Dogs, Zoonoses and Public Healthedited by C.N.L. Macpherson, F.X. Meslin and A.I. Wanderler,CABI Publishing, 2000. £60.00 (xii + 382 pages)ISBN 0 85199 436 9An intriguing aspect of zoonoses is the way that they generally occupy a very low position in the collective awareness of healthcare professionals, veterinarians and the general population alike. Occasional scares give widespread publicity to a particular disease (sometimes one that is arguably of very little importance to public health) but in general zoonoses appear to be ignored by most people for most of the time.There is one animal species that is particularly well placed as a source of human infections. It holds a unique position within many human societies, is frequently allowed prolonged intimate contact with both adults and children, and is often treated as a companion without suspicion or reserve. However, although many people might consider the dog to be ‘man's best friend’, in terms of zoonoses, it might be better to think of it as the ‘hidden enemy lurking within’.It is against this background that we are now offered a book that specifically examines zoonoses of dogs, and considers the infections in both dogs and humans. It has contributions from a large number of disciplines and countries and it attempts a reasonably comprehensive coverage of these infections and different approaches to their control. This means that, as well as ‘standard’ chapters on individual infections and diseases, there are also sections on topics such as the human–dog relationship, dog ecology, the management of dog populations and approaches to the control of canine zoonoses.The book presents the reader with insights from a number of very different perspectives, and this makes fascinating reading for anyone who is prepared to think outside their own particular speciality. The book can be considered as having two separate themes. The first is the behaviour of the infectious agents responsible for zoonoses of dogs; the second concerns relevant aspects of canine ecology and the canine–human relationship. All the chapters provide potentially useful and valuable information and many could be read as complete articles in their own right. But perhaps the most thought provoking are those that look at the relationship between the ecology of canine populations, the human–dog relationship and how these interact with different strategies for the control of zoonoses.The book has 12 chapters and contains contributions from more than 20 authors from a variety of specialities and eight different countries. It must have been difficult for the editors to create a product that was consistent between the different chapters both in its overall style and in its depth of coverage. The use of cross-references to other chapters helps to give a feeling that they are all part of an integrated whole, and although styles differ, this does not seriously detract from the overall quality of the work. It is noticeable that some authors go into greater depth than others do and, at times, this can be frustrating. For example, on the one hand the clinical aspects of important diseases in humans are discussed in less detail in some sections than in others. On the other hand, much space has been devoted to infections where the evidence suggests that they are not actually zoonoses of dogs, whereas fungal infections appear to have been completely ignored apart from a few lines that appear in the section on immunosuppressed populations.These criticisms are minor, however, when considered against the overall value of this work, which brings together a large body of diverse information under a single cover and provides an interesting read. This book should be a valuable aid to raising awareness of an important and neglected subject and it should also provide a useful starting point for those who wish to study the subject in more depth. Public health workers will want access to this work, and every veterinary school and medical school should have at least one copy in its library.
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Apr 15, 2011
Lauren L Fruchter + 2
Open Access
