Understanding the Connections Between Dogs, Health and Inuit Through a Mixed-Methods Study

Aenishaenslin, Cécile; Brunet, Patrícia Diógenes de Melo; Lévesque, Francis; Gouin, Géraldine G.; Simon, Audrey; Saint‐Charles, Johanne; Leighton, Patrick A.; Bastian, Suzanne; Ravel, André

doi:10.1007/s10393-018-1386-6

Cited by 22 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Inuit have a long and meaningful history of living in close contact with dogs (Iqaluit: Qikiqtani Inuit Association, 2014). Historically, dogs were an integral part of Inuit life, and they continue to play crucial roles in the lives and culture for many Inuit, such as providing transportation, accompanying people when they travel on the land as well as providing protection and companionship (Aenishaenslin et al, 2018;Brook et al, 2010;Daveluy, Lévesque, & Ferguson, 2011;Iqaluit: Qikiqtani Inuit Association, 2014). However, similar to other locations around the world, dogs may put people at risk of exposure to enteric pathogens (Goyette, Cao, Libman, Ndao, & Ward, 2014;Hotez, 2010;Salb et al, 2008), including parasitic zoonoses (Dixon et al, 2008;Thivierge et al, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Julien

Sargeant

Guy

et al. 2019

Zoonoses and Public Health

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There are few epidemiologic studies on the role of dogs in zoonotic parasitic transmission in the Circumpolar North. The objectives of this study were to: (a) estimate the faecal prevalence of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs; (b) investigate potential associations between the type of dog population and the faecal presence of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp.; and (c) describe the molecular characteristics of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs in Iqaluit, Nunavut. We conducted two cross‐sectional studies in July and September 2016. In July, the team collected daily faecal samples for 3 days from each of 20 sled dogs. In September, the team collected three faecal samples from each of 59 sled dogs, 111 samples from shelter dogs and 104 from community dogs. We analysed faecal samples for the presence of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. using rapid immunoassay and flotation techniques. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of target genes were performed on positive faecal samples. Overall, the faecal prevalence of at least one of the target parasites, when one faecal sample was chosen at random for all dogs, was 8.16% (CI: 5.52–11.92), and for Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp., prevalence was 4.42% (CI: 2.58–7.49) and 6.12% (CI: 3.88–9.53), respectively. The odds of faecal Giardia spp. in sled dogs were significantly higher than those in shelter and community dogs (OR 10.19 [CI: 1.16–89.35]). Sequence analysis revealed that 6 faecal samples were Giardia intestinalis, zoonotic assemblage B (n = 2) and species‐specific assemblages D (n = 3) and E (n = 1), and five faecal samples were Cryptosporidium canis. Giardia intestinalis is zoonotic; however, Cryptosporidium canis is rare in humans and, when present, usually occurs in immunosuppressed individuals. Dogs may be a potential source of zoonotic Giardia intestinalis assemblage B infections in residents in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada; however, the direction of transmission is unclear.

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confidence: 99%

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Julien

Sargeant

Guy

et al. 2019

Zoonoses and Public Health

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“…This higher risk has been linked to socioeconomic status and other determinants such as structural, social or cultural disparities, including limited access to animal health services and animal training capacities, along with insufficient law enforcement and education on responsible pet ownership (16,41,42). In addition, the abundance of stray or free-roaming dogs have been blamed for the high incidence of dog bites in remote indigenous communities (26,(43)(44)(45). This suggests that reducing potential exposure to rabies through dog bites requires a range of measures applied to specific modifiable determinants, such as law enforcement, education (of children, parents, dog owners, etc.)…”

Section: Dog Bites and Human Exposure To Rabies In Nunavikmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…No clear pattern of seasonality was found, although our results show that more cases of injuries were declared during the months of May and August, which is similar to previous findings (48,54). One hypothesis is that contact with dogs increases during the long photoperiod season, especially since dogs are usually kept outside in Nunavik (44). In addition, the context analysis revealed that during seasonal activities such as boating and fishing, locals tend to stay away from their homes for days, leaving their dogs roaming unleashed.…”

Section: Temporal Distribution Of Reported Cases Over the Study Periodmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of human exposure to rabies in Nunavik: incidence, the role of dog bites and their context, and victim profiles

