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Biomedical subjects

F X Meslin

Publications and source records attributed to F X Meslin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Study of the dog population and the rabies control activities in the Mirigama area of Sri Lanka.

The national health authorities of Sri Lanka have adopted a combined strategy of rabies vaccination and stray dog removal to control endemic dog rabies. Despite the control efforts, an increase of animal and human rabies cases has occurred since 1994. As a consequence, a project to evaluate the national rabies control program has been started and a study focussing on the dog population and rabies control activities in a limited area of Mirigama was conducted. Information on canine abundance and the accessibility of dogs for rabies vaccination was obtained by a household survey, vaccination of dogs against rabies at several vaccination points, collar-marking, and transect line recapture. The number of unvaccinated dogs was estimated by using Bayesian methodology. The estimated number of dogs per square kilometre was 87 (95% credibility interval: 80, 93) for owned dogs and 108 (100, 116) for owned and ownerless dogs. Coverage after the immunisation campaign was 57.6% (53.3, 61.9%) if vaccination at the vaccination points was considered and 66% (60.4, 72.0%) if recently provided vaccination by private veterinarians was also taken into account. The proportion of households with at least one dog vaccinated varied between 59.1 and 94.2% within the catchment area of the different vaccination points. Unvaccinated dogs were puppies (12%), ownerless dogs (57%), and owned dogs, which were not presented for vaccination (31%). In order to improve the rabies immunisation coverage among dogs and to achieve complete elimination of rabies it was recommended that the 95% catchment area of each vaccination point be assessed, the distribution of vaccination points in the vaccination area be redefined if necessary, a system for the vaccination of dogs missing the vaccination campaign for dog owner-specific reasons be established, and an inexpensive marking system be used for vaccinated dogs.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Public health implications of emerging zoonoses.

Many new, emerging and re-emerging diseases of humans are caused by pathogens which originate from animals or products of animal origin. A wide variety of animal species, both domestic and wild, act as reservoirs for these pathogens, which may be viruses, bacteria or parasites. Given the extensive distribution of the animal species affected, the effective surveillance, prevention and control of zoonotic diseases pose a significant challenge. The authors describe the direct and indirect implications for public health of emerging zoonoses. Direct implications are defined as the consequences for human health in terms of morbidity and mortality. Indirect implications are defined as the effect of the influence of emerging zoonotic disease on two groups of people, namely: health professionals and the general public. Professional assessment of the importance of these diseases influences public health practices and structures, the identification of themes for research and allocation of resources at both national and international levels. The perception of the general public regarding the risks involved considerably influences policy-making in the health field. Extensive outbreaks of zoonotic disease are not uncommon, especially as the disease is often not recognised as zoonotic at the outset and may spread undetected for some time. However, in many instances, the direct impact on health of these new, emerging or re-emerging zoonoses has been small compared to that of other infectious diseases affecting humans. To illustrate the tremendous indirect impact of emerging zoonotic diseases on public health policy and structures and on public perception of health risks, the authors provide a number of examples, including that of the Ebola virus, avian influenza, monkeypox and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. Recent epidemics of these diseases have served as a reminder of the existence of infectious diseases and of the capacity of these diseases to occur unexpectedly in new locations and animal species. The need for greater international co-operation, better local, regional and global networks for communicable disease surveillance and pandemic planning is also illustrated by these examples. These diseases have contributed to the definition of new paradigms, especially relating to food safety policies and more generally to the protection of public health. Finally, the examples described emphasise the importance of intersectorial collaboration for disease containment, and of independence of sectorial interests and transparency when managing certain health risks.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

[Brief review of the history of zoonoses].

By studying the surviving documents describing surveillance and methods of control of zoonoses in the distant past, the history of the fight against these diseases can be retraced. Prior to the 20th Century, the best known zoonoses were, amongst others, rabies, anthrax, glanders, tuberculosis, plague, yellow fever, influenza, and certain zoonotic parasitic diseases. An analysis of historical events yields a number of lessons as to the positive and negative influences of past theories regarding the aetiology, contagiousness and control of these diseases. These lessons serve as a reminder, to all those involved in the fight against emerging zoonoses, of the urgent need for extensive research on the aetiology and mode of transmission of these zoonoses, in addition to the need for timely application of the findings of such research to disease control activities.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Field evaluation of two bait delivery systems for the oral immunization of dogs against rabies in Tunisia.

