Animal Health Discourse during Ecological Crises in the Media-Lessons Learnt from the Flood in Thessaly from the One Health Perspective.

Due to the increasing risk of extreme events caused by climate change (i.e., floods, fires and hurricanes) or wars, European veterinary public health may need some improvement. Utilizing a mix of qualitative (participatory observation) and quantitative methods (Internet mining), we analyzed the Greek media's responses to the millennial flood in Thessaly (September 2023), focusing on animal health (including wild, companion animals and livestock) and public sentiment towards epizootic/epidemic threats. The study revealed a gap in crisis management plans regarding veterinary-related issues, emphasizing the need for comprehensive emergency response strategies. Our findings show how (i) the lay referral system is projecting the perception of epidemic threats into the population; (ii) the emotional load of images of animal carcasses is misused by media creators aiming for a big audience; and (iii) pets' owners are creating online communities for the searching and treatment of their pets. Our results stress the importance of integrating crisis communication in consecutive phases of the discourse, such as the following: (i) weather change; (ii) acute flood; (iii) recovery; and (iv) outbreaks, into veterinary practices to better prepare for such disasters.

Effects of a Curcumin/Silymarin/Yeast-Based Mycotoxin Detoxifier on Redox Status and Growth Performance of Weaned Piglets under Field Conditions.

The aim of this in vivo study was to investigate the effects of a novel mycotoxin detoxifier whose formulation includes clay (bentonite and sepiolite), phytogenic feed additives (curcumin and silymarin) and postbiotics (yeast products) on the health, performance and redox status of weaned piglets under the dietary challenge of fumonisins (FUMs). The study was conducted in duplicate in the course of two independent trials on two different farms. One hundred and fifty (150) weaned piglets per trial farm were allocated into two separate groups: (a) T1 (control group): 75 weaned piglets received FUM-contaminated feed and (b) T2 (experimental group): 75 weaned piglets received FUM-contaminated feed with the mycotoxin-detoxifying agent from the day of weaning (28 days) until 70 days of age. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs), protein carbonyls (CARBs) and the overall antioxidant capacity (TAC) were assessed in plasma as indicators of redox status at 45 and 70 days of age. Furthermore, mortality and performance parameters were recorded at 28, 45 and 70 days of age, while histopathological examination was performed at the end of the trial period (day 70). The results of the present study reveal the beneficial effects of supplementing a novel mycotoxin detoxifier in the diets of weaners, including improved redox status, potential hepatoprotective properties and enhanced growth performance.

Assessment of the effect of long-term serum storage for retrospective serologic diagnosis of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia canis).

There is currently sparse information on the possible effect of long-term storage of serum specimens for the retrospective serodiagnosis of canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME). The aim of this study was to assess the agreement between the original serologic outcome and the results of a repeat indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) assay for the detection of IgG antibodies against E. canis. A secondary aim was to compare the diagnostic performance of two commercially available point-of-care (POC) immunochromatographic (IC) assays. Archived serum samples originally tested as positive (n=66) or negative (n=19) for E. canis IgG antibodies and kept frozen at -20°C for a median of 22 years, were retrospectively examined by IFA and by two POC IC assays. Cohen's Kappa coefficient (0.748, p < 0.0001), indicated a substantial agreement between the original and repeat serologic testing results. An almost identical high sensitivity and moderate specificity were established for the two POC IC assays. Canine serum specimens on long-term storage may still be of value for seroepidemiologic surveys investigating the exposure to E. canis.

Review state-of-the-art of output-based methodological approaches for substantiating freedom from infection.

A wide variety of control and surveillance programmes that are designed and implemented based on country-specific conditions exists for infectious cattle diseases that are not regulated. This heterogeneity renders difficult the comparison of probabilities of freedom from infection estimated from collected surveillance data. The objectives of this review were to outline the methodological and epidemiological considerations for the estimation of probabilities of freedom from infection from surveillance information and review state-of-the-art methods estimating the probabilities of freedom from infection from heterogeneous surveillance data. Substantiating freedom from infection consists in quantifying the evidence of absence from the absence of evidence. The quantification usually consists in estimating the probability of observing no positive test result, in a given sample, assuming that the infection is present at a chosen (low) prevalence, called the design prevalence. The usual surveillance outputs are the sensitivity of surveillance and the probability of freedom from infection. A variety of factors influencing the choice of a method are presented; disease prevalence context, performance of the tests used, risk factors of infection, structure of the surveillance programme and frequency of testing. The existing methods for estimating the probability of freedom from infection are scenario trees, Bayesian belief networks, simulation methods, Bayesian prevalence estimation methods and the STOC free model. Scenario trees analysis is the current reference method for proving freedom from infection and is widely used in countries that claim freedom. Bayesian belief networks and simulation methods are considered extensions of scenario trees. They can be applied to more complex surveillance schemes and represent complex infection dynamics. Bayesian prevalence estimation methods and the STOC free model allow freedom from infection estimation at the herd-level from longitudinal surveillance data, considering risk factor information and the structure of the population. Comparison of surveillance outputs from heterogeneous surveillance programmes for estimating the probability of freedom from infection is a difficult task. This paper is a 'guide towards substantiating freedom from infection' that describes both all assumptions-limitations and available methods that can be applied in different settings.

