Cold temperature stress and damaged skin induced high mortality in barramundi (Lates calcarifer) challenged with Vibrio harveyi.

Most diseases in aquaculture are caused by opportunistic pathogens. One of them, Vibrio harveyi, is a widespread Gram-negative bacterium that has become an important pathogen of aquatic species in marine environments. Here, we propose the use of the causal pie model as a framework to conceptualize the causation of vibriosis in juvenile barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and to establish an effective challenge model. In the model, a sufficient cause, or the causal pie, is a constellation of component causes that lead to an outcome (e.g. vibriosis). In the pilot study, a high cumulative mortality (63.3% ± 10.0%, mean ± SE) was observed when V. harveyi was administered by intraperitoneal injection using a high challenge dose [107 colony-forming units (CFU) fish-1 ], but low or no mortality was observed in fish subject to cold stress or fish with intact skin when challenged by immersion. We, therefore, tested the use of a skin lesion (induced with a 4-mm biopsy punch) combined with cold temperature stress to induce vibriosis following the causal pie model. After challenge, fish were immediately subject to cold stress (22°C) or placed at an optimal temperature of 30°C. All groups were challenged with 108 CFU mL-1 for 60 min. A considerably higher mortality level (72.7% ± 13.9%) was observed in fish challenged with both a skin lesion and cold stress compared with mortality in fish only having a skin lesion (14.6% ± 2.8%). V. harveyi was re-isolated from all moribund fish and was detected by species-specific real-time PCR in gills, head kidney and liver, regardless of challenge treatment confirming vibriosis as the cause of disease. Parenchymal tissues had histopathological changes consistent with vibriosis. Whole-genome sequence (WGS) is provided for the Vibrio harveyi isolate examined in this study. Overall, the causal pie model was a useful framework to conceptualize the design of the experimental challenge model, in which both cold stress and skin damage were identified as component causes of vibriosis with high mortality. This conceptual framework can be applied to other opportunistic pathogens in aquaculture or to the study of co-infections in fish.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for professional staff burnout: a systematic review and narrative synthesis of controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Staff working in people-oriented professions are vulnerable to burnout which is negatively associated with professional well-being and service-user care. AIM: To investigate if interventions based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are effective in reducing staff burnout. METHOD: Systematic database and reference list searches were conducted resulting in the inclusion of 14 quantitative papers. A narrative synthesis, including extraction of individual effect sizes, was performed. RESULTS: All studies were controlled trials. The settings for ACT delivery were varied across health, social care, and public services. The ACT interventions demonstrated statistically significant effects in favour of ACT on the outcome measure subscales across the majority of studies (n = 9). Thirteen studies demonstrated an effect in favour of ACT in at least one outcome measure subscale. Positive aspects of work engagement varied according to a professional role. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that ACT-based interventions using a wide range of formats may have the potential to decrease burnout across a range of professional groups. However, samples were small in the studies reviewed and the interventions were not always defined. Further research would benefit from larger studies, incorporating process measures, with explicit protocols.

Applying the theory of planned behaviour to understand mental health professionals' intentions to work using a human rights-based approach in acute inpatient settings.

BACKGROUND: There has been a shift to implement human rights-based approaches in acute mental health care due to increasing concerns around quality of care. National Health Service (NHS) Trusts have a legal duty to uphold a person's human rights, therefore it is important to understand what any barriers might be. Using psychological theory may help to develop this understanding. AIM: To test whether the theory of planned behaviour can be an effective model in understanding mental health professionals' intentions to work using a human rights-based approach. METHOD: Participants were recruited from two NHS Trusts in the North West of England. A cross-sectional, survey design was used to examine mental health professionals' intentions to use human rights-based approaches. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses were performed on the theory of planned behaviour constructs showing that attitude and subjective norm significantly predicted intention. Perceived behavioural control did not add any significant variance, nor any demographic variables. CONCLUSION: There could be factors outside of the individual clinician's control to fully work within a human rights-based framework on acute mental health wards. The theory of planned behaviour offers some understanding, however further development work into measuring human rights outcomes on acute mental health wards is needed.

Person-job congruence, compassion and recovery attitude in Community Mental Health Teams.