Mediouni

Brisson

Ravel

2020

Preprint

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Background: In Nunavik, Arctic rabies is still endemic due to a spillover from wildlife to dogs. The prevention of human exposure and the management of potential exposure is a significant public health concern in this region. Methods: This study retrospectively describes cases of potential exposure to rabies in humans as reported to the Nunavik Public Health Board through their registry of reported cases. We used multi-correspondence analysis as well as univariable and multivariable regression models to test for differences between children and adults in reported cases, and to examine to contexts of exposure to dogs and dog attacks. Results: From 2008 to 2017, 320 cases of potential exposure to rabies were reported, 92% of which were linked to dogs. The annual incidence rate was 2.5 per 1,000 people. The incidence increased significantly during the study period, although the reasons for this are unclear. Fifteen cases of exposure were with rabid animals, mostly dogs (9 of 15). No human cases of rabies occurred thanks to adequate medical case management. Two specific profiles for potential exposure to rabies were identified based on age and gender. The first was children (<15 y/o), male or female, who were more likely to be exposed through playing with dogs and were more often injured in the head and/or neck. The second was young male adults (aged 15 to 34 y/o), who were more involved with wildlife than other age groups and mostly injured in the upper limbs and as a result of a reaction by the animal. Conclusion: Rabies is a real public health threat in Nunavik. Potential human exposure needs to be prevented, and prevention measures should be tailored to the two risk profiles identified based on age, gender and animal species involved.

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“…In addition, numerous stray or free-roaming dogs were pointed out for high dog bite incidence in indigenous remote societies (26,38,42). All the abovementioned determinants of more frequent dog bites and potential exposure to rabies may well be applicable to Nunavik villages according to our knowledge and understanding gained from several research projects tackling the human health issues at the human-dog interface in northern Québec (26,43,44). This suggests that reducing potential exposure to rabies through dog bite requires several measures on specific modifiable determinants, such as law enforcement, education (of children, parents, dog owners, etc.…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…No clear pattern of seasonality was found, however our results showed that more cases of injuries were declared during the months of May and August, similar findings have been previously reported (47,53). One hypothesis is that contacts with dogs increase during the long photoperiod season, especially since dogs are usually kept outside in Nunavik (43). In addition, the context analysis revealed that during seasonal activities such as boating and fishing, locals tend to stay away from their homes for days, leaving their dogs roaming unleashed.…”

Section: Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential human rabies exposure in Nunavik: importance of age and dogs

Mediouni

Brisson

Ravel

2019

Preprint

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Background In Nunavik, arctic rabies is still endemic with spillover from wildlife to dogs. The prevention of human exposure and the management of potential exposure is a high public health concern there.Methods The study retrospectively described cases of potential exposure to rabies in human reported to the Nunavik Public Health Board using the registry of declared cases. Multi-correspondence analysis as well as univariable and multivariable regression models were used to appraise the difference between children and adults and the importance of dogs.Results From 2008 to 2017, 320 cases of potential exposures to rabies were reported, 92% linked to dogs. The annual incidence rate was 2.5 per 1,000 population. The incidence increased significantly during the study period without clear explanation for that. Fifteen exposures actually were with rabid animals, mostly dogs (9 out of the 15). No human cases of rabies occurred thank to adequate medical case management. Two specific profiles for potential exposure to rabies were identified based on age and gender. Children (< 15 y/o), male or female, were more likely to be exposed through playing with dogs and more often injured in the head and/or the neck. Young male adult cases (aged 15 to 34 y/o) were more involved with wildlife than other age groups and mostly injured in the upper limbs and as a reaction from the animal.Conclusions Rabies being a serious and genuine public health threat in Nunavik, potential exposure to rabies needs to be prevented and prevention measures should be tailored to the two risk profiles identified based on age, gender and the animal involved.

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Understanding the Connections Between Dogs, Health and Inuit Through a Mixed-Methods Study

Cited by 22 publications

References 14 publications

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

Epidemiology of human exposure to rabies in Nunavik: incidence, the role of dog bites and their context, and victim profiles

Potential human rabies exposure in Nunavik: importance of age and dogs

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