Determining the conclusiveness of a meta-analysis.

The pursuit of conclusive evidence related to an unanswered foreground (decision-making) question has been the driving factor behind multiple ongoing and planned randomized controlled trials as well as meta-analyses. However, a fundamental challenge lies in establishing robust methods for ascertaining whether a collection of synthesized trials has yielded a definitive answer to that foreground question through the process of meta-analysis. This article explores the evolution of methods that attempt to address this challenge. These methods have primarily focused on defining and measuring the sufficiency and stability of evidence within a meta-analytic context. Cumulative meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis are the tools currently used, but they both come with limitations and challenges. We further discuss methods aimed at evaluating the evolution of effects over time more directly, such as the recursive cumulative meta-analysis. The latter method can be considered a better alternative, as it serves to demonstrate whether there is a true underlying treatment effect to which the meta-analysis is converging. However, recursive cumulative meta-analysis falls short of a specific indicator that establishes whether convergence has been reached. We coin the term exit for a meta-analysis where convergence can be demonstrated. Developing methods to determine the exit status of a meta-analysis is the next priority in research synthesis methods, as it will indicate that the research journey has concluded on a particular foreground question with no expectation of a different result with the addition of future trials.

Estimates of sensitivity and specificity of serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies using a Bayesian latent class model approach.

OBJECTIVES: Assessing the accuracy of serological tests for SARS-CoV-2 was challenging due to the lack of a gold standard. This study aimed to estimate the accuracy of SARS-CoV-2-specific serological tests using Bayesian latent class models (BLCM) and compare methods with and without a gold standard. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: In this study, we analyzed 356 samples-254 positives, ie, from individuals with a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection diagnosis, and 102 negatives, ie, prepandemic samples-using six different rapid serological tests and one laboratory assay. A BLCM was employed to concurrently estimate the sensitivity and specificity of all serological tests for the immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG antibodies specific for SARS-CoV-2. Noninformative priors were used. A sensitivity analysis was conducted considering three methods: 1) reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test (RT-PCR) as the gold standard, 2) BLCM with RT-PCR as an imperfect gold standard, and 3) frequentist latent class model (LCM). All analyses used software R version 4.3.0, and BLCM were fitted using package runjags using the software JAGS (Just Another Gibbs Sampler). RESULTS: The BLCM-derived sensitivity for IgM varied from 10.7% [95% credibility interval (CrI):1.9-24.6] to 96.9% (95% CrI: 91.0-100.0), with specificities ranging from 48.3% (95% CrI: 39.0-57.6) to 98.9% (95% CrI: 96.2-100.0). Sensitivity for IgG varied between 76.9% (95% CrI: 68.2-84.7) and 99.1% (95% CrI: 96.1-100.0), and specificity ranged from 49.9% (95% CrI: 19.4-95.8) to 99.3% (95% CrI: 97.2-100.0). LCM results were comparable to BLCM. Considering the RT-PCR as a gold standard underestimated the tests' sensitivity, particularly for IgM. CONCLUSION: BLCM-derived results deviated from those using a gold standard, which underestimated the tests' characteristics, particularly sensitivity. Although Bayesian and frequentist LCM approaches yielded comparable results, BLCM had the benefit of enabling credibility interval computation even when sample power is limited.

Real-world evidence of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis in Serbia: Nation-wide observational study (2017-2019).

