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Pereira MA, Vila-Viçosa MJ, Coelho C, Santos C, Esteves F, Cruz R, Gomes L, Henriques D, Vala H, Nóbrega C, Mega AC, Melo CD, Malva M, Braguez J, Mateus TL. Pulmonary and Gastrointestinal Parasitic Infections in Small Ruminant Autochthonous Breeds from Centre Region of Portugal-A Cross Sectional Study. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1241. [PMID: 38672389 DOI: 10.3390/ani14081241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and identify risk factors. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds were collected per rectum and subjected to the modified Baermann test. The overall prevalence of infection was 57.7%, significantly higher in goats (95.6%) than in sheep (20.7%) (p < 0.001). According to the binary logistic regression model, sheep dewormed with albendazole, mebendazole plus closantel, or ivermectin plus clorsulon presented a risk of Protostrongylidae infection 29.702, 7.426, or 8.720 times higher, respectively, than those dewormed with eprinomectin. Additionally, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites was investigated in 307 fecal samples using Mini-FLOTAC®. The overall prevalence of infection was 86.3%, also significantly higher in goats (93.2%) than in sheep (79.9%) (p < 0.001). Strongyle-type eggs were the most frequently identified, both in sheep (69.8%) and goats (87.8%), followed by Eimeria oocysts (40.3% in sheep and 68.9% in goats). Considering the high prevalence and the burden of lungworm parasitic infection, it is urgent to determine its economic impact and the repercussions in animal health in the Centre region of Portugal to establish appropriate therapeutic guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Aires Pereira
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Associate Laboratory in Translation and Innovation Towards Global Health, LA-REAL, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, UNL, Rua da Junqueira 100, 1349-008 Lisboa, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Maria João Vila-Viçosa
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Victor Caeiro, Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade de Évora-Pólo da Mitra, Apartado 94, 7002-554 Évora, Portugal
- MED, Instituto Mediterrâneo para a Agricultura, Ambiente e Desenvolvimento, Universidade de Évora-Pólo da Mitra, Apartado 94, 7006-554 Évora, Portugal
| | - Catarina Coelho
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Carla Santos
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Fernando Esteves
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Rita Cruz
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
| | - Liliana Gomes
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Diogo Henriques
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Helena Vala
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Carmen Nóbrega
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina Mega
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior Agrária de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- CERNAS-IPV Research Centre, Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, Repeses, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Carolina de Melo
- Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Alameda de Santa Apolónia 253, 5300-252 Bragança, Portugal
| | - Madalena Malva
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
| | - Joana Braguez
- Instituto Politécnico de Viseu, Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão de Viseu, Campus Politécnico, 3504-510 Viseu, Portugal
- CIAC-Centro de Investigação em Artes e Comunicação Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, Sala 0.28, Edifício 1, FCHS, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
- CEIS20-Centro de Estudos Interdisciplinares, Rua Filipe Simões nº 33, 3000-186 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
- CISAS-Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun'Àlvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
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Ruano ZM, Mateus TL, Chorense A, Santos-Silva S, Vieira-Pinto M. Seroprevalence study of brucellosis in wild boar hunted for private consumption in northeast Portugal. Vet Res Commun 2024:10.1007/s11259-024-10317-z. [PMID: 38315322 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-024-10317-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Brucellosis is an important infectious disease caused by bacteria of the genus Brucella. In the northeast region of Portugal, infection with Brucella melitensis is endemic in small ruminants, and there are also humans' cases. However, the epidemiological role of the wild boar in the dynamics of this disease in this region is unknown. In this study, a total of 332 blood samples were collected from wild boar hunted in thirty-six hunting areas during the 2022/2023 hunting season. All were taken by the hunters for private consumption, with no evisceration or examination in the field. Serum samples were tested by indirect ELISA (i-ELISA). It was observed that 88 wild boars were exposed to Brucella spp., pointing to a seroprevalence of 26.5% (95% CI: 21.8 - 31.3%). This high prevalence underlines the importance that wild boar may have in the dynamics of this disease in the region and its potential transmission to other animals, and to humans (for example, during the handling of carcasses). Increased awareness and knowledge of brucellosis in wild boar is essential for the implementation of effective practices and habits and, consequently, for the control and prevention of this important zoonosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zita Martins Ruano
- Veterinary and Animal Research Center (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, Apartado 1013, Vila Real, 5001-801, Portugal
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- Veterinary and Animal Research Center (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, Apartado 1013, Vila Real, 5001-801, Portugal.
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Lisbon, Portugal.
- Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems ad Sustainability (CISAS), Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, 4900-347, Portugal.
- EpiUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratório para a investigação integrativa e translacional em saúde populacional (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº135, 4050-091, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Ana Chorense
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, Apartado 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Sérgio Santos-Silva
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Madalena Vieira-Pinto
- Veterinary and Animal Research Center (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, Apartado 1013, Vila Real, 5001-801, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Lisbon, Portugal
- Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems ad Sustainability (CISAS), Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, 4900-347, Portugal
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Quinta de Prados, Apartado 1013, 5001-801, Vila Real, Portugal
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Miranda C, Batista S, Mateus TL, Vieira-Pinto M, Ribeiro V, Dantas R, Brito NV. A Preliminary Investigation of Salmonella Populations in Indigenous Portuguese Layer Hen Breeds. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3389. [PMID: 37958144 PMCID: PMC10648303 DOI: 10.3390/ani13213389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The sustainability of agroecological systems, biodiversity protection, animal welfare, and consumer demand for higher quality products from alternative and extensive farming methods have reinforced interest in local breeds that are well adapted to low-input environments. However, food safety needs to be safeguarded to reinforce consumer confidence. The aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation on the occurrence of Salmonella spp. in eggshells, hen's cloaca, and litter materials from autochthonous Portuguese laying hens raised in a semi-extensive system for small-scale production. A total of 279 samples from 31 flocks belonging to 12 farms were obtained, with 63 samples from the "Preta Lusitânica" breed, and 72 samples each from the remaining autochthonous breeds, namely, "Branca", "Amarela", and "Pedrês Portuguesa". None (0%) of the samples analyzed were positive for Salmonella spp. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first results of Salmonella evaluation from hen's cloaca, eggshells, and litter materials in autochthonous Portuguese chickens, suggesting that a semi-extensive production system can contribute to better food security and a lower risk to public health and the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Miranda
- 1H-TOXRUN–One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal;
- LAQV-REQUIMTE–Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry, University NOVA of Lisbon, 1099-085 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Sónia Batista
- CISAS–Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, NUTRIR (Technological Center for AgriFood Sustainability), Monte de Prado, 4960-320 Melgaço, Portugal; (S.B.); (T.L.M.); (M.V.-P.)
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS–Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, NUTRIR (Technological Center for AgriFood Sustainability), Monte de Prado, 4960-320 Melgaço, Portugal; (S.B.); (T.L.M.); (M.V.-P.)
- CECAV–Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- EpiUnit–Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratório Para a Investigação Integrativa e Translacional em Saúde Populacional (ITR), Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
| | - Madalena Vieira-Pinto
- CISAS–Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, NUTRIR (Technological Center for AgriFood Sustainability), Monte de Prado, 4960-320 Melgaço, Portugal; (S.B.); (T.L.M.); (M.V.-P.)
- CECAV–Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Virgínia Ribeiro
- AMIBA–Associação dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raça Barrosã, 4730-260 Vila Verde, Portugal; (V.R.); (R.D.)
| | - Rui Dantas
- AMIBA–Associação dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raça Barrosã, 4730-260 Vila Verde, Portugal; (V.R.); (R.D.)
| | - Nuno V. Brito
- 1H-TOXRUN–One Health Toxicology Research Unit, University Institute of Health Sciences, Cooperativa de Ensino Superior Politécnico e Universitário, 4585-116 Gandra, Portugal;
- CISAS–Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, NUTRIR (Technological Center for AgriFood Sustainability), Monte de Prado, 4960-320 Melgaço, Portugal; (S.B.); (T.L.M.); (M.V.-P.)
- AMIBA–Associação dos Criadores de Bovinos de Raça Barrosã, 4730-260 Vila Verde, Portugal; (V.R.); (R.D.)
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Gomes J, Leitão M, Louro MC, Brandão R, Mateus TL. Avian Malaria in wild birds from a wildlife rehabilitation center in Central Portugal. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2023; 43:100904. [PMID: 37451760 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2023.100904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Avian haemosporidian (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium) are vector-transmitted protozoan parasites highly prevalent in various bird species. Still, their importance for bird health, species decline, or impact on rehabilitation success is underestimated. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites after necropsies of seventy wild birds from thirty-four species of twelve taxonomic orders. Detection of avian haemosporidian DNA was evaluated using PCR amplification of the cytochrome b gene. 48.6% of all sampled birds were positive, with 24.3% positive for Plasmodium spp./Haemoproteus spp. and 44.3% for Leucocytozoon spp. Mixed infections corresponded to 20% of all tested birds. Sequencing of several selected samples revealed the infection of Plasmodium matutinum, Plasmodium relictum and different lineages of Leucocytozoon spp. This study provides a baseline description of haemosporidian infections in wild birds from a rehabilitation center in central Portugal. The results show the necessity to test and monitor possible infections that undermine recovery processes for different birds. Further research into the occurrence of these haemosporidian species in birds kept in conservation centers is needed to understand the impact on bird health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinto Gomes
- Escola Superior Agrária de Elvas, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Elvas, Portugal; Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
| | | | - Mariana Caseiro Louro
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal; Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Brandão
- Centre for Ecology, Recovery and Surveillance of Wild Animals (CERVAS), Gouveia, Portugal
