Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.

Echinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from canines to humans and livestock. Periodic deworming is recommended by the WHO/OIE as a highly effective measure against echinococcosis. However, manual deworming involves significant challenges, particularly in remote areas with...

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Main Authors: Shi-Jie Yang, Ning Xiao, Jing-Zhong Li, Yu Feng, Jun-Ying Ma, Gong-Sang Quzhen, Qing Yu, Ting Zhang, Shi-Cheng Yi, Zhao-Hui Luo, Hua-Sheng Pang, Chuang Li, Zhuo-Li Shen, Ke-Sheng Hou, Bin-Bin Zhang, Yi-Biao Zhou, Hong-Lin Jiang, Xiao-Nong Zhou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-07-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0009443&type=printable
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author Shi-Jie Yang
Ning Xiao
Jing-Zhong Li
Yu Feng
Jun-Ying Ma
Gong-Sang Quzhen
Qing Yu
Ting Zhang
Shi-Cheng Yi
Zhao-Hui Luo
Hua-Sheng Pang
Chuang Li
Zhuo-Li Shen
Ke-Sheng Hou
Bin-Bin Zhang
Yi-Biao Zhou
Hong-Lin Jiang
Xiao-Nong Zhou
author_facet Shi-Jie Yang
Ning Xiao
Jing-Zhong Li
Yu Feng
Jun-Ying Ma
Gong-Sang Quzhen
Qing Yu
Ting Zhang
Shi-Cheng Yi
Zhao-Hui Luo
Hua-Sheng Pang
Chuang Li
Zhuo-Li Shen
Ke-Sheng Hou
Bin-Bin Zhang
Yi-Biao Zhou
Hong-Lin Jiang
Xiao-Nong Zhou
author_sort Shi-Jie Yang
collection DOAJ
description Echinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from canines to humans and livestock. Periodic deworming is recommended by the WHO/OIE as a highly effective measure against echinococcosis. However, manual deworming involves significant challenges, particularly in remote areas with scarce resources. The insufficient awareness delivering praziquantel (PZQ) baits for dogs leads to low compliance rate. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a novel smart collar for dogs to address these challenges. We developed a smart Internet of Things (IoT)-based deworming collar which can deliver PZQ baits for dogs automatically, regularly, quantitatively with predominant characteristics of being waterproof, anti-collision, cold-proof and long life battery. Its performance was tested in two remote locations on the Tibetan Plateau. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the compliance of the dog owners. Further, a randomized controlled study was performed to evaluate the difference between smart-collar deworming and manual deworming. The collar's effectiveness was further assessed on the basis of Generalized Estimation Equations (GEE). The testing and evaluation was done for 10 smart deworming collars in factory laboratory, 18 collars attached for 18 dogs in Seni district, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, and 523 collars attached for 523 dogs in Hezuo city, Gansu province, China. The anti-collision, waterproof, and coldproof proportion of the smart collars were 100.0%, 99.5%, and 100.0%, respectively. When compared to manual deworming, the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus on smart-collar deworming is down to 0.182 times (95% CI: 0.049, 0.684) in Seni district and 0.355 (95%CI: 0.178, 0.706) in Hezuo city, the smart collar has a significant protective effect. The owners' overall compliance rate to attach the smart collars for their dogs was 89%. The smart deworming collar could effectively reduce the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus in dogs, significantly increase the deworming frequency and coverage and rapidly remove worm biomass in dogs. Thus, it may be a promising alternative to manual deworming, particularly in remote areas on the Tibetan Plateau.
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institution OA Journals
issn 1935-2727
1935-2735
language English
publishDate 2021-07-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
spelling doaj-art-13b9ee693e09444e8aa48ce9027ba2c72025-08-20T02:00:51ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352021-07-01157e000944310.1371/journal.pntd.0009443Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.Shi-Jie YangNing XiaoJing-Zhong LiYu FengJun-Ying MaGong-Sang QuzhenQing YuTing ZhangShi-Cheng YiZhao-Hui LuoHua-Sheng PangChuang LiZhuo-Li ShenKe-Sheng HouBin-Bin ZhangYi-Biao ZhouHong-Lin JiangXiao-Nong ZhouEchinococcosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from canines to humans and livestock. Periodic deworming is recommended by the WHO/OIE as a highly effective measure against echinococcosis. However, manual deworming involves significant challenges, particularly in remote areas with scarce resources. The insufficient awareness delivering praziquantel (PZQ) baits for dogs leads to low compliance rate. The aim of this study was therefore to develop a novel smart collar for dogs to address these challenges. We developed a smart Internet of Things (IoT)-based deworming collar which can deliver PZQ baits for dogs automatically, regularly, quantitatively with predominant characteristics of being waterproof, anti-collision, cold-proof and long life battery. Its performance was tested in two remote locations on the Tibetan Plateau. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the compliance of the dog owners. Further, a randomized controlled study was performed to evaluate the difference between smart-collar deworming and manual deworming. The collar's effectiveness was further assessed on the basis of Generalized Estimation Equations (GEE). The testing and evaluation was done for 10 smart deworming collars in factory laboratory, 18 collars attached for 18 dogs in Seni district, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, and 523 collars attached for 523 dogs in Hezuo city, Gansu province, China. The anti-collision, waterproof, and coldproof proportion of the smart collars were 100.0%, 99.5%, and 100.0%, respectively. When compared to manual deworming, the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus on smart-collar deworming is down to 0.182 times (95% CI: 0.049, 0.684) in Seni district and 0.355 (95%CI: 0.178, 0.706) in Hezuo city, the smart collar has a significant protective effect. The owners' overall compliance rate to attach the smart collars for their dogs was 89%. The smart deworming collar could effectively reduce the dogs' risk of infection with Echinococcus in dogs, significantly increase the deworming frequency and coverage and rapidly remove worm biomass in dogs. Thus, it may be a promising alternative to manual deworming, particularly in remote areas on the Tibetan Plateau.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0009443&type=printable
spellingShingle Shi-Jie Yang
Ning Xiao
Jing-Zhong Li
Yu Feng
Jun-Ying Ma
Gong-Sang Quzhen
Qing Yu
Ting Zhang
Shi-Cheng Yi
Zhao-Hui Luo
Hua-Sheng Pang
Chuang Li
Zhuo-Li Shen
Ke-Sheng Hou
Bin-Bin Zhang
Yi-Biao Zhou
Hong-Lin Jiang
Xiao-Nong Zhou
Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.
title_full Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.
title_fullStr Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.
title_full_unstemmed Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.
title_short Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs.
title_sort smart deworming collar a novel tool for reducing echinococcus infection in dogs
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0009443&type=printable
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