Demographic domestic animal survey. Moron’s borough. 2009
1. Zoonosis Control Department
2. Statistics Department
Summary:
During September, 2009, Moron`s Town Hall carried out a survey on 1293 homes.
This activity has been performed since several years ago in order to succeed in
getting information on different topics, among them: problems affecting community,
employment and housing levels, neighborhood evaluation about the management,
services and access to Town Hall’s information. In this opportunity, Zoonosis
Control Department added several questions according to important topics for the
service.
The aim of the work was to gather information about different sanitary indicators
related with our activity, so as to evaluate the breakthroughs in the of zoonosis
service and update the current demographic conditions of animals.
The stratified sample showed that 6,7% homes claimed to have at least one
member of the family bitten by an animal; in which 97,67% of the cases the
aggressor was a canine and 2,33% by a feline; 67% (2 of 3 houses) owns dogs
and 27% (1 of 4) felines; 18,5% owns other animals (fishes, birds and reptiles
mostly) and 17,5% of the homes said that at least one member of the family feeds
stray animals. Moreover, sex variables and surgical sterilization percentages of
canines and felines.
Introduction:
Demographic knowledge of canines and felines is of vital importance for those
Sanitary services such as Zoonosis Departments that develops their activities
with an epidemiological vision rather than individual. The conditions of the social,
cultural and economic environment have a strong influence on the presentation
of several factors that alter the population’s health, most of them generated by
the same host that then will suffer from it, the human being. Thence, the need to
know the demographic characteristics of domestic animals that share the same
ecological niche with human beings and evaluate the impact of Zoonosis
Department activities.
Method and Materials.
In September 2009 a stratified sample was carried out according to UGC ( an
UGC - Unidad de Gestión Comunitaria- is the subdivision of a municipality in
Argentina) The municipality administration is decentralized into 7 UGCs ) and the
result was an average of 10.371 inhabitants per km2 inside each study area a
random selection of every home to be surveyed was performed, considering
such edification as the one were food, rest, safety and calm is provided; being
this the unit of analysis. Results were gathered and processed by Statistics
Department of Moron’s Town Hall.
By using the software EpiInfo 3.5.1 size samples were calculated at a 95% of
confidence and 5% error for canine’s data: a minimum of 962 surveys and for
felines, a minimum of 1130 surveys with 90% of confidence and 8% of error.
The questions added to the sample demonstration were referred to:
 Household members injured by a dog or a cat during 2008 in Moron’s
borough.
 Tenure of cats and dogs at home, sex and surgical birth control.
 Obtaining origin (bought, received as a gift, breed of dogs already living in
the house or picked up from the street) of dogs and cats.
 Existence of other animals in the house.
 Feeding of stray animals
Results:
 1280 valid answers were obtained referring to a home with an injured
inhabitant, in which 86 (6,72%) answered positive.
 In 84 answers corresponded with a canine bite, where the number of
attacked persons was from 1 to 5. Reaching the number of 95
attacked people. In 3 homes, the answers corresponded with a feline
bite, where the number of attacked persons was 1. Arriving at a figure
of 98: 97% by canines and 3% by felines.
 Of 1293 homes, 866 claimed to own dogs (67%) and in 250 of them
(19%) also own at least one cat.
 711 male canines were registered, of which 66 (9,3%) were surgical
sterilized and 829 female canines, of which 334 (40,3%) were
sterilized.
 According to the obtaining origin of canines, 238 (16,7%) were
bought, compared with 682 (47,8%) received as a gift, 145 (10,2%)
breed of dogs already living in the house and 360 (25,3%) picked up
from the street.
 349 homes (27%) said having cats, with a total of 256 male cats, of
which 132 (51,5%) were surgical sterilized and 362 female cats, of
which 260 (71,85%) were sterilized.
 According to the obtaining origin of felines 26 (4,6%) were bought,
220 (38,7%) received as a gift, 97 (17%) breed of dogs already living
in the house, and 226 (39,7%) picked up from the street
 240 homes claimed owning other animals besides canines and
felines: 132 (49,2%) birds, 61 (22,8%) reptiles, 46 (17,2%) fishes and
25 (10,8%) others (pigs, horses, chinchillas, hamsters, sheep,
rabbits, guinea pigs and gerbils)
 205 homes (17,5%) said that a member of the family feeds stray
animals twice or more per week.
 Considering valid answers homes (1281) and average inhabitants per
home 3,3:
a. Total estimated population in households surveyed is up to 4227
inhabitants, and the latter 98 (2,32%) were injured by canines or
felines.
b. According to the number of homes in Moron (102.696), the total of
inhabitants in the municipality would rise up to 338.897 in 2008;
transposing the injured people percentage (2,32%) to this
number, attacked persons would be 7.862 in 2008.
During 2008, 1750 injuries were notified to Zoonosis Control
Department, therefore the aggression notified indicator (Nº of
notified aggressions/ Total number of reportable aggressions) is
22,38%.
2 out of 3 homes own dogs and an average of 1.8 canines per house that have a
dog, Overall, in Moron there is 1,2 canines with a person responsible for them by
each home.
The index dog/inhabitant is 1/3.
Canine population would be balanced by sex: 53,8% are male and 46,2% are
females (1,2 males/female). Surgical birth control is more important generally in
females than males, in our municipality percentages showed us that: 40,3% are
females and 9,3% are males. 83,3% of canines were acquired without cost, being
the half a gift and a quarter picked up from the streets.
There are cats in 1 out of 4 homes with an average of 1,77 cats per house that
owns a cat. The index cat/inhabitant is 1/7.
Accordingly, 1,4 females/1 male. 95,4% of felines are acquired without cost, being
38,7% a gift and 39,7% picked up from the street.
Among the varied list of “other animals”, draws the attention the second place
being reptiles, only overcame by birds.
Conclusions
The low notification of human injuries is probably influenced by the false believe
that rabies has been eradicated, without regarding transmission risks by bats,
being the latter the only rabies reservoir in urban areas in the municipality
nowadays.
A gradual increase of canine population was registered and a very significant of
feline population. The indicator 1 dog/3 inhabitants is higher than the previous ones
observed in Moron during former studies: 1/6 for 1983-85-86(1-2-3) and para 1987(5)
Lower values has been described for other populations: dogs/persons 1/5 and
0,62/1 dogs per house (6-9-10).
There is a similar preference in sex both in canines and felines; remaining slight
predominance of male canines and female felines. The number of male canines
per female decreased (1,2 male/female) compared with the one obtained in 1986
(1,8 male/female). Also, a significant increase in the percentages in surgical control
in both species was found, being more important in felines, generally in females
than males
(8).
This values (female canines: 40,3% and males 9,3%) have risen
largely if compared with those of 1987 where only 8% of female canines were
sterilized(5). Surgical birth control is major in felines. Females (71,85%) and males
(51,5%)
The Indicators “Cost and obtaining origin are in between similar values since
1988(6).
The custom of feeding stray animals is being expanded till reaching 17,5%, fact
that keeps in risk animals that don’t have an owner and Moron’s neighbors; this
would be one of the most important causes of the persistent existence of canines
that live freely in the thoroughfare.
Important percentage of homes (18,5%) have a varied animal fauna, some of
which were historically pointed out by its capacity to carry zoonotic agents and
others that is being warning about its possible risk.
This situations would probably been sharpened in the near future in a particular
way due to the future increase of population, thanks to the important progress of
horizontal constructions, compared to the measured acceptance of healthy
practices when living with domestic animals. Therefore, only in the long term visible
changes could be observed in human behavior, by the hand of a sustained policy
that involves as a priority Sanitary Education.
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