BACKGROUND: Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) staff are vulnerable to burnout and compassion fatigue, which has implications for service-user care and recovery outlook. Burnout itself is increased when professionals perceive there is low congruence between themselves and their job. AIMS: The aim of this study is to identify how person-job congruence is associated with compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction, and how these in turn relate to staff recovery attitudes. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey of 132 CMHT staff, utilising the Areas of Worklife Scale, Professional Quality of Life Scale and Recovery Knowledge Inventory. RESULTS: Multiple regression analysis revealed negative associations between "Workload" congruence and Secondary Traumatic Stress (p = 0.001). Low congruence in "Workload" (p = <0.001) "Reward" (p = 0.005) and "Values" (p = 0.005) were associated with increased Burnout. "Workload" congruence was positively associated with Compassion Satisfaction (p = 0.041). Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue were not significantly associated with recovery attitude. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to address Compassion Fatigue are indicated to target: workloads, rewards, and aligning organisational and personal values. Further research is needed to explore predictors of compassion satisfaction and recovery attitude.

Cognitive behavioural group therapy versus mindfulness-based stress reduction group therapy for intimate partner violence: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Violence in close relationships is a global public health problem and there is a need to implement therapeutic programs designed to help individuals who voluntarily seek help to reduce recurrent intimate partner violence. The effectiveness of such interventions in this population remains inconclusive. The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural group therapy (CBGT) vs mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) group therapy in reducing violent behavior amongst individuals who are violent in intimate partnerships and who voluntarily seek help. METHODS: One hundred forty four participants were randomized using an internet-based computer system. Nineteen withdrew after randomization and 125 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention condition (CBGT, n = 67) or the comparator condition (MBSR, n = 58). The intervention condition involved two individual sessions followed by 15 cognitive-behavioural group therapy sessions. The comparator condition included one individual session before and after 8 mindfulness-based group sessions. Participants (N = 125) and their relationship partners (n = 56) completed assessments at baseline, and at three, six, nine and twelve months' follow-up. The pre-defined primary outcome was reported physical, psychological or sexual violence and physical injury as measured by the revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2). RESULTS: The intent-to-treat analyses were based on 125 male participants (intervention group n = 67; comparator group n = 58). Fifty-six female partners provided collateral information. Baseline risk estimate in the CBGT-group was .85 (.74-.92), and .88 (.76-.94) in the MBSR-group for physical violence. At 12-months' follow-up a substantial reduction was found in both groups (CBGT: .08 (.03-.18); MBSR: .19 (.11-.32)). CONCLUSION: Results provide support for the efficacy of both the cognitive-behavioural group therapy and the mindfulness-based stress reduction group therapy in reducing intimate partner violent behavior in men voluntarily seeking treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01653860, registered July 2012.

Detection of ostreid herpesvirus-1 in plankton and seawater samples at an estuary scale.

Ostreid herpesvirus-1 (OsHV-1) is known to associate with particles in seawater, leading to infection and disease in the Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas. The estuarine environment is highly complex and changeable, and this needs to be considered when collecting environmental samples for pathogen detection. The aims of this study were to (1) compare different aspects of collecting natural seawater and plankton samples for detection of OsHV-1 DNA and (2) determine whether detection of OsHV-1 DNA in such environmental samples has merit for disease risk prediction. The results of one experiment suggest that sampling on the outgoing tide may improve the detection of OsHV-1 DNA in seawater and plankton tow samples (odds ratio 2.71). This statistical comparison was not possible in 2 other experiments. The method (plankton tow or beta bottle) and depth of collection (range: 250-1250 mm) had no effect on the likelihood of detection of OsHV-1. OsHV-1 DNA was found at low concentrations in plankton tow and seawater samples, and only when outbreaks of mortality associated with OsHV-1 were observed in nearby experimental or farmed populations of C. gigas. This suggests that single point in time environmental samples of seawater or plankton are not sufficient to rule out the presence of OsHV-1 in an estuary. The association of OsHV-1 with particles in seawater needs to be better understood in order to determine whether more selective and sensitive methods can be devised to detect it, before environmental samples can be reliably used in disease risk prediction.

Restraint minimisation in mental health care: legitimate or illegitimate force? An ethnographic study.

Coercive practices, such as physical restraint, are used globally to respond to violent, aggressive and other behaviours displayed by mental health service users.1 A number of approaches have been designed to aid staff working within services to minimise the use of restraint and other restrictive practices. One such approach, the 'REsTRAIN Yourself' (RYS) initiative, has been evaluated in the UK. Rapid ethnography was used to explore the aspects of organisational culture and staff behaviour exhibited by teams of staff working within 14 acute admission mental health wards in the North West region of the English NHS. Findings comprise four core themes of space and place; legitimation; meaningful activity; and, therapeutic engagement that represent characteristics of daily life on the wards before and after implementation of the RYS intervention. Tensions between staff commitments to therapeutic relations and constraining factors were revealed in demarcations of ward space and limitations on availability of meaningful activities. The physical, relational and discursive means by which ward spaces are segregated prompts attention to the observed materialities of routine care. Legitimation was identified as a crucial discursive practice in the context of staff reliance upon coercion. Trauma-informed care represents a potentially alternative legitimacy.

