Zoonotic and Infectious Disease Surveillance in Central America: Toxoplasma, Trypanosoma, Leishmania, Lyme
By Linda on Nov 10, 2010 in Infections
Excerpt:
A recent zoonotic and infectious disease field surveillance study
in Honduras resulted in the discovery of Toxoplasma, Trypanosoma,
Leishmania, Rickettsia, and Lyme disease with statistically high
prevalence rates in a group of feral cats. All five diseases –
Toxoplasmosis, Trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis, Rickettsiosis, and
Lyme disease – were confirmed in this group of cats having close
contact to local civilians and U.S. personnel. These diseases are
infectious to other animals and are known to infect humans as
well. In the austere Central and South American sites that
Special Operations Forces (SOF) medics are deployed, the living
conditions and close quarters are prime environments for the
potential spread of infectious and zoonotic disease. This study?s
findings, as with previous veterinary disease surveillance
studies, emphasize the critical need for continual and aggressive
surveillance for zoonotic and infectious disease present within
animals in specific areas of operation (AO). The importance to
SOF is that a variety of animals may be sentinels, hosts, or
direct transmitters of disease to civilians and service members.
These studies are value-added tools to the U.S. military,
specifically to a deploying or already deployed unit. The SOF
medic must ensure that this value-added asset is utilized and
that the findings are applied to assure Operational Detachment –
Alpha (SFOD-A) health and, on a bigger scale, U.S.
