Noted Veterinarian and Public Health expert Dr. Clarissa Yvonne Domingo, presented her dissertation titled “Prevalence and Risk Factors of Zoonotic Protozoa Among Smallholder Farms in Aurora Province” at the Agriculture and Development Seminar Series (ADSS) last Tuesday. She reported that among the suspected zoonotic diseases that are transferable between man and animals, the infection caused by Cryptosporidium parvum  came out as the most prevalent. She explained that this could be the first report of such disease in the Philippines. She also noted the significant number of infections among animal handlers and their farm animals, which shows that zoonotic protozoa is indeed being transmitted between the farmers and their animals. Dr. Domingo’s research also showed that the main risk factor affecting the transfer of the diseases is the farm size and the farmer’s source of drinking water.

To learn more about this lecture, you can download the handouts.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Clarissa Yvonne J. Domingo is a Professor at the College of Veterinary Medicine in Central Luzon State University. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of the Philippines, a Master of Public Health from the UP Open University and a PhD in Public Health from the UP College of Public Health. She has also received several recognitions and awards in the field of Public Health and Veterinary Medicine, including the 2010 award for Most Outstanding Veterinarian in Veterinary Research. Dr. Domingo was also a SEARCA PhD Research Grantee.

About ADSS:

The ADSS is a weekly series of seminars focusing on development and agriculture topics. It is open to the public and held every Tuesday at SEARCA, UPLB. For more information please contact adss@agri.searca.org.