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Smart deworming collar: A novel tool for reducing Echinococcus infection in dogs
Shi-Jie Yang1, Ning Xiao1,2, Jing-Zhong Li3
1National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health; National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases; WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, China.
A novel smart collar automatically delivers deworming medication to dogs, significantly reducing Echinococcus infection risk in remote areas. This Internet of Things (IoT) device improves compliance and coverage compared to manual deworming efforts.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Parasitology
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Echinococcosis is a significant zoonotic parasitic disease transmitted from dogs to humans and livestock.
- Manual deworming faces challenges in remote, resource-scarce areas, leading to low compliance and coverage.
- Existing methods struggle with consistent praziquantel (PZQ) bait delivery and owner adherence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel smart Internet of Things (IoT)-based deworming collar for dogs.
- To address challenges in manual deworming, including compliance, consistency, and delivery in remote regions.
- To assess the efficacy of the smart collar in reducing Echinococcus infection in canine populations.
Main Methods:
- Development of a waterproof, anti-collision, cold-proof IoT smart collar capable of automatic, regular, and quantitative PZQ bait delivery.
- Field testing in two remote locations on the Tibetan Plateau, involving 18 dogs in Seni district and 523 dogs in Hezuo city.
- Evaluation of owner compliance through a cross-sectional survey and assessment of the collar's effectiveness using a randomized controlled study and Generalized Estimation Equations (GEE).
Main Results:
- Smart collars demonstrated high durability with 100.0% anti-collision, 99.5% waterproof, and 100.0% cold-proof ratings.
- Smart-collar deworming significantly reduced the risk of Echinococcus infection in dogs by 81.8% in Seni district and 64.5% in Hezuo city compared to manual deworming.
- The overall owner compliance rate for attaching smart collars was 89%, indicating good acceptance.
Conclusions:
- The smart deworming collar is an effective alternative to manual deworming, particularly in remote areas.
- The IoT-based system significantly increases deworming frequency and coverage, leading to rapid reduction of worm biomass in dogs.
- This technology offers a promising solution for controlling zoonotic diseases like echinococcosis in canine populations.