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis is able to manipulate host lipid metabolism and accumulate cholesterol within macrophages.

Johne's disease is a chronic wasting disease of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP). Closely related pathogenic mycobacteria such as M. tuberculosis are capable of altering host lipid metabolism, highlighting the need to explore the role of lipid metabolism contributing to intracellular survival. This study aimed to identify whether MAP is able to manipulate host lipid metabolic pathways and accumulate host cholesterol during early infection. Macrophages were exposed to four different MAP strains and non-pathogenic M. phlei for up to 72 h, with changes to lipid metabolism examined using fluorescent microscopy and gene expression. MAP-infected macrophages displayed strain-dependent differences to intracellular cholesterol levels during early infection, however showed similarly increased intracellular cholesterol at later timepoints. Gene expression revealed that MAP strains similarly activate the host immune response in a conserved manner compared to M. phlei. MAP significantly upregulated host genes associated with lipid efflux and endocytosis. Moreover, lipid biosynthesis genes were differentially regulated in a strain-dependent manner following MAP infection. Collectively, these results demonstrate that MAP manipulates host lipid metabolism during early infection, however the extent of these modulations are strain-dependent. These findings reflect a conserved pathway contributing to intracellular MAP survival.

Different in vivo growth of ostreid herpesvirus 1 at 18 °C and 22 °C alters mortality of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas).

Seasonally recurrent outbreaks of mass mortality in Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) caused by microvariant genotypes of ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) occur in Europe, New Zealand and Australia. The incubation period for OsHV-1 under experimental conditions is 48-72 hours and depends on water temperature, as does the mortality. An in vivo growth curve for OsHV-1 was determined by quantifying OsHV-1 DNA at 10 time points between 2 and 72 hours after exposure to OsHV-1. The peak replication rate was the same at 18 °C and 22 °C; however, there was a longer period of amplification leading to a higher peak concentration at 22 °C (2.34 × 107 copies/mg at 18 hours) compared to 18 °C (1.38 × 105 copies/mg at 12 hours). The peak viral concentration preceded mortality by 72 hours and 20 hours at 18 °C and 22 °C, respectively. Cumulative mortality to day 14 was 45.9% at 22 °C compared to 0.3% at 18 °C. The prevalence of OsHV-1 infection after 14 days at 18 °C was 33.3%. No mortality from OsHV-1 occurred when the water temperature in tanks of oysters challenged at 18 °C was increased to 22 °C for 14 days. The influence of water temperature prior to exposure to OsHV-1 and during the initial virus replication is an important determinant of the outcome of infection in C. gigas.

The humoral immune response is essential for successful vaccine protection against paratuberculosis in sheep.

BACKGROUND: The role played by the humoral immune response in animals vaccinated against a mycobacterial disease such as paratuberculosis, is not well understood. Sheep vaccinated against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) can still become infected and in some cases succumb to clinical disease. The strength and location of the humoral immune response following vaccination could contribute to the ability of sheep to clear MAP infection. We examined the peripheral antibody response along with the localised humoral response at the site of paratuberculosis infection, the ileum, to better understand how this contributes to MAP infection of sheep following vaccination and exposure. RESULTS: Through assessing MAP specific serum IgG1 and IgG levels we show that the timing and strength of the humoral immune response directly relates to prevention of infection following vaccination. Vaccinated sheep that subsequently became infected had significantly reduced levels of MAP specific serum IgG1 early after vaccination. In contrast, vaccinated sheep that did not subsequently become infected had significantly elevated MAP specific serum IgG1 following vaccination. Furthermore, at 12 months post MAP exposure, vaccinated and subsequently uninfected sheep had downregulated expression of genes related to the humoral response in contrast to vaccinated infected sheep where expression levels were upregulated. CONCLUSIONS: The timing and strength of the humoral immune response following vaccination against paratuberculosis in sheep directly relates to subsequent infection status. An initial strong IgG1 response following vaccination was crucial to prevent infection. Additionally, vaccinated uninfected sheep were able to modulate that response following apparent MAP clearance, unlike vaccinated infected animals where there was apparent dysregulation of the humoral response, which is associated with progression to clinical disease.