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability (CISAS), Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima, Portugal; EpiUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Porto, Portugal; Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (Al4Animals), Vila Real, Portugal
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Cortez Nunes F, Taillieu E, Letra Mateus T, Teixeira S, Haesebrouck F, Amorim I. Molecular Detection of Metronidazole and Tetracycline Resistance Genes in Helicobacter pylori-Like Positive Gastric Samples from Pigs. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12050906. [PMID: 37237809 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12050906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance is a major public health concern. The aim of this study was to assess the presence of antibiotic resistance genes, previously reported in Helicobacter pylori, in gastric samples of 36 pigs, in which DNA of H. pylori-like organisms had been detected. Based on PCR and sequencing analysis, two samples were positive for the 16S rRNA mutation gene, conferring tetracycline resistance, and one sample was positive for the frxA gene with a single nucleotide polymorphism, conferring metronidazole resistance. All three amplicons showed the highest homology with H. pylori-associated antibiotic resistance gene sequences. These findings indicate that acquired antimicrobial resistance may occur in H. pylori-like organisms associated with pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Cortez Nunes
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Emily Taillieu
- Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS-Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Rua das Taipas, n° 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Sílvia Teixeira
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Freddy Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, B9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Irina Amorim
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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Jota Baptista C, Seixas F, Gonzalo-Orden JM, Patinha C, Pato P, Ferreira da Silva E, Casero M, Brazio E, Brandão R, Costa D, Mateus TL, Oliveira PA. High Levels of Heavy Metal(loid)s Related to Biliary Hyperplasia in Hedgehogs ( Erinaceus europaeus). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081359. [PMID: 37106922 PMCID: PMC10135045 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Heavy metal(loid) pollution of ecosystems is a current One Health problem. The liver is one of the most affected organs in cases of acute or chronic exposure to abnormal amounts of these substances, inducing histopathologic lesions. In order to assess the influence of heavy metal(loids), forty-five European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) were submitted to necropsy, and liver samples were collected for a routine histopathology exam and metal(loid)s determination (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu and Pb) by ICP-MS. Age was estimated during the necropsy exam. Biliary hyperplasia was the most frequent lesion observed (16/45; 35.56%). No statistically significant associations were found between biliary hyperplasia and age or sex. Metal(loid)s' concentrations were higher in animals with biliary hyperplasia (except for As). There was a statistically significant difference for both Cd and Co. For As, Cd and Co, cubs and juveniles animals showed significantly lower concentrations than elder individuals. Only for Pb were significant differences found between females and males. As described in the literature, exposure to metal(loid)s may be a cause of biliary hyperplasia, although further research (including the use of biochemical methods) is needed to support these results. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of this association in hedgehogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catarina Jota Baptista
- Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (ECAV), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação das Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas (CITAB), UTAD, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, 1749-024 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Fernanda Seixas
- Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (ECAV), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Centro de Ciência Animal e Veterinária (CECAV), AL4AnimalS, UTAD, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | | | - Carla Patinha
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Pedro Pato
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - María Casero
- RIAS-ALDEIA-Wildlife Rehabilitation and Research Centre, Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, 8700-194 Olhão, Portugal
| | - Erica Brazio
- Centro de Recuperação dos Animais Silvestres de Lisboa (LxCRAS), Parque Florestal de Monsanto, 1500-068 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Brandão
- CERVAS-ALDEIA-Centro de Ecologia, Recuperação e Vigilância de Animais Selvagens, 6290-520 Gouveia, Portugal
| | - Daniela Costa
- CERVAS-ALDEIA-Centro de Ecologia, Recuperação e Vigilância de Animais Selvagens, 6290-520 Gouveia, Portugal
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- Centro de Ciência Animal e Veterinária (CECAV), AL4AnimalS, UTAD, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- CISAS-Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4990-706 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health, 4050-600 Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula A Oliveira
- Departamento de Ciências Veterinárias, Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (ECAV), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação das Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas (CITAB), UTAD, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
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Levy S, Calado M, Mateus TL, Vieira-Pinto M. First Molecular Identification of Fasciola gigantica in Slaughtered Cattle in Cape Verde: Prevalence, Gross Pathological Lesions, Genetic Identification and Coprological Analysis. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010075. [PMID: 36678423 PMCID: PMC9866054 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A study on fasciolosis prevalence, gross pathological lesions, fluke genetic identification and coprological analysis was carried out in slaughtered cattle from one abattoir in Cape Verde. Of the 131 cattle inspected over two months, 12 (9.0%) presented fasciolosis-compatible lesions (FCL) that resulted in liver condemnation. The genetic characterization of the flukes collected, through restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified fragments (PCR-RFLP), confirmed the presence of Fasciola gigantica; therefore, being the first identification of this species in cattle from Cape Verde. Animals that released Fasciola spp. eggs and, thus, responsible for environment contamination (positive shedders), were identified through coprological analysis (natural sedimentation technique). Of the 12 animals with FCL, samples from 11 were submitted to coprological analysis and 7 (63.6%) were found to be positive shedders. Furthermore, of the 82 animals with non-FCL, randomly selected for coprological analysis, 4 (4.9%) were also found to be positive shedders for Fasciola spp. The results of this study, regarding species identification and coprological analysis, are epidemiologically important to update the information regarding fasciolosis in Cape Verde. The new data could help implement effective strategies for disease control and mitigation, consequently reducing economic loss and the level of animal and human infection from the One Health perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Levy
