Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (W.A.A.V.P.) guidelines for studies evaluating the efficacy of parasiticides in reducing the risk of vector-borne pathogen transmission in dogs and cats.
- Journal:
- Veterinary parasitology
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Otranto, Domenico et al.
- Affiliation:
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria · Italy
Plain-English summary
This document outlines guidelines for studying how well certain medications can help prevent the spread of diseases carried by insects to dogs and cats. Currently, the best way to protect pets from these diseases is by using products that can either repel or quickly kill the insects before they can bite and transmit the disease. The guidelines not only cover fleas and ticks but also provide advice on studying other insects like mosquitoes and sand flies. They aim to help researchers and companies develop and test these products more effectively while also pointing out areas where we still need more information. Overall, these guidelines are meant to improve our understanding and management of disease transmission in pets.
Abstract
These guidelines are intended to provide an in-depth review of current knowledge and assist the planning and implementation of studies for evaluating the efficacy of parasiticides in reducing transmission of vector-borne pathogens (VBPs) to dogs and cats. At present, the prevention of VBP transmission in companion animals is generally achieved through the administration of products that can repel or rapidly kill arthropods, thus preventing or interrupting feeding before transmission occurs. The present guidelines complement existing guidelines, which focus on efficacy assessment of parasiticides for the treatment, prevention and control of flea and tick infestations, but also give guidance for studies focused on other vectors (i.e. mosquitoes and phlebotomine sand flies). The efficacy of parasiticides in reducing VBP transmission can be evaluated through laboratory or field studies. As such, the present guidelines provide recommendations for these studies, representing a tool for researchers, pharmaceutical companies and authorities involved in the research, development and registration of products with claims for reducing VBP transmission in dogs and cats, respecting the overall principles of the 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement). Gaps in our current understanding of VBP transmission times are herein highlighted and the need for further basic research on related topics is briefly discussed.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33548595/