Control of paratuberculosis: who, why and how. A review of 48 countries.

Paratuberculosis, a chronic disease affecting ruminant livestock, is caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). It has direct and indirect economic costs, impacts animal welfare and arouses public health concerns. In a survey of 48 countries we found paratuberculosis to be very common in livestock. In about half the countries more than 20% of herds and flocks were infected with MAP. Most countries had large ruminant populations (millions), several types of farmed ruminants, multiple husbandry systems and tens of thousands of individual farms, creating challenges for disease control. In addition, numerous species of free-living wildlife were infected. Paratuberculosis was notifiable in most countries, but formal control programs were present in only 22 countries. Generally, these were the more highly developed countries with advanced veterinary services. Of the countries without a formal control program for paratuberculosis, 76% were in South and Central America, Asia and Africa while 20% were in Europe. Control programs were justified most commonly on animal health grounds, but protecting market access and public health were other factors. Prevalence reduction was the major objective in most countries, but Norway and Sweden aimed to eradicate the disease, so surveillance and response were their major objectives. Government funding was involved in about two thirds of countries, but operations tended to be funded by farmers and their organizations and not by government alone. The majority of countries (60%) had voluntary control programs. Generally, programs were supported by incentives for joining, financial compensation and/or penalties for non-participation. Performance indicators, structure, leadership, practices and tools used in control programs are also presented. Securing funding for long-term control activities was a widespread problem. Control programs were reported to be successful in 16 (73%) of the 22 countries. Recommendations are made for future control programs, including a primary goal of establishing an international code for paratuberculosis, leading to universal acknowledgment of the principles and methods of control in relation to endemic and transboundary disease. An holistic approach across all ruminant livestock industries and long-term commitment is required for control of paratuberculosis.

Experimental transmission of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) from freshwater ornamental fish to silver sweep Scorpis lineolata, an Australian marine fish.

The Australian native marine fish species, silver sweep Scorpis lineolata, is susceptible to the megalocytivirus Infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (strain DGIV-10) obtained from a freshwater ornamental fish, dwarf gourami Trichogaster lalius. This was demonstrated by direct inoculation and through cohabitation. Transmission by cohabitation was also demonstrated from inoculated freshwater Murray cod Maccullochella peelii to euryhaline Australian bass Macquaria novemaculeata and to marine silver sweep. The virus was also transmitted from infected marine silver sweep to euryhaline Australian bass and then to freshwater Murray cod. This study is the first to demonstrate the virulence of a megalocytivirus derived from ornamental fish in an Australian marine species and the first to show a feasible pathway for the exchange of megalocytiviruses between freshwater and marine finfish hosts. These results demonstrate that megalocytiviruses from freshwater ornamental fish have the potential to spread to diverse aquatic environments.

Australian bass Macquaria novemaculeata susceptibility to experimental megalocytivirus infection and utility as a model disease vector.

Megalocytiviruses, particularly red seabream iridovirus, infect a broad range of fish including both freshwater and marine species. Although a limited number of infectious spleen and kidney necrosis virus (ISKNV) strains have been reported in association with mortality events in marine aquaculture species, the potential host range for ISKNV strains, particularly of those that have been detected in ornamental fish, has not been well characterised. There have also been few reports on the susceptibility of euryhaline fish species that could potentially transmit megalocytiviruses between freshwater and marine environments. We found that the euryhaline Australian native percichthyid fish, Australian bass Macquaria novemaculeata, is susceptible experimentally to ISKNV (strain DGIV-10), obtained from a freshwater ornamental fish, dwarf gourami Trichogaster lalius. Australian bass developed clinical disease following direct inoculation and also following cohabitation with infected fish, and were able to transmit DGIV-10 to naïve Murray cod Maccullochella peelii. This study demonstrated the potential for a euryhaline species to become infected with, and transmit, the megalocytivirus ISKNV between fish populations.

Host, agent and environment interactions affecting Nervous necrosis virus infection in Australian bass Macquaria novemaculeata.

