Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
High rate of tungiasis skin disease in dogs in Bahia tourist area
By Harvey, Tatiani Vitor et al.·Published in Preventive veterinary medicine·2017·UESC, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Canine tungiasis: High prevalence in a tourist region in Bahia state, Brazil.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs in a tourist area of Brazil was found to have a high rate of tungiasis, a skin disease caused by a parasite. Out of 114 dogs examined, 71 had lesions on their paws, and some even had lesions on their noses. The most common signs included swelling and thickened skin, and some dogs showed unusual behaviors like excessive licking or being less obedient. The study highlighted that dogs living in less restricted conditions and in sandy areas were more likely to be infested. Addressing this issue will require community efforts to improve the living conditions for these dogs.
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Abstract
Tungiasis is a parasitic skin disease neglected by authorities, health professionals, and the general population. Its occurrence is significantly associated with poverty. A cross-sectional study was conducted to describe the prevalence of tungiasis, associated clinical signs and risk factors of the canine population at a tourist site in the city of Ilhéus, Bahia (northeast Brazil). All village households were visited and dogs inspected after authorization by owners. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered. Of the 114 dogs included in the study, 71 (62.3%) were infested; all of them had lesions on their pads. An ectopic lesion on the nose was observed in one dog (1.4%). The number of manipulated lesions outnumbered the number of vital and avital lesions with an average of 88.3%. Edema (95.8%) and hyperkeratosis (85.9%) were the most prevalent clinical signs. Behavioral disorders such as excessive licking (6/71; 8.5%), disobedience (1/71; 1.4%) and prostration (2/71; 2.8%) were reported. In the multi-variate analysis, semi-restricted condition of the dogs (adjusted OR=8.58; 95% CI=2.47-29.76) and the presence of sand on the compound (adjusted OR=14.23, 95% CI=2.88-70.28) were significantly associated with infestation. We concluded that, infestation with Tunga spp. is highly endemic in the canine population of the village. The low level of restrictions on dogs and the presence of sand in areas most frequented by the animals are perpetuating factors of infestation in the community, subject to integrated and multidisciplinary intervention measures.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28364835/