BACKGROUND: Rabies remains a deadly zoonotic disease, primarily prevalent in Eastern European countries, with a significant global burden in Asia and Africa. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is critical to prevent clinical rabies. Serbia, a country with a relatively low animal rabies incidence, has been implementing a 4-dose Essen PEP regimen for 13 years. This real-world study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the 4-dose Essen regimen, considering demographic and clinical factors, after WHO Category III exposure. METHOD: The study included 601 patients who received the 4-dose Essen PEP and 79 who received an additional 5th dose. RESULTS: Age emerged as a critical factor influencing seroconversion rates after the 4-dose regimen, with older individuals exhibiting lower RVNA titers. Logistic regression indicated a 3.18% decrease in seroconversion odds for each added year of age. The Cox proportional hazards mixed model highlighted age-related risks, with age groups 45-60 and 75-92 at the highest risk of non-seroconversion. Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG) administration was associated with lower RVNA values after the 4-dose regimen, suggesting interference with vaccine immunogenicity among people who received larger doses of HRIG. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable real-world evidence for rabies PEP in a non-homogeneous population with potential comorbidities. The results underscore the importance of optimizing PEP strategies, particularly in older individuals, and reconsidering HRIG dosing to improve seroconversion rates.

Bayesian latent class modelling of true prevalence in animal subgroups with application to bovine paratuberculosis infection.

The prevalence of an infectious disease of animals living in separate groups (e.g. herds) is naturally analyzed using a Bayesian hierarchical latent class model. We propose an extension to this methodology by including subgroup level prevalence measures within the groups of animals. As an application illustrating the merits of our methodology, we reassessed the prevalence of bovine paratuberculosis (PTBC) infection in Hungarian commercial dairy farms. Our aim was to consolidate previous findings using a large amount of recent data and priors based on historical data. To model the subgroup level infection prevalence within animal groups, we considered correlated prevalences following beta distributions derived from independent normally distributed random herd effects. In the application, infection status of herds was handled as latent classes, multiparous and primiparous cows as within-herd subgroups. The novel methodology allows us to estimate both the mean and median conditional within-herd true prevalence (CWHP) related to each animal subgroup as well as other measures characterizing the interrelation of subgroups. The results of the application aligned with the findings of the former PTBC study, while the more recent and considerably larger dataset and the use of historical priors increased the reliability of the results. The STAN and JAGS codes of the application are available in Supplementary material.

Early warning of potential epidemics: A pilot application of an early warning tool to data from the pulmonary clinic of the university hospital of Thessaly, Greece.

BACKGROUND & METHODS: This paper describes a pilot application of the Epidemic Volatility Index (EVI) to data from the pulmonary clinic of the University Hospital of Thessaly, Greece, for monitoring respiratory infections, COVID-19, and flu cases. EVI, a simple and easily implemented early warning method based on the volatility of newly reported cases, exhibited consistent and stable performance in detecting new waves of epidemics. The study highlights the importance of implementing early warning tools to address the effects of epidemics, including containment of outbreaks, timely intervention strategies, and resource allocation within real-world clinical settings as part of a broader public health strategy. RESULTS: The results presented in the figures demonstrate the association between successive early warnings and the onset of new waves, providing valuable insights for proactive decision-making. A web-based application enabling real-time monitoring and informed decision-making by healthcare professionals, public health officials, and policymakers was developed. CONCLUSIONS: This study emphasizes the significant role of early warning methods in managing epidemics and safeguarding public health. Future research may explore extensions and combinations of multiple warning systems for optimal outbreak interventions and application of the methods in the context of personalized medicine.

Professionalization of the public health workforce: scoping review and call to action.

BACKGROUND: The 'WHO-ASPHER Roadmap to Professionalizing the Public Health Workforce in the European Region' provides recommendations for strategic and systematic workforce planning around professionalization levers including: (i) competencies, (ii) training and education, (iii) formal organization, (iv) professional credentialing and (v) code of ethics and professional conduct as well as taxonomy and enumeration. It was based on a literature review till 2016. This scoping review aims to explore how the professionalization was documented in the literature between 2016 and 2022. METHODS: Following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, we searched Medline via PubMed, Web of Science, ERIC via EBSCO and Google Scholar and included studies on professionalization levers. Four critical appraisal tools were used to assess qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods studies and grey literature. The PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) was used for reporting. RESULTS: Eleven articles included in this review spanned 61 countries, targeting undergraduate, master's, doctoral degrees and continuing professional development. Most of these documents were reviews. About half provided a definition of the public health workforce; more than half covered the taxonomy and included information about competences, but the use of frameworks was sporadic and inconsistent. Formal organization and the necessity of a code of conduct for the public health workforce were acknowledged in only two studies. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of some efforts to professionalize the public health workforce, this process is fragmented and not fully recognized and supported. There is an urgent need to engage policymakers and stakeholders to prioritize investments in strengthening the public health workforce worldwide.