Australian bass Macquaria novemaculeata were challenged by immersion with nervous necrosis virus (NNV) at different ages and under controlled conditions to investigate factors affecting disease expression. Fish challenged at 3 weeks of age with 103 TCID50 /ml and higher doses developed clinical disease; a lower dose of 102 TCID50 /ml resulted in incidence below 100% and 101 TCID50 /ml was insufficient to cause infection. Additionally, fish were challenged at 5, 6 and 13 weeks of age at 17 and 21°C to assess the role of the age of the host and water temperature on disease expression. Although Australian bass challenged at all ages had evidence of replication of NNV, only those challenged at 3 weeks of age (20 and 24 days post-hatch [dph]) developed clinical disease. Higher water temperature had an additive effect on disease expression in larvae challenged at 24 dph, but it did not affect the disease outcome in older fish. Finally, isolates of NNV derived from fish with clinical or subclinical disease presentations caused similar cumulative mortality and clinical signs when larvae at 24 dph were challenged, suggesting that agent variation was not responsible for variation in clinical presentation in these field outbreaks of NNV infection.

Detection and Serogrouping of Dichelobacter nodosus Infection by Use of Direct PCR from Lesion Swabs To Support Outbreak-Specific Vaccination for Virulent Footrot in Sheep.

Virulent footrot is an economically significant disease in most sheep-rearing countries. The disease can be controlled with vaccine targeting the fimbriae of virulent strains of the essential causative agent, Dichelobacter nodosus However, the bacterium is immunologically heterogeneous, and 10 distinct fimbrial serogroups have been identified. Ideally, in each outbreak the infecting strains would be cultured and serogrouped so that the appropriate serogroup-specific mono- or bivalent vaccine could be administered, because multivalent vaccines lack efficacy due to antigenic competition. If clinical disease expression is suspected to be incomplete, culture-based virulence tests are required to confirm the diagnosis, because control of benign footrot is economically unjustifiable. Both diagnosis and vaccination are conducted at the flock level. The aims of this study were to develop a PCR-based procedure for detecting and serogrouping D. nodosus directly from foot swabs and to determine whether this could be done accurately from the same cultured swab. A total of 269 swabs from the active margins of foot lesions of 261 sheep in 12 Merino sheep flocks in southeastern Australia were evaluated. DNA extracts taken from putative pure cultures of D. nodosus and directly from the swabs were evaluated in PCR assays for the 16S rRNA and fimA genes of D. nodosus Pure cultures were tested also by the slide agglutination test. Direct PCR using extracts from swabs was more sensitive than culture for detecting and serogrouping D. nodosus strains. Using the most sensitive sample collection method of the use of swabs in lysis buffer, D. nodosus was more likely to be detected by PCR in active than in inactive lesions, and in lesions with low levels of fecal contamination, but lesion score was not a significant factor. PCR conducted on extracts from swabs in modified Stuart's transport medium that had already been used to inoculate culture plates had lower sensitivity. Therefore, if culture is required to enable virulence tests to be conducted, it is recommended that duplicate swabs be collected from each foot lesion, one in transport medium for culture and the other in lysis buffer for PCR.

Counting the dead to determine the source and transmission of the marine herpesvirus OsHV-1 in Crassostrea gigas.

Marine herpesviruses are responsible for epizootics in economically, ecologically and culturally significant taxa. The recent emergence of microvariants of Ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) in Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas has resulted in socioeconomic losses in Europe, New Zealand and Australia however, there is no information on their origin or mode of transmission. These factors need to be understood because they influence the way the disease may be prevented and controlled. Mortality data obtained from experimental populations of C. gigas during natural epizootics of OsHV-1 disease in Australia were analysed qualitatively. In addition we compared actual mortality data with those from a Reed-Frost model of direct transmission and analysed incubation periods using Sartwell's method to test for the type of epizootic, point source or propagating. We concluded that outbreaks were initiated from an unknown environmental source which is unlikely to be farmed oysters in the same estuary. While direct oyster-to-oyster transmission may occur in larger oysters if they are in close proximity (< 40 cm), it did not explain the observed epizootics, point source exposure and indirect transmission being more common and important. A conceptual model is proposed for OsHV-1 index case source and transmission, leading to endemicity with recurrent seasonal outbreaks. The findings suggest that prevention and control of OsHV-1 in C. gigas will require multiple interventions. OsHV-1 in C. gigas, which is a sedentary animal once beyond the larval stage, is an informative model when considering marine host-herpesvirus relationships.

One-on-one care management and procurement of Naloxone for ambulatory use.

