Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA, 2008) considers that the
convergence of people, animals, and our environment has created a new dynamic in which
the health of each group is inextricably interconnected. The Association proposed a holistic,
collaborative approach aimed at improving animal and human health globally through
collaboration among all the health sciences, especially between the veterinary and human
medical professions to address critical needs.
9. Conclusion
Based on the findings in this review, it can be asserted that the lack of standardisation of
techniques coupled with the host of factors influencing the process of egg/larvae recovery
can lead to false-negative results and underestimation of the occurrence of soil
contamination. Thus, the development of new methods is necessary to provide more reliable
data under field conditions. Molecular analyses, based on amplification of genetic material
extracted from eggs/larvae present in soil, are promising techniques both for identifying
and characterizing of helminths present in soil.
It was also observed that soil contamination in public areas can be reduced by adopting a
number of measures including: restriction of uncontrolled dogs and cats, cleaning up dog
feces from soil and pavements by their owners, preventing access of dogs and cats to public
spaces (especially children's playgrounds) and by use of strategic anthelmintic treatment of
dogs and cats with emphasis on puppies, kittens, nursing bitches and queens.
Programs designed through collaborative efforts of both human and veterinary
doctors/researchers are essential to create fresh tools for diagnosis and new strategies for
controlling the transmission of soil-transmitted helminthic zoonoses to humans, until new
technologies become available.
According to the WHO (2011), one of the main strategies for controlling zoonotic diseases is
to promote advocacy so as to emphasize their burden on society and create demand at all
levels of society to control them. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA,
2008) has considered that the convergence of people, animals, and our environment has
created a new dynamic in which the health of each group is inextricably interconnected. The
Association has proposed a holistic, collaborative approach aimed at improving animal and
human health globally through collaboration among all the health sciences, particularly
between the veterinary and human medical professions to address critical needs.
Many diseases are considered neglected zoonotic diseases, including soil-transmitted
helminths. Thus, efforts to design public educational programs raising awareness of agents
of larva migrans are fundamental to prevent the burden of diseases in companion animals
and humans. Further, improvements in diagnostic testing and expansion of epidemiologic
surveillance should be promoted in parallel with control and prevention efforts.
10. References
Abo-Shehada, M.N.; Sharif, L.; el-Sukhon, S.N.; Abuharfeil, N. & Atmeh, R.F. (1992).
Seroprevalence of
Toxocara canis
antibodies in humans in northern Jordan.
Journal of
Helminthology
, Vol.66, No.1, (March 1992), pp. 75-78, ISSN 0022-149X
Acha, P. & Szyfres, B. (2003). Parasitosis: Larva migrans cutanea. Larva migrans visceral and
toxocaryasis. In: Zoonosis y enfermedades transmissibles al hombre y a los
animales. 3. ed., Vol.3, 301-311, ISBN 92-75-31993-6,
Organización Mundial de la
Salud
, Washington