Two bait delivery systems for the oral immunization of dogs against rabies were tested in small scale field trials in a semi-rural area in Tunisia: bait delivery to owned dogs during door to door visits of households (door to door baiting) and distribution of baits on transect lines (transect line baiting). A prototype bait (DBL2) configured for industrial production and containing either sulfadimethoxine (SDM) as a systemic marker or Rhodamine B as a topical marker was used. The overall proportion of dogs which took a bait and presented topical marker staining after door to door baiting was 59.1%. The total time and costs spent per bait accepting dog averaged 34 person minutes and US$4, respectively. Unconsummated baits were readily recovered. No unprotected human contacts with baits were recorded. Door to door baiting is a very specific but time-consuming method that enables a safe administration of vaccine baits to owned dogs. For transect line baiting, baits were distributed at a density of ca 3000 baits per km2 along double transect lines. Baits were recovered after 20 h. According to the proportion of SDM positive serum samples, 24.1% of owned dogs in the baiting area had consumed baits. Of all owned and ownerless dogs, presumably free-roaming during transect line baiting, > 40% had consumed baits. The total time and costs spent per bait accepting dog averaged 48 person minutes and ca US$20, respectively. The household census revealed 32 direct human contacts with the bait matrix which corresponds to 1.4% of inhabitants. Placing baits on transect lines gives the possibility to vaccinate dogs not accessible by vaccination systems which base on dog owner participation. However, the method is not specific, less safe than other systems, not easily accepted by the human population, and costly.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1998

Field evaluation of a dog owner, participation-based, bait delivery system for the oral immunization of dogs against rabies in Tunisia.

We evaluated a dog owner, participation-based, bait delivery system for the oral immunization of dogs against rabies. In a field study in a semirural area of northern Tunisia, dog owners were asked to come to temporary bait delivery sites. A total of 314 baits were given to 178 dog owners in four sites. The experimental baits used consisted of a freeze-dried core unit containing sulfadimethoxine (SDM) as a biological marker and an aromatized paraffin envelope. No vaccine was used. Preliminary tests had shown that by using a rapid commercial card test, positive SDM serum levels were detected in more than 95% of dogs up to two days after bait ingestion. During the two days following bait delivery, we visited more than 95% of all households in the study area and took blood samples from as many owned dogs as possible. Unconsumed baits were recovered and human contacts with the bait matrix were recorded. The campaign required 7.6 person-min per bait and 13.5 person-min per dog owner for providing baits, gloves, and instructions. The estimated average cost effectiveness ratio per dog accepting a bait was 1.7 US dollars. From the indications given by the dog owners and the results of the SDM test, it was concluded that 85-90% of the owned dogs in the study area had consumed a bait at least partially. Of 314 baits delivered, 78.7% were fully consumed by dogs and 4.1% were recovered during the household survey. The remaining baits (17.2%) that were not recovered were either not consumed or only partially consumed by the target dogs (3.7 baits per 100 inhabitants). These baits probably remained within the highly populated areas and were potentially accessible to other domestic animals and other nontarget species, including humans. Twenty-five unprotected human contacts with baits were recorded (1.7% of all inhabitants). Our study has demonstrated the potential of dog owner based bait delivery. This technique is simple and efficient, particularly if the human population is accustomed to mass immunization in defined centers. Before applying this method on a large scale with live vaccine loaded baits, further studies should focus on minimizing the number of human contacts with the vaccine bait, systematizing contact identification and establishing structures in ensuring proper treatment if exposure to vaccine should occur.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1997

The role of veterinary public health in the prevention of zoonoses.

