A review on the occurrence of companion vector-borne diseases in pet animals in Latin America

Abstract

Companion vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are an important threat for pet life, but may also have an impact on human health, due to their often zoonotic character. The importance and awareness of CVBDs continuously increased during the last years. However, information on their occurrence is often limited in several parts of the world, which are often especially affected. Latin America (LATAM), a region with large biodiversity, is one of these regions, where information on CVBDs for pet owners, veterinarians, medical doctors and health workers is often obsolete, limited or non-existent. In the present review, a comprehensive literature search for CVBDs in companion animals (dogs and cats) was performed for several countries in Central America (Belize, Caribbean Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico) as well as in South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana (British Guyana), Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela) regarding the occurrence of the following parasitic and bacterial diseases: babesiosis, heartworm disease, subcutaneous dirofilariosis, hepatozoonosis, leishmaniosis, trypanosomosis, anaplasmosis, bartonellosis, borreliosis, ehrlichiosis, mycoplasmosis and rickettsiosis. An overview on the specific diseases, followed by a short summary on their occurrence per country is given. Additionally, a tabular listing on positive or non-reported occurrence is presented. None of the countries is completely free from CVBDs. The data presented in the review confirm a wide distribution of the CVBDs in focus in LATAM. This wide occurrence and the fact that most of the CVBDs can have a quite severe clinical outcome and their diagnostic as well as therapeutic options in the region are often difficult to access and to afford, demands a strong call for the prevention of pathogen transmission by the use of ectoparasiticidal and anti-feeding products as well as by performing behavioural changes.

Prevalence and incidence of vector-borne pathogens in unprotected dogs in two Brazilian regions

“…Anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies were not detected in any of the samples from Goiana and São Joaquim de Bicas, which was expected considering the absence of competent vectors in the study areas. While some rare positive results have been reported in studies conducted in Brazil and other Latin American countries [38], further studies are needed to confirm the presence and significance (if any) of borreliosis in dogs from this part of the world.…”

A Host-Specific Blocking Primer Combined with Optimal DNA Extraction Improves the Detection Capability of a Metabarcoding Protocol for Canine Vector-Borne Bacteria

“…Despite recent developments in veterinary care and medicine, canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD) continue to inflict a large burden with regard to morbidity and mortality on dogs across the globe [1][2][3]. This is especially true in low-socioeconomic countries, that may have little available resources to invest into disease prevention programs [1][2][3]. In particular, countries spanning the tropics must affront an expansive range of CVBDs that comprise a leading cause of fatality in dogs [3][4][5][6].…”

Current situation of the presence of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs and humans in Bucaramanga, Colombia

“…Environmental sanitation elements, such as water; sewage, garbage, and waste disposal; sanitary landfills; and garbage treatment, influence the prevalence of parasitosis. This data allows us to associate the lack of sanitary hygiene with the development of dirofilariasis, which may become a socially-determinant public health factor, as in the case of other vector-borne diseases in Colombia such as malaria, leishmaniosis and Chagas disease [9,31,32].…”