Boost Maureen V, Tung Choi-Yin, Ip Claudia Hoi-Ki, Man July Fung-Oi, Hui Toni Wing-Tung, Leung Candy Fung-Yee, Mak Maggie Yuen-Wa, Yuen Queeny, O'Donoghue Margaret M
Squina Centre for Infection Control, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Squina Centre for Infection Control, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Prev Vet Med. 2017 Feb 1;137(Pt A):97-100. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.12.010. Epub 2016 Dec 21.
Tick-borne disease in dogs is common in South-east Asia and includes babesiosis and ehrlichiosis. These diseases can be largely prevented by compliant use of tick preventive products. This study investigated knowledge of ticks and tick-borne disease and use of tick preventive agents by a large sample of dog owners in Hong Kong. A total of 492 valid questionnaires were completed by owners attending veterinary practices, approached by researchers at common dog-walking areas, or targeted via local social media sites for pet owners. A high proportion of respondents were aware of tick-borne disease (79%) and this correlated well with use of preventive products. However, 18% of owners did not use any protection, mainly due to lack of knowledge of the risk of disease. Targeted advice stressing the importance of tick protection use and frequent follow-up at veterinary clinics could help reduce the risk of tick-borne disease. It would be beneficial if veterinarians provided training of frontline staff at the clinics to ensure they provide essential information to clients in an easily understandable format.
犬类蜱传疾病在东南亚很常见，包括巴贝斯虫病和埃立克体病。通过合规使用蜱虫预防产品，这些疾病在很大程度上是可以预防的。本研究调查了香港大量犬主对蜱虫和蜱传疾病的了解情况以及蜱虫预防剂的使用情况。共有492份有效问卷由前往兽医诊所就诊的犬主、在常见遛狗区域被研究人员接触的犬主或通过当地宠物主人社交媒体网站定向选取的犬主填写。很大比例的受访者知晓蜱传疾病（79%），这与预防产品的使用情况密切相关。然而，18%的犬主未采取任何防护措施，主要原因是对疾病风险缺乏了解。强调蜱虫防护使用重要性的针对性建议以及在兽医诊所进行频繁随访，有助于降低蜱传疾病的风险。如果兽医对诊所的一线工作人员进行培训，以确保他们以易于理解的形式向客户提供基本信息，将会大有裨益。