Veterinary public health is a component of public health activities devoted to the application of professional veterinary skills, knowledge, and resources for the protection and improvement of public health. VPH activities involve a very diverse range of functions within public health which reflect the broad community of interests between veterinary and human medicine. Zoonoses continue to represent an important health hazard in most parts of the world, where they cause considerable expenditure and losses for the health and agricultural sectors. Although the situation is improving in the industrialized world, zoonoses prevention and control will remain an area of major concern in most developing countries. Recent observations in these countries show that expenses related to the prevention of zoonotic diseases in humans are likely to increase dramatically in the near future. Programmes for their control and eventual elimination in animal reservoirs are urgently needed. The technical knowledge exists to bring diseases such as brucellosis, rabies, and bovine tuberculosis under control during the first decade of the next century. To achieve this goal, constant efforts will be needed for the next 15 to 20 years. In addition, as trade in animal products and the movement of human populations continues to increase, the risk that zoonotic diseases will be introduced or reintroduced into certain areas is likewise increasing. Over the past five years, a number of zoonotic diseases have emerged as either new pathological entities or known agents appearing in new areas or as new strains. Through its coordinating and information gathering functions, the WHO Emerging Disease Surveillance and Control Division provides a source of both practical and technical guidance that can help solve these and other threats to human health posed by animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Zoonoses and fertility control in wildlife--requirements for vaccines.

This paper reflects on public health considerations on the voluntary release of anti-fertility vaccines for wildlife in the environment. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a variety of recommendations on safety and efficacy requirements for the voluntary release of rabies vaccines used for oral immunization of animals. These requirements cover aspects of control of rabies and possible biological consequences in the target population. They also deal with the protection of the health of humans and other non-target species that might come into contact with the different oral rabies vaccines used in various parts of the world. These recommendations are laid down in several WHO publications. They are specific to the disease concerned, the target animal reservoir, the relationship and types of contact between humans and target animals, the vaccines and baits used and the respective conditions of oral immunization of wildlife in densely-populated areas. Many of these recommendations also apply to the development and application of contraceptive vaccines for wildlife carnivores. Additional safety requirements concern the transmissibility of the antigen, the reversibility of the intervention within an individual animal and in animal populations, as well as the species specificity of the antigen used. The management of animal populations that are reservoirs for zoonotic diseases is a possible means by which diseases that are transmissible from animals to humans could be prevented. Oral contraception by means of vaccines is an appealing method, provided that requirements for protecting public and animal health, as well as ensuring environmental safety, are precisely defined and strictly adhered to.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Acceptance of candidate baits by domestic dogs for delivery of oral rabies vaccines.

Protocols for evaluating oral rabies vaccine baits for domestic dogs were field tested in central Mexico, after which dog-food manufacturers and suppliers to the pet-food industry were advised as to potential ingredients for use in prototype dog baits. Bait-preference trials in which confined dogs were used were then undertaken, followed by field tests of free-ranging farmer-owned dogs in three towns in the Nile River Delta region of Egypt. Both confined and free-ranging dogs showed strong preferences for certain baits or bait coatings (poultry, beef tallow, cheese, egg and a proprietary product). Fish-meal polymer baits, widely used for wildlife species, were less preferred. In Egypt, a commercial dog-food-meal bait coated with beef tallow and dry cheese, was consumed at a rate approaching that of a chicken-head bait. The percentage baits that were actually eaten after they had been offered to dogs, ranged from 71-96% for household dogs tested in Mexico, 65-91% for confined dogs (beagles and mixed breeds) tested in the United States, and 32-88% for farmer-owned dogs tested in Egypt.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1997

[Emerging and re-emerging zoonoses. Local and worldwide threats].

Emerging or re-emerging zoonoses is a relatively complex topic. The concept covers not only new or recently identified zoonotic agents but also agents that are already known but appear in regions and/or species in which they have not been previously observed and agents that disappear then reappear in a country in the form of an epidemic outbreak. Many wild or domestic species and almost all infectious agents may be involved. In general intervention either by vaccination or by elimination of suspect or contaminated individuals is easier in domestic animals than in wild animals especially since the latter may belong to an endanger species. Because of the wide range of pathogenic agents, animal vectors and target populations, there are a wide variety of epidemiological patterns and adapted surveillance and control strategies must be used with various degrees of success.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Zoonoses in the world: current and future trends.

