I’ve had a few discussions with people over the past week about geographic variation in disease risk. It’s a great subject because it’s an important and often overlooked issue. Whether it’s animals being imported, animals moving with their owners, animals accompanying owners on vacation or animals being moved between regions within the county, movement between
Echinococcus multilocularis in a child: Quebec
Echinococcus multilocularis (EM) is an important zoonotic tapeworm. The situation with this parasite in Canada (and probably the US) is unclear and evolving. It’s increasingly clear that EM is present in a high percentage of wild canids (e.g. coyotes, foxes) in some regions. What this means for human health isn’t clear yet.
This tiny tapeworm
Rabies in developing countries
We often talk about rabies in the context of high GDP countries, focusing on wildlife rabies and exposure during travel. However, in many parts of the world, exposure to canine rabies is an ever-present risk, and there can be substantial barriers to getting proper post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) when needed. That’s part of the reason tens
New imported distemper strain in dogs
Here’s a report from Cornell University’s Animal Health Diagnostic Center, describing importation of a canine distemper strain that hasn’t been found before in North America:
02/05/2019: (N. America) In early October of 2018, a 12-week old “Sheltie” arrived from Korea. Approximately 12 days later, the dog began with a cough and lethargy with blood
Rabies in a dog, Ontario
It’s easy to get complacent about rabies, even when you live in an endemic region. While we have ample bat rabies, Arctic fox rabies and raccoon rabies in Ontario, spillover into domestic animals is relatively rare. Success can breed complacency, though. When control measures work, it’s easy to forget why they are so important.
That’s
Leftover zoonotic disease Q&A, Part 2
Here are some more leftover questions from the talk I did a talk recently for Third Age Learning in Guelph:
As West Nile virus seems to be spreading, is there a vaccine becoming available for the general population?
Probably not, but that’s just a guess. While it should be possible to make an effective
Rabies vaccine conspiracy
Before the emails start rolling in… yes, it’s from a satire site.
See Dr. Sarah Boston (veterinary cancer surgeon extraordinaire)’s take on how veterinarians are misleading people into protecting people.
EXPOSED – Vaccination of Pets Found to be Part of Larger Plot to Prevent Rabies in Humans
Echinococcus multilocularis: Ontario, Canada
Echinococcus multilocularis, a small tapeworm with a big name, is causing big concerns in Ontario, an area that was until recently considered free of this parasite. This tapeworm is normally found in the intestinal tract of wild canids (e.g. coyotes, foxes) and can also infect dogs. That itself isn’t a problem, since the intestinal
Endangered panthers and a domestic cat virus
The indoor vs outdoor cat debate never seems to end.
Some decry outdoor cats as the world’s most destructive “invasive species.”
- Some say that outdoor cats do what outdoor cats (and any other carnivores) do… they hunt to eat.
Cats kill large numbers of birds every year.
- So do lots of other things.
In an
Annual US rabies report 2017
As is typical for this time of year, the annual US rabies report has been published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (Ma et al, 2018).
Here are some highlights:
- 4454 rabid animals were identified across the country. This is certainly a marked underestimate of the actual number since most