- Veterinary Sciences Department, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-7427411221
| | - Manuela Calado
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, GHTM, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, IHMT, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, UNL, 1349-008 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Àlvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- EpiUnit Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Madalena Vieira-Pinto
- Veterinary Sciences Department, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
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Cortez Nunes F, Teixeira S, Maia RL, Amorim I, Letra Mateus T. Perception and Knowledge of Portuguese Veterinarians about the Zoonotic Transmission of Helicobacter pylori and Helicobacter suis: The Need for One Health Intervention. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:15087. [PMID: 36429805 PMCID: PMC9690467 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Helicobacter species can colonize the gastrointestinal tract of both humans and animals, and are associated with gastrointestinal and extra-gastrointestinal diseases. Some studies indicate that animals, health professionals, and people in close contact with animals might be at higher risk for infection with gastric Helicobacter spp. Considering that veterinarians are professionals at risk for infection with zoonotic gastric Helicobacters and are also seen by many as health communicators concerning zoonoses, the aim of this study was to evaluate the Portuguese veterinarians' perception and knowledge of Helicobacter spp. infection and its zoonotic risk/potential. Therefore, a structured questionnaire composed of 34 dichotomic, multiple-choice, rating scale, matrix, drop-down, and open-ended questions was developed and given to Portuguese veterinarians via an online platform from May 2021 to July 2021, and statistical analysis was used to obtain results. There was a total of 149 respondents, most of them (73.8%) being females. Evidently, Portuguese veterinarians have a limited perception regarding Helicobacter spp. infections. Of the respondents that "have heard of Helicobacter", 17.6% do not know which animal species can be affected by it. Most of the companion animal veterinarians (76.2%) do not consider Helicobacter spp. infection a differential diagnosis when evaluating animals with gastritis. A significant percentage (37.2%) of the respondents that have "heard of H. suis" do not consider it a zoonotic bacterium. There is a need for education and sensitization of veterinarians regarding the potential zoonotic risk of Helicobacter spp. in order to elucidate these professionals to this One Health issue, as the number of reports of non-Helicobacter pylori Helicobacter in livestock, companion, and wild animals is increasing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Cortez Nunes
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Silvia Teixeira
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Leandro Maia
- UFP Energy, Environment and Health Research Unit (FP-ENAS), Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Praça 9 de Abril, 349, 4249-004 Porto, Portugal
- CITCEM—Centro de Investigação Transdisciplinar «Cultura, Espaço e Memória», Faculdade de Letras da Universidade do Porto, Via Panorâmica s/n, 4150-564 Porto, Portugal
| | - Irina Amorim
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS—Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- EpiUnit—Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
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Vieira ACL, Vidal M, Menassol JB, Mateus TL, Santos AS, Durieux JP, Oliveira MD. ANIPHI: An innovative pedagogical platform based on the Delphi method to support animal welfare teaching. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277189. [PMID: 36331962 PMCID: PMC9635751 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
As a teaching subject, animal welfare is challenging for educators and learners, as was recently shown in a recent survey on the evolution of animal welfare teaching in Europe. Among several suggestions to overcome the current resistance to implementing animal welfare education, we highlight two. The first is that animal welfare education should be based on learner-centred approaches; the second is that it should encompass both animal welfare science and ethics and law. To the best of our knowledge, there are no learner-centred pedagogical approaches that can simultaneously explore scientific and ethical concepts. Furthermore, when exploring ethical concepts within the educational context, there is the additional challenge of being able to depart from discussion and debate to a systematic organization of knowledge. Our work simultaneously addresses these two challenges, presenting the design and implementation of a novel web-based learner-centred pedagogical platform for farm animal welfare teaching. The platform, named ANIPHI, uses the Delphi method’s iterative nature as a learning process to generate both reflection and (online) debate among learners. ANIPHI can be used by educators in an online environment, in a classroom environment, or in a combination of the two environments. ANIPHI was developed within the ERASMUS+ ANICARE project and is an open web-based platform for all educators interested in teaching farm animal welfare. Given ANIPHI’s flexible and user-friendly nature, the platform simultaneously exposes learners to ethical and scientific concepts in different educational realities, according to the educator’s objectives. Furthermore, videos depicting different husbandry practices across different types of animal production and countries are embedded in the platform. These videos are commented on by the farmer himself and by animal scientists, which enriches the learner’s experience. Educators across the ANICARE consortium have already successfully tested the ANIPHI platform for different farm animal welfare topics. We conclude this article by presenting one example of using ANIPHI in a real-life educational context, where we discuss some aspects of the design and use of our pedagogical platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C. L. Vieira
- Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico (CEG-IST), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS—Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial Nun’Álvares, Viana do Castelo, Portugal
- Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, Vila Real, Portugal
- EpiUnit–Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Sofia Santos
- Ruralidade Verde, Lda, Qta dos Engenheiros, Vila Real, Portugal
- FeedInov CoLab, Estação Zootecnica Nacional, Qta da Fonte Boa, Vale de Santarém, Portugal
| | | | - Mónica D. Oliveira
- Centre for Management Studies of Instituto Superior Técnico (CEG-IST), Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- iBB- Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences and i4HB- Associate Laboratory Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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Cortez Nunes F, Letra Mateus T, Taillieu E, Teixeira S, Carolino N, Rema A, De Bruyckere S, Gärtner F, Haesebrouck F, Amorim I. Molecular detection of Helicobacter spp. and Fusobacterium gastrosuis in pigs and wild boars and its association with gastric histopathological alterations. Vet Res 2022; 53:78. [PMID: 36209119 PMCID: PMC9548099 DOI: 10.1186/s13567-022-01101-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Besides Helicobacter pylori, a Gram-negative bacterium that may cause gastric disorders in humans, non-Helicobacter pylori helicobacters (NHPH) may also colonize the stomach of humans and animals. In pigs, H. suis can induce gastritis and may play a role in gastric ulcer disease, possibly in association with Fusobacterium gastrosuis. In the present study, gastric samples from 71 slaughtered pigs and 14 hunted free range wild boars were tested for the presence of DNA of F. gastrosuis and gastric Helicobacter species associated with pigs, dogs cats and humans, using species-specific PCR assays, followed by sequencing of the amplicon. These gastric samples were also histopathologically evaluated. Almost all the pigs presented gastritis (95.8%). Helicobacter spp. were detected in 78.9% and F. gastrosuis in 35.2% of the animals. H. suis was the most frequently identified Helicobacter species (57.7% of the animals), followed by a H. pylori-like species (50.7%) and less often H. salomonis and H. felis (each in 2.8% of the animals). H. suis was most often detected in the glandular (distal) part of the stomach (pars oesophagea 9.9%, oxyntic mucosa 35.2%, antral mucosa 40.8%), while the H. pylori-like species was mainly found in the non-glandular (proximal) part of the stomach (pars oesophagea 39.4%, oxyntic mucosa 14.1%, antral mucosa 4.2%). The great majority of wild boars were also affected with gastritis (71.4%) and Helicobacter spp. and F. gastrosuis were detected in 64.3% and 42.9% of the animals, respectively. H. bizzozeronii and H. salomonis were the most frequently detected Helicobacter species, while a H. pylori-like species and H. suis were only occasionally identified. These findings suggest that these microorganisms can colonize the stomach of both porcine species and may be associated with gastric pathology. This should, however, be confirmed through bacterial isolation. This is the first description of the presence of F. gastrosuis DNA in the stomach of wild boars and a H. pylori-like species in the pars oesophagea of the porcine stomach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Cortez Nunes
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.,Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS-Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4900-347, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.,Laboratory for Integrative and Translational Research in Population Health (ITR), EpiUnit, Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, no. 135, 4050-091, Porto, Portugal.,Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS) Quinta de Prados, Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), UTAD, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Emily Taillieu
- Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sílvia Teixeira
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.,Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Carolino
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Vasco da Gama Research Center (CIVG), Vasco da Gama University School, Coimbra, Portugal.,Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), University of Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinarian Research, I.P., Vale de Santarém, Portugal
| | - Alexandra Rema
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - Sofie De Bruyckere
- Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Fátima Gärtner
- Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Freddy Haesebrouck
- Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Irina Amorim
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), University of Porto, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal. .,Institute for Research and Innovation in Health (i3S), University of Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
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Rose Vineer H, Morgan ER, Hertzberg H, Bartley DJ, Bosco A, Charlier J, Chartier C, Claerebout E, de Waal T, Hendrickx G, Hinney B, Höglund J, Ježek J, Kašný M, Keane OM, Martínez-Valladares M, Mateus TL, McIntyre J, Mickiewicz M, Munoz AM, Phythian CJ, Ploeger HW, Rataj AV, Skuce PJ, Simin S, Sotiraki S, Spinu M, Stuen S, Thamsborg SM, Vadlejch J, Varady M, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Rinaldi L. Increasing importance of anthelmintic resistance in European livestock: creation and meta-analysis of an open database. Parasite 2020; 27:69. [PMID: 33277891 PMCID: PMC7718593 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2020062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Helminth infections are ubiquitous in grazing ruminant production systems, and are responsible for significant costs and production losses. Anthelmintic Resistance (AR) in parasites is now widespread throughout Europe, although there are still gaps in our knowledge in some regions and countries. AR is a major threat to the sustainability of modern ruminant livestock production, resulting in reduced productivity, compromised animal health and welfare, and increased greenhouse gas emissions through increased parasitism and farm inputs. A better understanding of the extent of AR in Europe is needed to develop and advocate more sustainable parasite control