Background: Morbidity and mortality from prescription opioids has reached unprecedented levels. Opioids remain part of chronic pain treatment in primary care. This study was designed to determine whether one-on-one care management increases procurement of Naloxone, an opioid antagonist shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in opioid overdoses. Methods: Participants included all patients ≥18 years enrolled in a primary care-based chronic pain management program and who were prescribed a daily dose of opioids for treatment of chronic pain. In total, 153 patients chose to participate. Each had a 1 h one-on-one education meeting with a registered nurse. Results: Among the enrolled, eight patients (5.2%) had procured Naloxone prior to intervention. Overall, 31 additional patients (20.2%) procured Naloxone after intervention, a 288% relative improvement in the attainment of Naloxone (P < 0.0001) (χ2 = 29.032 with 1 degree freedom). Of the 114 participants who never procured Naloxone, 69.3% believed it was unnecessary, 20% forgot about Naloxone, 8% said it was cost prohibitive, 3.5% had access concerns and 0.9% had concerns about side effects. Conclusion: Direct one-on-one nurse care management sessions were associated with an increased procurement of Naloxone in a primary care-based pain management program. A significant number of patients believed Naloxone was unnecessary after the intervention.

Partial validation of a TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR for the detection of ranaviruses.

Ranaviruses are globally emerging pathogens negatively impacting wild and cultured fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Although conventional and diagnostic real-time PCR (qPCR) assays have been developed to detect ranaviruses, these assays often have not been tested against the known diversity of ranaviruses. Here we report the development and partial validation of a TaqMan real-time qPCR assay. The primers and TaqMan probe targeted a conserved region of the major capsid protein (MCP) gene. A series of experiments using a 10-fold dilution series of Frog virus 3 (FV3) MCP plasmid DNA revealed linearity over a range of 7 orders of magnitude (107-101), a mean correlation coefficient (R2) of >0.99, and a mean efficiency of 96%. The coefficient of variation of intra- and inter-assay variability ranged from <0.1-3.5% and from 1.1-2.3%, respectively. The analytical sensitivity was determined to be 10 plasmid copies of FV3 DNA. The qPCR assay detected a panel of 33 different ranaviral isolates originating from fish, amphibian, and reptile hosts from all continents excluding Africa and Antarctica, thereby representing the global diversity of ranaviruses. The assay did not amplify highly divergent ranaviruses, members of other iridovirus genera, or members of the alloherpesvirus genus Cyprinivirus. DNA from fish tissue homogenates previously determined to be positive or negative for the ranavirus Epizootic hematopoietic necrosis virus by virus isolation demonstrated a diagnostic sensitivity of 95% and a diagnostic specificity of 100%. The reported qPCR assay provides an improved expedient diagnostic tool and can be used to elucidate important aspects of ranaviral pathogenesis and epidemiology in clinically and sublinically affected fish, amphibians, and reptiles.

Care home manager attitudes to balancing risk and autonomy for residents with dementia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine how care home managers negotiate the conflict between maintaining a safe environment while enabling the autonomy of residents with dementia. This is important because there is limited research with care home managers; yet, they are key agents in the implementation of national policies. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 managers from care homes offering dementia care in the Northwest of England. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: There were three areas in which care home staff reported balancing safety and risk against the individual needs of residents. First, the physical environment created a tension between safety and accessibility to the outside world, which meant that care homes provided highly structured or limited access to outdoor space. Second, care home managers reflected a balancing act between an individual's autonomy and the need to protect their residents' dignity. Finally, care home managers highlighted the ways in which an individual's needs were framed by the needs of other residents to the extent that on some occasions an individual's needs were subjugated to the needs of the general population of a home. CONCLUSION: There was a strong, even dominant, ethos of risk management and keeping people safe. Managing individual needs while maintaining a safe care home environment clearly is a constant dynamic interpersonal process of negotiating and balancing competing interests for care home managers.

Contested understandings of recovery in mental health.

BACKGROUND: The concept of recovery is contested throughout the existing literature and in mental health services. Little research exists that gives voice to service user perspectives of recovery. AIM: This paper explores how service users in two recovery oriented services run by the National Health Service in North West England talked about recovery and what it meant to them. METHOD: 14 service users accessing these services took part in semi-structured qualitative interviews focusing on the concept of recovery. Data were analysed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. RESULTS: Service users talked about recovery as a dynamic, day to day process as well as an outcome; specifically related to being discharged from inpatient settings. A number of factors including relationships and medication were cited to have the potential to make or break recovery. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlights the continued dominance of the biomedical model in mental health services. Service users appear to have internalised staff and services' understanding of recovery perhaps unsurprisingly given the power differential in these relationships. Implications for clinical practice are explored.