Bayesian true prevalence estimation of brucellosis in sheep, goats, cattle and camels in southeast regions of Iran.

AIMS AND METHODS: Brucellosis is worldwide one of the most prevalent zoonotic diseases with serious public health hazard affecting domestic livestock and causing economic losses. Objective of this study is to estimate the true prevalence of brucellosis in livestock, specifically cattle, sheep, goats and camels, using a novel Bayesian latent class model, adjusting for the imperfect sensitivity and specificity of the applied tests, where the second test was restricted only to first test-positive samples. RESULTS: Brucellosis seems more prevalent in goats and sheep, while the posterior medians and 95% probability intervals (95% PI) for the average true prevalence for sheep, goats, cattle and camels are 18% (4%-43%), 19% (7%-37%), 16% (5%-34%) and 18% (1%-48%) respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The study results indicate that brucellosis is highly endemic in Iran and crucial steps are needed to control and raise awareness about the high public health concern of the disease.

Evidence of tick-borne encephalitis virus neutralizing antibodies in Serbian individuals exposed to tick bites.

Introduction: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an emerging vector-borne and food-borne disease caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV; Orthoflavivirus encephalitidis), with a distribution spanning the Eurasian continent. Despite its significant public health impact in various European regions, TBE remains largely underdiagnosed in Serbia due to limited awareness and diagnostic challenges. In response to this, our study aimed to comprehensively assess TBEV exposure in individuals infested with ticks and to identify potential TBEV foci within Serbia. Materials and methods: From 2019 to 2021, we conducted an observational study involving 450 patients who reported tick infestations. Results: Our demographic analysis revealed a median age of 38 years, with a slight male predominance among the participants. We documented tick infestations in 38 municipalities across 14 districts of Serbia, with a notable concentration in proximity to Fruska Gora Mountain. The ticks most frequently removed were Ixodes ricinus, with nymphs and adult females being the predominant stages. On average, nymphs were removed after about 27.1 hours of feeding, while adult females remained attached for approximately 44.4 hours. Notably, we found age as a significant predictor of infestation time for both nymphs and adult females. Furthermore, we detected TBEV-neutralizing antibodies in 0.66% of the serum samples, shedding light on potential TBEV foci, particularly in Fruska Gora Mountain and other regions of Serbia. Conclusion: Our study emphasizes the urgent need for active TBE surveillance programs, especially in areas suspected of hosting TBEV foci, in order to assess the true TBE burden, identify at-risk populations, and implement effective preventive measures.

Prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, drug use, and sexual behaviors among street children in Iran: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background and Aims: Street children face a disproportionately higher risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) due to high-risk sexual and drug use practices. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of these infections and related risk behaviors among street children in Iran. Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science (ISI), Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar for the English-language records and Iranian databases, including SID, Magiran, and IRANDOC for the Farsi-language records up to September 18, 2022. Random effects analysis was used to obtain prevalence estimates for each condition. Homogeneity across included studies was assessed using I 2. Results: We extracted data from 18 eligible studies, representing 5646 children (83.2% boys), with a mean age of 10.2 (range: 5-18). The prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV were 0.79% (95% confidence intervals [CIs]: 0.0-5.56), 1.97% (95% CI: 1.01-3.19), and 1.88% (95% CI: 0.74-3.46), respectively. The prevalence of lifetime drug use and sexual abuse was 8.32% (95% CI: 4.83-12.62) and 10.18% (95% CI: 3.02-20.67) among street children, respectively. Conclusion: The estimated prevalence of HIV, HBV, and HCV among street children in Iran was higher than the estimates in the general population. Moreover, drug use and the experience of sexual abuse were prevalent among this population. These findings suggest the need for targeted prevention programs for street children in Iran.

Seroprevalence of Swine Influenza A Virus (swIAV) Infections in Commercial Farrow-to-Finish Pig Farms in Greece.