approaches. A database of European published and unpublished AR research on gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) and liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) was collated by members of the European COST Action "COMBAR" (Combatting Anthelmintic Resistance in Ruminants), and combined with data from a previous systematic review of AR in GIN. A total of 197 publications on AR in GIN were available for analysis, representing 535 studies in 22 countries and spanning the period 1980-2020. Reports of AR were present throughout the European continent and some reports indicated high within-country prevalence. Heuristic sample size-weighted estimates of European AR prevalence over the whole study period, stratified by anthelmintic class, varied between 0 and 48%. Estimated regional (country) prevalence was highly heterogeneous, ranging between 0% and 100% depending on livestock sector and anthelmintic class, and generally increased with increasing research effort in a country. In the few countries with adequate longitudinal data, there was a tendency towards increasing AR over time for all anthelmintic classes in GIN: aggregated results in sheep and goats since 2010 reveal an average prevalence of resistance to benzimidazoles (BZ) of 86%, macrocyclic lactones except moxidectin (ML) 52%, levamisole (LEV) 48%, and moxidectin (MOX) 21%. All major GIN genera survived treatment in various studies. In cattle, prevalence of AR varied between anthelmintic classes from 0-100% (BZ and ML), 0-17% (LEV) and 0-73% (MOX), and both Cooperia and Ostertagia survived treatment. Suspected AR in F. hepatica was reported in 21 studies spanning 6 countries. For GIN and particularly F. hepatica, there was a bias towards preferential sampling of individual farms with suspected AR, and research effort was biased towards Western Europe and particularly the United Kingdom. Ongoing capture of future results in the live database, efforts to avoid bias in farm recruitment, more accurate tests for AR, and stronger appreciation of the importance of AR among the agricultural industry and policy makers, will support more sophisticated analyses of factors contributing to AR and effective strategies to slow its spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Rose Vineer
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool Neston, Cheshire CH64 7TE UK
| | - Eric R. Morgan
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Biological Sciences 19 Chlorine Gardens Belfast BT9 5DL UK
| | | | - David J. Bartley
- Disease Control, Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan Penicuik, Edinburgh EH26 0PZ UK
| | - Antonio Bosco
- University of Naples Federico II, Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR Via Delpino, 1 80137 Napoli Italy
| | | | | | - Edwin Claerebout
- Laboratory for Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University B9820 Merelbeke Belgium
| | - Theo de Waal
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin Dublin D04 W6F6 Ireland
| | | | - Barbara Hinney
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, Vetmeduni Vienna Veterinärplatz 1 1210 Vienna Austria
| | - Johan Höglund
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology P.O. Box 7036 Uppsala Sweden
| | - Jožica Ježek
- Clinic for Reproduction and Large Animals, Veterinary faculty, University of Ljubljana Gerbičeva 60 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Martin Kašný
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University Brno 611 37 Czech Republic
| | - Orla M. Keane
- Animal Bioscience Department, Teagasc Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath C15 PW93 Ireland
| | | | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS – Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun’Àlvares 4900-347 Viana do Castelo Portugal
- EpiUnit – Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto Rua das Taipas, nº 135 4050-091 Porto Portugal
| | - Jennifer McIntyre
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Garscube Estate Glasgow G61 1QH UK
| | - Marcin Mickiewicz
- Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences Nowoursynowska 159c 02-776 Warsaw Poland
| | - Ana Maria Munoz
- Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária – Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias Av. Campo Grande 376 1749-024 Lisbon Portugal
| | - Clare Joan Phythian
- Institute for Production Animal Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Sandnes 4325 Norway
| | - Harm W. Ploeger
- Department of Biomolecular Health Sciences, Division Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University Yalelaan 1 3584 CL Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Aleksandra Vergles Rataj
- Institute for Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana Gerbičeva 60 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia
| | - Philip J. Skuce
- Disease Control, Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan Penicuik, Edinburgh EH26 0PZ UK
| | - Stanislav Simin
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad 21101 Novi Sad Republic of Serbia
| | - Smaragda Sotiraki
- Veterinary Research Institute, Section for Parasitology, HAO-DEMETER, Thermi 57001 Thessaloniki Greece
| | - Marina Spinu
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca 400372 Romania
| | - Snorre Stuen
- Institute for Production Animal Clinical Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences Sandnes 4325 Norway
| | - Stig Milan Thamsborg
- Section for Parasitology and Aquatic Pathobiology, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen DK-1870 Frederiksberg C Denmark
| | - Jaroslav Vadlejch
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kamycka 129 165 00 Prague Suchdol Czech Republic
| | - Marian Varady
- Institute of Parasitology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences Kosice 040 01 Slovakia
| | - Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7–13 14163 Berlin Germany
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- University of Naples Federico II, Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR Via Delpino, 1 80137 Napoli Italy
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Charlier J, Rinaldi L, Musella V, Ploeger HW, Chartier C, Rose Vineer H, Hinney B, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Băcescu B, Mickiewicz M, Mateus TL, Martinez-Valladares M, Quealy S, Azaizeh H, Sekovska B, Akkari H, Petkevicius S, Hektoen L, Höglund J, Morgan ER, Bartley DJ, Claerebout E. Corrigendum to "Initial assessment of the economic burden of major parasitic helminth infections to the ruminant livestock industry in Europe" [Prev. Vet. Med. 182 (2020) 105103]. Prev Vet Med 2020; 188:105213. [PMID: 33261929 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J Charlier
- Kreavet, H. Mertensstraat 17, 9150 Kruibeke, Belgium.
