The Caribbean Islands as a Tourist Destination - Essay Example

Policy Paper The Caribbean boasts incredible beaches, warm waters, friendly people and intriguing flora and fauna. A holiday to the Caribbean would be a welcomed and relaxing break; however, what many tourists don’t realise is that the beautifully painted picture is somewhat distorted in reality. Both tourists and locals alike don’t realise that the Caribbean islands have a prevalent problem with zoonotic intestinal parasites. The Caribbean is a tourist destination and relies heavily on tourism for main source of its gross annual income. When animals are left free to roam, they often migrate to places where food is available. Since the majority of tourists feed them, they spend most of their time in parks, parking lots and beaches. Faeces on the beaches and other public areas present a situation in which tourists are very susceptible to infection. If zoonotic infections become an uncontrollable situation, this could jeopardise the success of tourism and in turn, the economy of the Caribbean islands. A zoonosis is an infectious disease that can be transmitted between different species to humans (Collins 2003). The more prevalent types of zoonotic infections are caused by gastrointestinal parasites, which can have detrimental and unpleasant effects. The most common intestinal parasites in the Caribbean include, whipworm, tapeworm, round worm and hook worm. Whipworms, also known as Trichuris sp, are the most common type of intestinal parasite among adult animals (Hines, 2009). Eggs are passed through an infected animals stool. Once inside the host, mature larvae attached to the wall of the intestines, causing bowel inflammation (Hines, 2009). Dogs usually will present with soft or mucoid stool and fail to gain weight. Since eggs are shed intermittently, it is often difficult to diagnose this parasite (Hines, 2009). Tapeworms, Dipylidium caninum, are more easily diagnosed. What is unique to this parasite is that it does not cause major health problems for the host. Although there is little evidence of an infestation, the worm will cause diarrhoea, some gas and even cramping. They are transmitted by ingesting infected food or from fleas. When a tapeworm infestation is evident, there are small segments of the worm in the stool, resembling grains of rice. Roundworms, or Toxocara, are large worms that are usually seen in puppies and kittens, which are often born with them. They will appear to have a “potbelly”, along with an unhealthy, dry looking coat (Hines, 2009). Similar to other types of parasites, the most common way of transmission is through infected stool, so unsanitary conditions will likely increase the chances of circulating this parasite. They are also able to live in soil, which increases the chances of human infection. The eggs are resistant to dry conditions and to some disinfectants, which gives this parasite an advantage and enables them to have a longer life span than most other parasites. Roundworms cause damage by migrating throughout the tissues of the host, which can result in colic, eye inflammation and even can block the flow of bile from the liver (Hines, 2009). Roundworms are often found in conjunction with hookworms. Hookworms, or Ancyclostoma, are also passed along to offspring through the mother, live in soil and in unsanitary conditions. However, the eggs of the hookworm are fragile and easily killed by sunlight and dry conditions. Once they are ingested, the worm finds its way to the intestines, attaching to the lining to suck the blood of the host. Abnormally dark, loose stool and anemia will result, although in young animals it can be fatal if left untreated. In humans, it can cause severe eye problems. The Caribbean has a large population of free roaming canines, and it is in these animals that these parasites are likely to inhabit. Many dogs outwardly present ill health and sickness; however, an infestation of an intestinal parasite can be confirmed through the examination of a faecal sample. This test uses a microscope to look for eggs or other parts of the worm (Parasite Council 2009). Although this is the most reliable ways to check for parasites, it is possible that the eggs can remain in an animal’s coat, which can be an easier route of transmission to other hosts (Aydenizoz-Ozkayhan, 2007). Because these dogs are free roaming, their faeces are very widespread, and parasites can thrive in a vast number of different environments. This proves an issue when dogs are defecating on beaches, where tourists and locals alike visit, and other public areas. These parasites infect a variety of hosts; they are not exclusive to dogs and cats. Humans are extremely susceptible to infection. The parasites feed from and reproduce within them, which can cause severe anaemia, and in some cases cause cysts in multiple organs (Parasite Council 2009). The infection is highly contagious and it is very likely to spread, this has to be taken care of by the tourism authorities. This should not go unnoticed because the repercussions that it creates can severely hamper the income that is collected by foreigners. The sooner this is taken care of, the better it is for the tourism industry. Not much has been done about it so far and it is high time to bring in a drastic change that would make the place a much better than what it is now. Prevalence of these intestinal parasites in animals in the Caribbean is high. Studies show that over 62% of dogs in Grenada are infected with some type of intestinal parasite, of which 17% of them had two or three different species of parasite (Pinckney, 2008). In Jamaica, 73% of the dogs had some type of parasite (Robinson et al, 1989). With rates this high, it’s easy to see how significantly this could impact a society. To keep zoonotic parasites in control, there needs to be management of host population. Grenada, for example, has required owners to register and vaccinate their dogs. If they do not comply, the animals are collected and humanely euthanized. Although this may appear to be a positive step forward, it has proved to be of little improvement, leaving dogs and their internal parasites a large issue (Pinckney, 2008). What might improve this situation would be a present law enforcement team, provide awareness through education and discounted medicines. When a law is made, law-enforcing agents should enforce it, and make people aware of the seriousness of the offense. Education is one of the key ideas that the government needs to concentrate on. Simple advertisements, radio announcements or poster and fliers, are simple means to inform citizens and raise awareness of the benefits of vaccinating and the potential harm that could befall communities. If the resources are not available for a full-scale advertisement campaign, passing information by word of mouth has proved very beneficial over the years. If health officials, including general medical doctors, speak out and make these issues known to communities, more can be achieved, and the eradication process of parasites can be jump-started into action. Further advancement of the education process can be applied to the whole of the Caribbean via “travelling health clinics”, which would provide both veterinary and medical professionals to deal with infected animals and humans. The goal of a “travelling health clinic” is to offer health services and education to as many of the Caribbean islands as possible. An already implemented program, One Medicine One Health, in Grenada, led by the combined efforts of the St. George’s University Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine has already proven to be successful. The One Medicine One Health Clinic supplies the local people of Grenada with free, basic medical examinations for humans and their pets, as well as free medical supplies, such as vaccines for adults and children and deworming and heartworm tablets for the pets. The other Caribbean countries should mimic the successes of One Medicine One Health Clinic in order to better the overall health of the Caribbean. A way in which the “travelling health clinic” can effectively be introduced is to have a representative health professional commute between the Caribbean islands, speaking with government officials and community leaders in order to better publicize the goals and benefits of such a program. These discussions would provide ubiquitous education to government officials so that they can implement a “travelling health clinic”, and also to the local residents to better promote awareness of these parasitic infections. Read More