Ensino de bem-estar e dor animal em cursos de medicina veterinária no Brasil / Teaching pain and animal welfare in Veterinary Medicine courses in Brazil

Currículos de medicina veterinária devem disponibilizar ferramentas para que os futuros profissionais atendam a demanda da sociedade, que inclui preocupações diretas com os animais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi traçar um perfil do panorama geral do ensino da medicina veterinária em relação a questões de bem-estar e dor animal. O método utilizado foi análise de documentos disponíveis online e coleta de dados via aplicação de questionários para coordenadores de curso de medicina veterinária. A descrição do curso, sua grade curricular e ementário foram estudados. Observou-se que 46% das 94 instituições estudadas apresentavam a disciplina de bem-estar animal e 26% ofereciam a disciplina de etologia. Houve evidência de que há uma pronta relação com a esfera física do bem-estar animal, sendo que as outras duas esferas, comportamental e psicológica, não recebem atenção similar ao longo dos cursos. Na avaliação do ementário, o termo "bem-estar animal" é empregado com caráter difuso e o termo "dor" encontra-se presente em 54% dos cursos estudados, relacionado principalmente a disciplinas de patologia, fisiologia, farmacologia e anestesiologia. Conclui-se que o ensino brasileiro de medicina veterinária enfatiza a esfera física do bem-estar animal, sendo importante o enriquecimento em relação às esferas comportamental e psicológica e ao ensino da dor.

The curricula of veterinary medicine should provide tools for future professionals to meet society demands, which include direct concerns for the animals. The overall scenario of education in veterinary medicine on issues of animal welfare and pain was studied. This study was conducted through the analysis of documents available online and via questionnaires to coordinators of veterinary medicine programs. The program description, its curriculum and course content descriptions were considered. Results show that 46% of the 94 institutions studied offer an animal welfare course and 26% offer an ethology course. We observed a direct relationship with the physical component of animal welfare; the other two components, the behavioral and psychological ones, do not receive similar attention throughout the programs. In the study of course contents of the veterinary programs, the term 'animal welfare' is used in a diffuse manner and the term 'pain' appears in 54% of the programs studied, mainly related to disciplines covering its pathology, physiology, pharmacology and anesthesiology. We conclude that in the teaching of veterinary medicine in Brazil there is an emphasis on the physical realm of animal welfare, and that there is room for improvement in the naturalness and psychological realms and in the teaching of pain.

The efficacy of oxamniquine in acute schistosomiasis: a clinical analysis of 28 treated patients

During the summer of 1980, acute Manson's Schistosomiasis occurred in 28 pediatric patients, swimming in two ponds with no watershed connections between them, in the rural area of Juncos and Cidra, Puerto Rico. Clinical and immunological events were studied and Oxamniquine (Vansil, Pfizer) was administered to all of them and followed closely for 3 years. Fever and general malaise recorded in 93 of the patients, diarrhea and abdominal pain in 68 and urticaria or facial edema in 64. Hepato and/or splenomegaly was recorded in 71 of them. Twenty seven of the patients had evidence of immunoserological activity against adult schistosomal antigens (GASP and PSAP). Two patients had intense immunologic activity, even before the recovering of fresh Schistosoma mansoni eggs in their stool. This was a response to GASP and PSAP antigens. When they started passing fresh eggs of schistosoma and COP (Circumoval Precipitation Test) turned positive, their clinical status worsened and antibodies to GASP antigen increased two fold. The oviposition phase elicited a strong antibody and immunological reaction with significant eosinophilia and cross reaction was observed between adult schistosomal and egg shell antigens. Severe clinical manifestations were seen in spite of low egg excretion. Oxamniquine was effective in obtaining a coprological cure and in altering the immunologic response as compared with other untreated groups in literature