% did not know the cure for CVL, and these subjects were three times more likely to have a dog test positive for CVL than those who were aware the cure for CVL. Knowledge of CVL cure was the only variable that remained in the logistic model after the successive removal of variables, with an adjusted OR of 3.11 (95%CI: 1.1-8,799; p=0.032). Conclusions Insufficient awareness regarding VL in riverside areas with CVL-positive dogs was associated with increased rates of canine infection, which suggests that changes in habits and the adoption of attitudes and preventive practices may contribute to the control and prevention of this disease. This study reinforces the need to invest in better health education programs regarding VL. .