Zoonoses still represent significant health problems in many developed and developing countries. Whereas rabies, brucellosis, and echinococcosis will remain the major zoonotic diseases to be tackled in developing countries for the next 20 years, it is very likely that many developed countries will have eliminated these diseases by then. As observed repeatedly in the past few years, new zoonoses are, however, expected to emerge in the near future. Due to ever-increasing animal and human movements these new agents, whether originating from the southern or northern hemisphere, will most probably spread throughout the globe very quickly. It is very probable, in view of the foreseeable changes in the developed (e.g. population aging) and developing world (e.g. population growth, urbanization) or both (e.g. AIDS pandemic, environmental changes), that this trend will continue and even intensify.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis infection in animals and humans, with particular reference to Africa.

The epidemiology of Mycobacterium bovis infection in animals and humans is described, together with a review of available reports on the distribution and prevalence of this mycobacteriosis in Africa. The significance of these reports is considered, with particular emphasis on the potential zoonotic importance of bovine tuberculosis as a cause for public health concern in Africa. Published data describing tuberculosis in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s show that bovine tuberculosis was considered to be a significant zoonosis: M. bovis was responsible for more than 50% of cervical lymphadenitis cases in children. Despite the paucity of information on M. bovis infection in Africa, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that it is widely distributed and is found at significantly high prevalence in some populations of animals. Some epidemiological conditions for the spread of M. bovis infection between animals and humans are very similar in Africa today to those in Europe in the 1930s, with the added and potent impact of the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus infection. The public health threat of tuberculosis in Africa requires urgent investigation through collaborative veterinary/medical research programmes.

Africa↗
PubMed1995

Test of three bait types for oral immunization of dogs against rabies in Tunisia.

Chicken heads and two types of artificial bait were tested in Tunisia during two field trials in a waste disposal site carried out in 1988 and 1989 to compare their effectiveness as vehicles for the oral administration of antirabies vaccine to free-roaming dogs. Baits were made available for 36 hr and those that disappeared or were consumed were replaced on several occasions. In 1988, an artificial bait composed of fat and fishmeal (artificial bait type I) was tested. In the second trial, chicken heads and an artificial bait composed of polymerized fishmeal and wax (artificial bait type II) were compared. The vaccine containers were loaded with a topical marker (rhodamine B or methylene blue) to identify animals that had consumed baits. The artificial type I bait tested in 1988 was poorly accepted, but in the second trial, the number of chicken-head baits probably taken by dogs was more than seven times greater than the number of artificial type II baits taken. Thirteen dogs observed during the day showed topical marker staining. In both trials, most baits were taken during the night when dog activity in the waste disposal site was at its maximum. Artificial baits were characterized either by their lack of thermostability (type I, melting) or a certain attractiveness for cats (type II, fish flavor). Chicken heads fulfill established requirements for baits for vaccine delivery. They are well-accepted by free-roaming dogs, inexpensive, usually easily available at local markets, unattractive to humans, relatively easy to store in large quantities, and easy to handle.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1993

A dog ecology study in an urban and a semi-rural area of Zambia.

Characteristics of dog populations and their accessibility for rabies vaccination were compared in an urban and a semi-rural area in Zambia. A total of 1,190 households were interviewed. In the urban study area (Mutendere, a low income suburb of Lusaka) only 11% of the households kept dogs with a dog:human ratio of 1:45. In the semi-rural area (Palabana) dogs were kept by 42% of households with a dog:human ratio of 1:6,7. In conjuction with the study of the dog populations in these two areas, immunization of dogs against rabies was provided by door-to-door visits in both study areas and also through central point vaccination in the urban area. The attitude of the public towards free rabies vaccinations was positive, although some misconceptions regarding indications and modalities of treatment following exposure to suspect dogs were found. Approximately 50% of the dog removals were as a result of disease and the demand for dogs was higher than the supply. Although only information on the owned segment of the dog population was obtained during the study, the proportion of ownerless dogs appeared to be very low. Generally, there is a need for better co-ordination between the different services involved in rabies control in Zambia to enhance the sustainability of vaccination programmes and improve the treatment of persons bitten by dogs.

Animals↗