| | - L Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR, University of Naples Federico II, 80137 Napoli, Italy
| | - V Musella
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Græcia", CISVetSUA, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
| | - H W Ploeger
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Clinical Infectiology Division, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - C Chartier
- INRAE, Oniris, BIOEPAR, 44307, Nantes, France
| | - H Rose Vineer
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - B Hinney
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Wien, Austria
| | - G von Samson-Himmelstjerna
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - B Băcescu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Spiru Haret University, Blv. Basarabia 256, Bucharest, Romania
| | - M Mickiewicz
- Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159c, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland
| | - T L Mateus
- CISAS - Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial Nun'Álvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal; EpiUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, 4050-091 Porto, Portugal
| | - M Martinez-Valladares
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Departamento de Sanidad Animal, 24236 Grulleros, León, Spain
| | - S Quealy
- VirtualVet, Grenan Upper, Kilmacthomas, Co., Waterford, Ireland
| | - H Azaizeh
- Institute of Applied Research, University of Haifa, The Galilee Society P.O. Box 437, Shefa-Amr 20200, Israel; Tel Hai College, Department of Environmental Sciences, Upper Galilee 12210, Israel
| | - B Sekovska
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University St. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, North Macedonia
| | - H Akkari
- Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Manouba, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, 2020 Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - S Petkevicius
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - L Hektoen
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 369 Sentrum, 0102 Oslo, Norway
| | - J Höglund
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology, P.O. Box 7036, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - E R Morgan
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, 19, Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - D J Bartley
- Disease Control, Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - E Claerebout
- Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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13
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Maurelli MP, Dourado Martins OM, Morgan ER, Charlier J, Cringoli G, Mateus TL, Bacescu B, Chartier C, Claerebout E, de Waal T, Helm C, Hertzberg H, Hinney B, Höglund J, Kyriánová IA, Mickiewicz M, Petkevičius S, Simin S, Sotiraki S, Tosheska M, Toth M, Martínez-Valladares M, Varady M, Sekovska B, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Rinaldi L. A Qualitative Market Analysis Applied to Mini-FLOTAC and Fill-FLOTAC for Diagnosis of Helminth Infections in Ruminants. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:580649. [PMID: 33195595 PMCID: PMC7642452 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.580649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Helminth infections, mainly by gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), are one of the main concerns for animal health, welfare and productivity in grazing ruminant livestock worldwide. The use of a sensitive, precise, accurate, low-cost, and easy-to-perform copromicroscopic technique is of pivotal importance to perform reliable fecal egg count (FEC) and fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), in order to determine the need of anthelmintic treatment, but also anthelmintic efficacy or resistance. This approach is fundamental to a correct and efficient control of GIN. Unfortunately, in worldwide ruminant farm practice, repeated anthelmintic treatments are carried out, without prior diagnosis of infection, contributing to the spread of Anthelmintic Resistance (AR). Tackling this phenomenon, improving mainly the GIN diagnosis and AR status in farm animals, is a priority of the European COST Action “COMBAR—COMBatting Anthelmintic Resistance in Ruminants” and of the STAR-IDAZ International Research Consortium on Animal Health. One of the specific objectives of the COMBAR Working Group 1 (WG1) is to conduct an European market analysis of new diagnostics and develop a business plan for commercial test introduction, leveraging technical know-how of participants. Since the Mini-FLOTAC in combination with the Fill-FLOTAC may be considered a good candidate for a standardized FEC and FECRT in the laboratory, as well as directly in the field, the aim of this study was to conduct SWOT (Strength—Weaknesses—Opportunities—Threats) and PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal) analyses of these tools in 20 European countries involved in the COMBAR WG1, in order to identify the opportunities, barriers, and challenges that might affect the Mini-FLOTAC and Fill-FLOTAC commercialization in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Paola Maurelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Eric R Morgan
- Institute of Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | | | - Giuseppe Cringoli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Teresa Letra Mateus
- CISAS-Centre for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun'Àlvares, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.,EpiUnit-Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Bogdan Bacescu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Romania
| | | | - Edwin Claerebout
- Laboratory for Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Theo de Waal
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Christina Helm
- Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Barbara Hinney
- Institute of Parasitology, Vetmeduni Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johan Höglund
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Iveta Angela Kyriánová
- Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
| | - Marcin Mickiewicz
- Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Stanislav Simin
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
| | | | | | - Mariann Toth
- Institutes of Agricultural Research and Educational Farm, Research Institute of Karcag, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | | | - Marian Varady
- Institute of Parasitology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Blagica Sekovska
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, St. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje, North Macedonia
| | | | - Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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14
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Charlier J, Rinaldi L, Musella V, Ploeger HW, Chartier C, Vineer HR, Hinney B, von Samson-Himmelstjerna G, Băcescu B, Mickiewicz M, Mateus TL, Martinez-Valladares M, Quealy S, Azaizeh H, Sekovska B, Akkari H, Petkevicius S, Hektoen L, Höglund J, Morgan ER, Bartley DJ, Claerebout E. Initial assessment of the economic burden of major parasitic helminth infections to the ruminant livestock industry in Europe. Prev Vet Med 2020; 182:105103. [PMID: 32750638 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
We report a European wide assessment of the economic burden of gastrointestinal nematodes, Fasciola hepatica (common liver fluke) and Dictyocaulus viviparus (bovine lungworm) infections to the ruminant livestock industry. The economic impact of these parasitic helminth infections was estimated by a deterministic spreadsheet model as a function of the proportion of the ruminant population exposed to grazing, the infection frequency and intensity, the effect of the infection on animal productivity and mortality and anthelmintic treatment costs. In addition, we estimated the costs of anthelmintic resistant nematode infections and collected information on public research budgets addressing helminth infections in ruminant livestock. The epidemiologic and economic input data were collected from international databases and via expert opinion of the Working Group members of the European Co-operation in Science and Technology (COST) action COMbatting Anthelmintic Resistance in ruminants (COMBAR). In order to reflect the effects of uncertainty in the input data, low and high cost estimates were obtained by varying uncertain input data arbitrarily in both directions by 20 %. The combined annual cost [low estimate-high estimate] of the three helminth infections in 18 participating countries was estimated at € 1.8 billion [€ 1.0-2.7 billion]. Eighty-one percent of this cost was due to lost production and 19 % was attributed to treatment costs. The cost of gastrointestinal nematode infections with resistance against macrocyclic lactones was estimated to be € 38 million [€ 11-87 million] annually. The annual estimated costs of helminth infections per sector were € 941 million [€ 488 - 1442 million] in dairy cattle, € 423 million [€ 205-663 million] in beef cattle, € 151million [€ 90-213 million] in dairy sheep, € 206 million [€ 132-248 million] in meat sheep and € 86 million [€ 67-107 million] in dairy goats. Important data gaps were present in all phases of the calculations which lead to large uncertainties around the estimates. Accessibility of more granular animal population datasets at EU level, deeper knowledge of the effects of infection on production, levels of infection and livestock grazing exposure across Europe would make the largest contribution to improved burden assessments. The known current public investment in research on helminth control was 0.15 % of the estimated annual costs for the considered parasitic diseases. Our data suggest that the costs of enzootic helminth infections which usually occur at high prevalence annually in ruminants, are similar or higher than reported costs of epizootic diseases. Our data can support decision making in research and policy to mitigate the negative impacts of helminth infections and anthelmintic resistance in Europe, and provide a baseline against which to measure future changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Charlier
- Kreavet, H. Mertensstraat 17, 9150, Kruibeke, Belgium.