Swine influenza is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by influenza A virus infection. Pigs play an important role in the overall epidemiology of influenza because of their ability to transmit influenza viruses of avian and human origin, which plays a potential role in the emergence of zoonotic strains with pandemic potential. The aim of our study was to assess the seroprevalence of Swine Influenza Viruses (swIAVs) in commercial pig farms in Greece. A total of 1416 blood samples were collected from breeding animals (gilts and sows) and pigs aged 3 weeks to market age from 40 different swIAV vaccinated and unvaccinated commercial farrow-to-finish pig farms. For the detection of anti-SIV antibodies, sera were analyzed using an indirect ELISA kit CIVTEST SUIS INFLUENZA®, Hipra (Amer, Spain). Of the total 1416 animals tested, 498 were seropositive, indicating that the virus circulates in both vaccinated (54% seroprevalence) and unvaccinated Greek pig farms (23% seroprevalence). In addition, maternally derived antibody (MDA) levels were lower in pigs at 4 and 7 weeks of age in unvaccinated farms than in vaccinated farms. In conclusion, our results underscore the importance of vaccination as an effective tool for the prevention of swIAV infections in commercial farrow-to-finish pig farms.

Factors affecting the differential epithelial cell count in preputial cytology of healthy intact dogs.

Information is limited on the factors that may affect the preputial differential epithelial cell count in healthy intact dogs. Our objectives were to establish RIs of the preputial differential epithelial cell count in dogs and investigate the potential impact of signalment, presence of gross preputial discharge or neutrophils, preputial cleaning, and normal estrogen variation on the differential cell count. We enrolled prospectively 50 client-owned, healthy dogs in our study. Preputial cytology smears were obtained, and we performed a 4-part (parabasal, intermediate, superficial, cornified) differential cell count, before and after gentle preputial cleaning. We found higher counts of fully cornified cells (median: 11-12%) compared to previous studies. The cleaning procedure significantly decreased the intermediate (p = 0.002) and increased the superficial (p = 0.006) cells. Age was positively associated with intermediate (p = 0.007) and negatively with superficial (p = 0.01) and cornified (p = 0.02) cells. The concentration of estrogens was negatively associated with the percentage of parabasal cells (p = 0.04). In healthy dogs, a variable impact may be expected in the preputial differential epithelial cell count, by the cleaning of the prepuce before sampling, the age of the dogs, and the normal variation of estrogen concentration.

Histopathological Pulmonary Lesions in 1st-Day Newborn Piglets Derived from PRRSV-1 MLV Vaccinated Sows at the Last Stage of Gestation.

Modified live virus (MLV) vaccines for the control of porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus (PRRSV) have been associated with the vertical and horizontal transmission of vaccine viruses. The present study aimed to describe pathological lung lesions in piglets born by gilts vaccinated with PRRSV-1 MLV. In total, 25 gilts were vaccinated at late gestation (100th day) and were divided into five groups according to the different vaccines (Vac) used: no vaccine-control group, Vac-1-strain DV, Vac-2-strain VP-046 BIS, Vac-3-strain 94881, Vac-4-strain 96V198. Within the first 0-9 h of the farrowing, blood samples were collected from all newborn piglets and lung samples were exanimated grossly, histopathologically and with scanning electron microscopy. PRRSV (RT-PCR-positive) and antibodies were detected in the serum of piglets from gilts vaccinated with Vac-2. In these piglets, moderate to severe interstitial pneumonia with thickened alveolar septa was noticed. Type II pneumocyte hyperplasia was also observed. The rest of the trial piglets showed unremarkable lung lesions. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the 98.7% similarity of the PRRSV field strain (GR 2019-1) to the PRRS MLV vaccine strain VP-046 BIS. In conclusion, the Vac-2 PRRSV vaccine strain can act as an infectious strain when vaccination is administrated at late gestation, causing lung lesions.

Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus and Borrelia burgdorferi Seroprevalence in Balkan Tick-Infested Individuals: A Two-Centre Study.

Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are important tick-borne diseases in Europe. This study aimed to investigate the seroreactivity against Borrelia burgdorferi and TBE virus (TBEV) in tick-infested individuals in North Macedonia and Serbia. Serum samples were collected from tick-infested individuals and from healthy individuals in the same regions. Samples were tested for anti-Borrelia IgG reactivity and TBEV-neutralizing antibodies. Results showed higher seroreactivity against Borrelia antigens in patients and healthy donors from Novi Sad compared to those from the Skopje region. However, there was no statistically significant difference between tick-infested patients and healthy donors within each region. No TBEV-neutralizing antibodies were detected in participants from Novi Sad or in the control groups, except for one person from North Macedonia who had a moderate TBEV-neutralizing reaction. The study highlights the need for improved surveillance and diagnostic capabilities for LB and TBE in these regions. It also suggests the potential existence of TBEV foci in North Macedonia. The findings provide a complementary understanding of the LB and TBE epidemiology in the studied regions; however, further research is needed to investigate the presence and distribution of Borrelia spp. and TBEV in ticks to assess the significance of detected seroreactivity.