What is it about?

Leptospirosis and heartworm are zoonotic diseases - they can be transmitted between humans and animals - however the presence of these diseases in dogs of Tonga is currently unknown. The bacteria causing leptospirosis has previously been identified in cattle and pigs in Tonga via blood testing, and a case of heartworm was previously identified post-mortem. This study aimed to identify the presence of both diseases in a sample of dogs presented to a desexing clinic in Tonga.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Due to the zoonotic nature of both of these diseases (especially leptospirosis), there are health concerns for both animals and humans. Leptospirosis is a waterborne bacteria, considered endemic in tropical countries such as Tonga, and outbreaks are often noted following severe weather events such as floods, cyclones, and tsunamis. With these types of weather events becoming more common, risk of leptospirosis in particular is potentially increasing. In addition, with no permanent vet clinic in the Kingdom, vaccination for both diseases is generally limited to volunteer organisations running "pop-up" vet clinics, providing opportunities for infection of both animals and humans that may be mitigated with an informed vaccination programme.

Perspectives

Having participated in a number of volunteer veterinary clinics in Tonga, and seen first-hand the general health of dogs there, I have a strong interest in identifying the presence of these diseases, in particular, leptospirosis. I also have an interest in the area of One Health, and due to the zoonotic nature of these diseases, and the world's changing weather patterns, I think researching this topic is timely.

Kristina Naden
Otago Polytechnic

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Leptospira spp. and Dirofilaria immitis in dogs in Tonga: a pilot study, The Veterinary Nurse, April 2023, Mark Allen Group,
DOI: 10.12968/vetn.2023.14.3.143.
You can read the full text:

Read

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page