| | - L Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR, University of Naples Federico II, 80137, Napoli, Italy
| | - V Musella
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Catanzaro "Magna Græcia", CISVetSUA, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - H W Ploeger
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Clinical Infectiology Division, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 1, 3584 CL, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - C Chartier
- INRAE, Oniris, BIOEPAR, 44307, Nantes, France
| | - H Rose Vineer
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Cheshire, CH64 7TE, UK
| | - B Hinney
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Wien, Austria
| | - G von Samson-Himmelstjerna
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Parasitology and Tropical Veterinary Medicine, Robert-von-Ostertag-Str. 7-13, 14163, Berlin, Germany
| | - B Băcescu
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Spiru Haret University, Blv. Basarabia 256, Bucharest, Romania
| | - M Mickiewicz
- Division of Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159c, 02-786, Warsaw, Poland
| | - T L Mateus
- CISAS - Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial Nun'Álvares, 4900-347, Viana do Castelo, Portugal; EpiUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Rua das Taipas, 135, 4050-091, Porto, Portugal
| | - M Martinez-Valladares
- Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña (CSIC-Universidad de León), Departamento de Sanidad Animal. 24236, Grulleros, León, Spain
| | - S Quealy
- VirtualVet, Grenan Upper, Kilmacthomas, Co. Waterford, Ireland
| | - H Azaizeh
- Institute of Applied Research, University of Haifa, The Galilee Society, Israel & Tel Hai College, Department of Environmental Sciences, Upper Galilee 12210, P.O. Box 437, Shefa-Amr, 20200, Israel
| | - B Sekovska
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University St. Cyril and Methodius, Skopje, Macedonia
| | - H Akkari
- Laboratory of Parasitology, University of Manouba, National School of Veterinary Medicine of Sidi Thabet, 2020, Sidi Thabet, Tunisia
| | - S Petkevicius
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Tilžės 18, LT-47181, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - L Hektoen
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O.Box 369 Sentrum, 0102, Oslo, Norway
| | - J Höglund
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, Section for Parasitology, P.O. Box 7036, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - E R Morgan
- Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, 19, Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - D J Bartley
- Disease Control, Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - E Claerebout
- Ghent University, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Parasitology, Salisburylaan 133, 9820, Merelbeke, Belgium
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Mateus TL, Niza-Ribeiro J, Castro A, Vieira-Pinto M. Limited Knowledge About Hydatidosis Among Farmers in Northwest Portugal: A Pressing Need for a One Health Approach. Ecohealth 2016; 13:480-489. [PMID: 27178627 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-016-1129-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Revised: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Hydatidosis is a re-emerging disease. Farmers are a vulnerable population; however, little is known about their awareness of this disease. The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to assess sheep and goat farmers' awareness of, perceptions of, and attitudes towards parasitic zoonoses and hydatidosis and (2) to identify the preferred means for promotion of information about hydatidosis. A cross-sectional study was conducted. An in-person questionnaire was constructed and administered to 279 individuals. A coprological survey in shepherd dogs was performed using 88 faecal samples. SPSS version 18.0 was used for statistical analysis. Farmers reported several risk practices (69% practice home slaughtering, 46% do not deworm the dogs, 58% of these dogs have contact with other animals) and very little knowledge about hydatidosis (97% have never heard about it). Nevertheless, 75% of the farmers demonstrated interest in receiving information, mainly from a veterinarian. A wide diversity of potentially zoonotic parasites (Trichuris spp., Ancylostomatidae, Toxocara spp., Taeniidae) was found in 61% of the dogs. This survey revealed farmers' lack of knowledge in relation to hydatidosis and a high prevalence of potentially zoonotic parasites in dogs, thus pointing to the need for health education and a closer collaboration between veterinarian and public health professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Letra Mateus
- Veterinary Medicine Department, Vasco da Gama University School, Av. José R. Sousa Fernandes, Campus Universitário-Bloco B, Lordemão, 3020-210, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, 4990-706, Refóios do Lima, Portugal.
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal.
- EpiUnit, Epidemiology Research Unit, Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal.
| | - João Niza-Ribeiro
- EpiUnit, Epidemiology Research Unit, Institute of Public Health of the University of Porto, Rua das Taipas, nº 135, 4050-600, Porto, Portugal
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal
| | - António Castro
- ICETA/CECA, University of Porto, Public Health Centre Dr. Gonçalves Ferreira, National Institute of Health, Rua Alexandre Herculano, 321, 4000-055, Porto, Portugal
| | - Madalena Vieira-Pinto
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
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