Importância do conhecimento da existência de pitiose equina no município de Uruguaiana – RS para a saúde pública

Abstract

Pythiosis is a condition that affects numerous animal species, including humans, but its diagnosis in Brazil is more frequent in horses. It is caused by the microorganism Pythium insidiosum, an oomycete, which requires the aquatic environment to reproduce asexually. The contamination occurs through the contact with water, where is the microorganism. It happens because zoospores present chemotaxis by bristle, animal and vegetal tissue. This study was carried out with the objective of evidencing the importance of the existence of cases of equine pythiosis in the Municipality of Uruguaiana, alerting to the possibility of occurrence of human cases. For that, the data of five cases of equine cutaneous pythiosis treated by the Clinic and Surgery of Large Animals, of the Veterinary University Hospital - HUVet of the Federal University of Pampa - UNIPAMPA, Campus Uruguaiana, from the period of 2013 to 2016, were used. A bibliographic research approaching the topic pythiosis as a public health problem was also used. In this study, it was concluded that the occurrence of cases in horses in the Municipality is already considered a risk factor for the possible development of the condition in humans, being the material evidence of the existence of the microorganism in the region. As well as the frequency of cases, the proximity of the population with the horses, and the ground, favoring floods in the urban area and flooded places in the rural area. The occurrence of pythiosis should receive attention from the population and professionals related to health because it is a disease that requires specific care and is considered a public health problem, thus necessitating information, as well as diagnosis and premature treatment.