Abstract
Leptospirosis is a rare disease that had recently become a big issue here in Hawaii. More than fifty percent of the documented cases originates from Hawaii. Due to the wet and humid weather, unvaccinated dogs are more prone to get Leptospirosis here in Hawaii than other states. Data would be collected from local veterinary clinics weekly regarding how many canines was diagnosed positive with Leptospirosis. Although the recovery rate for a canine that had been infected with leptospirosis is high, it is important to be aware of the harm that this disease can bring to both humans and animals.
Background
Leptospirosis is a water-related zoonotic disease, which means it can be spread from animals to people. This disease can be found in both domesticated animals, such as dogs, as well as wild animals. The three main vectors of this disease are rats, wild pigs, and mongooses. Dogs can become infected and develop leptospirosis if their mucous membranes come into contact with the urine of the host animal, urine-contaminated soil, water, food or bedding, through a bite from an infected animal, or something as simple as by eating infected tissues or carcasses; and rarely, through breeding. An infected canine can also transmit this disease through nursing the little puppies. The symptoms of this disease depend on which strain of bacteria. In dogs, the symptoms may consist of shivering, fever, increased thirst, muscle tenderness, reluctance to move, changes in the frequency or amount of urination, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, yellowing of the skin, swollen legs, or painful in animation within the eyes. It is also a possibility that some dogs may not show any of these signs of illness at all (“Leptospirosis”, 2018).
Problem Statement
The rate of canines that had been infected with Leptospirosis, or Lepto, have been increasing throughout the year. Especially in Hawaii, the wet and humid weather plays in favor of the disease. According to the state of Hawaii, Department of Health, leptospirosis in currently spreading throughout Hawaii. There are about 100-200 cases of leptospirosis reported across America: “Approximately 50 percent of these cases occur in Hawaii” (“Leptospirosis”, 2018). An acute renal failure often appears in many lepto cases. In some cases, leptospirosis infection is asymptomatic. It is always best to try to catch this disease at its early stage and treat it as soon as possible.
Research Objectives
The objective of this research is to bring awareness of Leptospirosis to the audience as well as compare and contrast how often do local veterinary clinics here in Hilo, Hawaii see leptospirosis comes through the door. It is very crucial to keep up with vaccinated, especially for dogs. A zoonotic disease can be very harmful not only to animals but also to human.
Research Questions
What is the best prevention ?
If a dog had been diagnosed positive with Leptospirosis, what are some of the treatments to help save the dog?
How fast or slow have lepto cases have been increasing throughout the year?
Brief Literature Review
The research that was conducted by Lelu M., Munoz-Zani C., Higgins B., and Galloway R. (2015) was that they observed dogs from different types of communities or different areas. During this research a study of population and data were being collected : “The data used in this study are part of a larger study on the eco-epidemiology of leptospirosis that is being carried out in the Los Rios Region in the south-central part of Chile” (Lelu M., Munoz-Zani C., Higgins B., and Galloway R., 2015) This research was taken place from August 2010 to March 2012 with 422 households from different communities participated. The participators would present the data collectors with living conditions, the presence of domestic animals or livestock, any evidence of rodents. Datas were collected via questionnaires. Overall result, from the total of 247 dogs with no history of vaccination, came out as : “25.1% (62/247) with significant differences by community type: 10.9% (9/82) in dogs from farms, 22.3% (21/94) from rural villages, and 45.1% (32/71) from urban slums (p <0.001)”. The conclusion of this research indicates that Leptospirosis tends to be more active in the rural villages and urban slums. Around these areas show a high level of transmission. This was due to the conditions that the dog was in. The community ecological and environmental factors are another two important factors that have to be put into consideration as well too.
Methodology
The plan for this research is to do an interview with a local veterinarian regarding his/her professional opinions regarding Lepto. Within a course of one month, try to monitor how many canines had been diagnosed with leptospirosis. Write down their age, breed, vaccinated or unvaccinated animal, and what are the treatments. Compare how many Lepto cases were reported in Hawaii vs other states. Data collection is very crucial in this research. By comparing datas from any previous research that had been conducted before can help indicates rather how fast or slow lepto cases are increasing from then to now.
Gannt Chart
(VetFolio, 2018)
The chart above shows the clinical sign that canine that suffers from Lepto often have. It also contains information regarding a physical exam and what the doctor usually finds in a dog that suffers from Leptospirosis. In the website VetFolio (2018), it mentions: “Most dogs have evidence of renal insufficiency during initial examination. Increases in serum urea and creatinine of varying severity are seen in dogs with renal failure. Electrolyte abnormalities (i.e., hyponatremia, hypochloremia, hypokalemia, hyperphosphatemia) typically parallel the degree of renal and gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction in most cases, and hyperkalemia may be seen in terminal renal failure”. Clinical signs that doctors often see in a lepto patient are lethargicness, anorexia, and vomiting. Often times the doctor will also notice some yellow pigment in the skin of lepto patients as well as yellow eyes. Another important clinical sign is an abdominal or lumbar pain. Lepto is known to cause some damage towards some internal organs. That being said, an abdominal or lumbar pain is another major sign to look out for.