Dogs are the main reservoir of Leishmania infantum and in some countries have been regularly culled as part of government policy to control visceral leishmaniasis. At the 13th Symposium of the Companion Vector-Borne Diseases World Forum in Windsor, UK, March 19–22, 2018, we consolidated a consensus statement regarding the usefulness of dog culling as a means of controlling visceral leishmaniasis. The statement highlighted the futility of culling infected dogs, whether healthy or sick, as a measure to control the domestic reservoir of L. infantum and reduce the risk for visceral leishmaniasis.

The Companion Vector-Borne Diseases (CVBD) World Forum is a working group of leading international experts who meet annually to evaluate current scientific findings and future trends concerning the distribution, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and prevention of vector-borne infections of dogs and cats. At the 14th Symposium of the CVBD World Forum in Trieste, Italy (March 25–28, 2019), we identified the need to (i) bring attention to the potential spread of parasites and vectors with relocated dogs, and (ii) provide advice to the veterinary profession regarding the importance of surveillance and treatment for parasites and vector-borne infections when rehoming dogs. This letter shares a consensus statement from the CVBD World Forum as well as a summary of the problem faced, including the role of veterinary professionals in parasite surveillance, causal issues, and the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation in addressing the problem. To limit opportunities for dissemination of parasites and vectors, whenever possible, underlying problems creating the need for dog rehoming should be addressed. However, when it is necessary to rehome dogs, this should ideally take place in the country and national region of origin. When geographically distant relocation occurs, veterinary professionals have a vital role to play in public education, vigilance for detection of exotic vectors and infections, and alerting the medical community to the risk(s) for pathogen spread. With appropriate veterinary intervention, dog welfare needs can be met without inadvertently allowing global spread of parasites and their vectors.

The category of 'leafy vegetables' comprises a wide range of plants, including cabbage, lettuce, leeks, spinach, Swiss chard and kale, and it forms a significant component of the human diet. Typically, leafy vegetables are low in calories and fat, are great sources of vitamins, protein, dietary fibre and minerals (including iron, calcium, and nitrates), and are rich in phytochemicals. To counter the impact of pests on vegetables, a broad variety of pesticides are used. Because of their large surface areas, leafy vegetables are expected to have high residual pesticide levels. As such, a sound analytical approach is needed to detect and quantify residue levels that are equal to or lower than the maximum residue limits, thus rendering the products safe for consumption. Overall, leafy vegetables consumed raw (after a tap water wash only), boiled or steamed contribute 2% of total vegetable consumption globally, and they might have a comparatively greater influence on health than cereal ingestion. Consequently, in this review paper, we highlight the importance of leafy vegetables, the pesticides that are commonly used on them and various analytical techniques, including sample preparation, extraction, clean-up and final detection. The effects on dissipation patterns, pre-harvest residue limits and safety/risks imposed by various pesticides are also reviewed and discussed. In conclusion, environmentally friendly extraction methods coupled with high-throughput techniques with greater reproducibility and lower uncertainty are needed for quantifying residues in leafy vegetables at very low concentrations. Commercial and household food preparation, such as washing, peeling, blanching and cooking are effective in removing most of the pesticide residues that are loosely attached on vegetables.

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