Large animal teaching hospital: Role in the surveillance of zoonoses of public health importance

Abstract

The record of disease cases in animals has its origins in ancient civilizations. There is a concern in reporting these diseases both because of the family and professional contact between men and animals, and because of the biosafety that some species must present until they are consumed. Veterinary hospitals play an important role as participants in the integrated work strategy in the surveillance of zoonoses of public health importance. We present here a study directed at the Federal District, from the Veterinary Hospital (HVet) of the University of Brasília. The descriptive, retrospective study was carried out through a survey in the registration book of animals assisted in the large animals sector of HVet/UnB, located in Granja do Torto, from January 2015 to January 2020 (61 months). The cases were sorted according to species, sex, year and month of admission to the hospital, origin of the animals according to their guardians, or presentation and outcome of the case. 2008 services were registered in the period. It was identified that 10% (203/2008) of the consultations were suspected or diagnosed cases of zoonoses and/or with zoonotic potential, distributed among equine (32%), sheep (29%), bovine (24%), and goat species ( 12%), swine (2%) and buffalo (1%). As for the origin, 77% of the cases were from private owners, 8% from apprehension, 10% from UnB (Fazenda Água Limpa-FAL and HVet) and 6% from public agencies as a service for apprehension of animals from the Secretariat and Agriculture. Reproductive diseases (dystocia, dystocia, vaginal/uterine prolapse, abortion, retained placenta, placentates, vaginitis, endometritis, metritis) accounted for 34% of cases. Neurological diseases (meningoencephalitis, rabies, viral encephalitis, neurological symptoms, CNS disorders, tetanus and listeriosis) 21%. Parasitic diseases 1%. Respiratory diseases (pneumonia, actinomycosis and tuberculosis) 16%, mastitis 14%, digestive 4%. Lymphadenitis was 5% and dermatological diseases (scabies, dermatophilosis, dermatophytosis) constituted 5% of the visits. Of the cases of zoonotic diseases and zoonotic potential, in 2015 there were 38 cases (18.7%), in 2016 there were 40 (19.7%), in 2017, 31 (15.3%), 2018 with 48 (23.6%) in 2019 were 44 (21.7%) and in January 2020, 2 cases (1%).