Naslov
Canine Leishmaniosis in Croatia : Spread and Public Health Impact

Autori
Živičnjak, Tatjana ; Martinković, Franjo ; Beck, Relja

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Abstracts of the 5th Croatian congress on infectious diseases / - , 2006

Skup
Croatian congress on infectious diseases (5 ; 2006)

Mjesto i datum
Zadar, Hrvatska, 23.08.2006. - 27.08.2006

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
Dog; Leishmania infantum; Croatia; zoonotic; prevalence

Sažetak
Currently, visceral leishmaniosis is considered by WHO as an emerging zoonosis in southern Europe. Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) due to Leishmania infantum is a disease of great veterinary importance and a public health problem. In humans, L. infantum causes visceral and cutaneous leishmaniosis (CL) and the distribution of visceral leishmaniosis (VL) overlaps that of CanL. The dog is the only domestic reservoir of the infection that varies from asymptomatic to symptomatic and may be fatal. The phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera , Psychodidae) are the only proven vectors of leishmaniosis for dogs and humans.In the south littoral parts of Croatia, CanL had been recognized as a problem for the first time in the first part of 20th century with constant increase in incidence since then. Human visceral leishmaniosis has been sporadically reported in Croatia, and as with other diseases transmitted by arthropods, it is not a major public health problem in Croatia. According to the data of National Institute of Public Health, during the period 1995-2004 the total of 27 VL and 27 CL cases occurred in Dalmatia. Since 1997 CanL in Croatia has been proven parasitologically and serologically in hundreds of symptomatic and asymptomatic dogs . All the dogs visited or lived in central and south parts of Dalmatia (from the city of Trogir in the west, Montenegro border in the east, Bosnia and Herzegovina border in the north, the Adriatic sea in the south, as well as on middle and south Dalmatian islands). During the survey among healthy dogs carried on 2003, seropositive dogs were found in the city of Split and in 8/12 villages surveyed. During the first nine months of the year 2005, 1664 healthy dogs origining from central and southern parts of Dalmatia were serologically investigated (IFAT) and 119 reacted positive. Information on the spread of the autochthonous Leishmania infection in dogs is essential in order to define effective control measures for zoonotic leishmaniosis. The control of both, human and the canine disease depends directly on the effective control of CanL and the sandfly control. The general aim of the control measures is the reduction in Leishmania transmission in littoral Croatia, especially in the coastal foci of Dalmatia, that will be achieved with the combination of the following approaches: 1. Implementaion of a good co-operation among dog owners, veterinarians, physicians and public health authorities 2. Mass treatment of the infected dogs and the protection of both the healthy and the infected dogs from the sandfly bites by using deltamthrin-impregnated dog collars or by reppelent topical application. 3. Surveillance on the shot and perrished foxes, jackals and wolves should throw light on the epidemiological role of the wild canids wandering through both the enzootic and the non-enzootic areas, and very often come to or even live in close vicinity of human dwellings in the rural and the suburban areas. 4. Entomological surveys in zones neighbouring to the enzootic area (from city of Trogir to city of Zadar along coast and it hinterlands, islands across from the area (islands Ugljan, Pašman and Dugi Otok) and in the northern Croatian coastal area (from city of Zadar to Slovenian border on the Istrian peninsula) with islands Pag, Cres, Rab, Krk. Monitoring and detection of sandfies spreading is necessary in prediction of CanL spreading. 5.Early warning and prevention of dogs’ and humans’ mass infection by serological monitoring before new foci have arisen. 6. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results will perform a considerable improvement in CanL diagnostics among asymptomatic carriers, early infections before seroconversion and as useful tool to determinate infection rate in the longitudinal study and efficiency valuation of drug therapy. PCR also proves an interesting tool for prevalence surveillance among wild canids and cats, due to its high sensitivity and the detection of the parasite carriers. Further studies are needed to evaluate the spreading of the vector species belonging to the Larroussius subgenus, both in coastal and inland territories of littoral Croatia to identify the areas at risk for the disease. In Croatia exists realistic risk that CanL infection could spread towards north along the coast and to inland territories. One way of leishmaniosis spreading is movement of sick or asymptomatic dogs with their owners to the region where suitable vectors already exist, and another is diffusion of suitable vectors through northern latitudes. Further monitoring activities are necessary to identify new enzootic foci of CanL and existence of potential vectors in littoral Croatia.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Veterinarska medicina

Napomena
U sklopu sekcije odabran za predavanje.

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