Cuban province implements actions to prevent animal diseases

HOLGUIN, Cuba, Jun 3 (ACN) A prevention project for diseases of animal origin is proposed by the eastern province of Holguin branch of the Cuban Association of Veterinary Medicine and the Veterinary Clinic of this city with the aim of reducing the contagion and spread of infectious agents.

Diovanis Almarales Arias, vice president of the provincial scientific council, warned about the risk of infection with potentially serious and deadly diseases such as rabies and leptospirosis, with incidence in the territory.

About these diseases, he commented that they increase their infectiousness in people who lack immunity, who can be infected by pets, in some cases after their vaccination.

Almarales Arias, also director of the Holguin Veterinary Clinic, explained that environmental factors, including increased temperatures, climate change, long periods of drought and extreme atmospheric phenomena, are added to the causes of transmission.

He also mentioned that there are probabilities of contamination by solid waste, the condition of abandonment in the hands of unsuitable owners, and the invasive link with humans among the essential factors for proliferation.

Regarding the behaviors of sleeping, kissing pets, poor handling of their food and cleaning up their waste, the director emphasized the relevance of seeking the support of specialists trained for this purpose.

These projects are integrated into the "One Health" approach, a proposal of the World Health Organization, included in the Millennium Development Goals, focused on interrelating the welfare of people, animals and the environment through an integrating concept.

In this sense, Cuba is active in training, scientific projects, undergraduate professional training through institutions such as universities, specialized centers and high-tech companies.