Acta Parasitologica, Vol.46, No. 4, 2001, 337-338 Wedrychowicz Halina - Dogs, Zoonoses and Public Health, by
C.N.L. Macpherson, F.X. Meslin and A.I.Wanderler.
W. Stefanski Institute of Parasitology Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda
51/55, 00-818 Warszawa, Poland
BOOK REVIEW
Dogs, Zoonoses and Public Health (Eds. C.N.L Macpherson, F.X. Meslin and
A.I. Wanderler). CABI Publishing, 2000,
(xii + 382 pp.), ISBN 0 85199436 9
Zoonotic diseases constitute a public health problem throughout the world,
particularly in the tropics, where their control is restricted by
inadequate infrastructure and financial resources.
Additionally, there is a lack of information on their significance and
distribution. The routes of transmission are various. Dogs, because of
their close relationships with both adults and children may be an
important source of human infections. These animals have special positions
within many human communities and they are often treated as a companion
without suspicion or reserve. Because reasons listed above the book that
specifically examines zoonoses of dogs and considers the infections in
both dogs and human should be very useful for the large number of readers.
"Dogs, Zoonoses and Public Health" in general, appears to have two major
subjects. One deals with most important aspects of dog ecology and history
of dog-man relationship.
The second concerns with biology and pathological effects of the
infectious agents responsible for zoonoses of dogs. The book includes 12
chapters, which are authored by more than 20 scientists representing a
variety of specialities. All the chapters include their own lists of
references and could read as complete articles. The first two chapters
discuss domestication of the dog, the various aspects of the human-dog
relationship, dog ecology and population biology. Molecular structure,
antigenic and genetic variations, pathogenesis, diagnosis and epidemiology
of rabies virus are discussed in chapter 3. Bacteria species, which may be
transmitted from dogs to humans, are discussed in the next chapter. Bites
and scratches are the most common health hazards and result in localised
infections.
Pasteurellosis, various aerobic and anaerobic infections, and cat-scratch
disease are predominant.
Other infections are transmitted through cutaneous, mucous, digestive or
respiratory routes, by direct contact with the pets excreta, or by
arthropods. The most common are gastrointestinal infections with
Campylobacter, Salmonella or Yersinia.
Five out of twelve chapters of the book (169 pages) are devoted to
parasitic infections of the dogs which may be potentially dangerous for
humans. In chapter 5: "Dogs and Protozoan Zoonoses" Richard W. Ashford and
Karen F. Snowden listed more than 50 protozoan species which may infect
dogs, however, only 20 of them are shared with man. At the end of the
chapter the authors conclude ioas far as protozoan diseases are concerned
the statement that domestic dog is a source of numerous diseases of humans
is an overstatement. Only with Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania
infantum has the dog been shown to be an important source of human
diseasesla.
More than 70 species of trematodes are mentioned in the next chapter "Dogs
and Trematode Zoonoses". In contrast to the previous one, Ralph Muller
focuses more on biology of the most important members of trematode
superfamilies and clinical signs observed in humans. At the end of the
chapter he concludes that for flukes, which are transmitted via fish or
crab meat, the cats play much more important role as reservoir hosts than
dogs. In the chapter "Dogs and Cestode Zoonoses" Calum Macpherson and
Philip Craig focused mainly on epidemiology and public health importance
of Echinococcus sp. infections in various part of the world. Toxocarosis,
ancylostomosis, filariosis, toxascariosis, capillariosis, dioctophymosis,
dracunculosis, gnathostomosis, thelaziosis and strongyloidosis are
discussed in terms of mode of transmission, pathology in humans and dogs,
diagnosis and control in the chapter "Dogs and Nematode Zoonoses" by
Paul Overgaauw and Frans van Knapen. In a short chapter entitled "Dogs
and Ectoparasitic Zoonoses" Cathy Curtis discusses biology, zoonotic
implications and control of fleas, Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis,
Cheyletiella spp. and Otodectes cynotis infections. In the chapter
"Zoonoses and Immunosuppressed populations" Robert Robinson describes
bacterial and parasitic infections occurring most often in immune
deficient hosts like cryptosporidiosis, giardiosis, leishmaniosis and
strongyloidosis. He also gives recommendations for preventive health care
of dogs for immunocompromised persons. In the two final chapters the
authors discuss management of dog populations and control of dog
zoonoses. For a careful reader it is a little disappointing that some
authors go much more into details than others do. For example, the
clinical aspects of parasitic diseases in humans are discussed to a
smaller extent in some section than in others. Moreover, a lot of protozoa
and flukes listed in the book do not actually cause zoonotic diseases. On
the other hand, fungal infections are almost completely omitted. Only a
few sentences deal with this type of zoonotic agents in the section on
immunosuppressed populations.
In spite of above criticisms the overall value of this book is
remarkable. It brings under one cover a very important knowledge about the
relationship between the ecology of canine populations, the human-dog
relationship, the biology and potential pathology of zoonotic
microorganisms, helminth and arthropods and their impact on a
designation of strategies for the control of zoonoses. I recommend this
book to students of both human and veterinary medicine as well as for
public health workers.
Halina Wedrychowicz
W. Stefanski Institute of Parasitology
Warszawa, Poland
KEY WORDS: Dogs, zoonoses, public health
Page compiled by Aleksander H.Kedra. Last modification:
25-01-2002