ABSTRACT
Tunga spp. are fleas commonly found in impoverished tropical regions. In Vila Juerana, a tourist community in Ilheus, Bahia, Brazil, where tungiasis is endemic, dogs are the main host of fleas during their life cycle. However, there is no information about the role of cats and chickens in tungiasis in the village. Of the 272 households investigated, 112 had domestic animals, 48 had only dogs, 28 had only cats, and nine had only chickens. Of the 27 households with cohabitation among species, 16 had cats and dogs, eight had chickens and dogs, and three had dogs, cats, and chickens. The injuries due to tungiasis were ranked according to the Fortaleza classification, considering stages I, II, and III as viable lesions. The paws/feet of 71/111 (63.9%) cats and 173/439 (39.4%) chickens were inspected. Dogs that lived with positive cats and chickens also were inspected. Among the 38% (27/7; 95% IC 26.74-49.32) positive cats, 16 cohabited houses with infected dogs but none lived with positive chickens. Of the chickens, 2.3% (4/173; 95% IC 0.07-4.5) had lesions caused by tungiasis. In each household where a cat was infected, the dog was also positive. Two chickens cohabited with an infected dog and the other two did not coexist with other species. Cohabitation with infected dogs and the absence of house confinement restrictions in Vila Juerana make cats important carriers that spread tungiasis in this community. Chickens had a low frequency of tungiasis lesions despite living in proximity to infected dogs and cats.
ABSTRACT
In tropical and subtropical countries, particularly in disadvantaged communities, tungiasis is a severe public health problem, which is often neglected by the authorities. The sand fleas Tunga penetrans, predominant in endemic areas, and Tunga trimamillata, whose cases in humans are less frequent, are the cause of this zoonosis. Domestic animals are potential reservoirs and disseminators of tungiasis, so controlling their infection would significantly advance the prevention of human cases. This literature review compiles the most recent studies and innovations in treating animal tungiasis. Studies of approaches to the treatment of animal tungiasis, as well as disease control and prevention, are described. Isoxazolines are highlighted as promising drugs to treat animal tungiasis, with high efficacy and pharmacological protection. The positive impacts of this discovery on public health are also discussed, since dogs are an essential risk factor for human tungiasis.
