An International Collaborative Approach to Developing Training Guidelines for Veterinary Paraprofessionals.

Veterinary paraprofessionals (VPPs) are engaged worldwide in animal health management, disease surveillance and food safety control. In many countries, particularly developing countries, VPPs are critical to national veterinary services provision. Until recently, there were no globally recognized training requirements for VPPs. Recognition of VPPs' qualifications and roles, and requirements for registration, vary greatly between jurisdictions. To address these issues, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has developed competency and curricular guidelines for VPPs. A collaborative approach was essential to this mission. Extensive consultation with individuals and agencies representing various countries, animal health and veterinary sectors, and forms of expertise, was undertaken. Collaborative methods included the formation of a guidelines development ad hoc group whose diversity reflected project needs, the use of existing OIE Member Country data to understand roles of VPPs globally, conducting stakeholder surveys to collate VPP competency expectations and solicit feedback on draft guidelines, and in-country missions to validate draft curricular models. The initial deliverable from this work was publication of Competency Guidelines for VPPs. This document provides recommendations on the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and aptitudes that could be expected of VPPs following effective training. The companion document, OIE Curricular Guidelines for VPPs, provides recommendations on coursework structure and content to achieve these competencies. These guidelines will assist countries worldwide in more effectively training and qualifying VPPs so that they can contribute positively to the provision of veterinary services. Another potential impact is to catalyze the review of educational and regulatory standards regarding the respective work rights and activities of veterinarians and VPPs.

Sharing Ideas and Practice: Institutional Partnership Influences Change in Approaches to Teaching to Enhance Veterinary Education in Vietnam in Conjunction with an OIE Veterinary Education Twinning Project.

A World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Veterinary Education Twinning Project was established between the veterinary schools at Nong Lam University (NLU) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and the University of Queensland, Gatton, Australia, as part of the scheme established to promote high-quality veterinary services through improved veterinary education. Included in the partnership's primary aims were building the capacity of veterinary teaching staff with respect to general teaching practice and also in response to identified deficiency areas, and to develop outcome assessment processes. One challenge facing the project was the different approaches and experiences of teaching and learning for the faculty and students between the two widely different historical and cultural contexts of Australia and Vietnam. The project enhanced the pedagogy capability in NLU faculty and introduced student-focused approaches to teaching. The NLU staff involved in the project strongly embraced a student-centered approach to learning and case-based teaching in particular, adopting these strategies in their own teaching. An analysis of students' approach to learning demonstrates that the majority preferred a deep approach to learning and that these students valued case studies, problem-solving exercises, and working in small groups during teaching sessions more than students who took a surface approach to learning. An improved recognition of the ways the Vietnamese students approach their learning in their home country will guide future teaching design, as well as give insight into the approaches to teaching for Southeast Asian students within the Australian veterinary science programs.

Rapid Emergence, Subsidence, and Molecular Detection of Escherichia coli Sequence Type 1193-fimH64, a New Disseminated Multidrug-Resistant Commensal and Extraintestinal Pathogen.

Escherichia coli sequence type 1193 (ST1193) is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen. We performed longitudinal and cross-sectional surveillance for ST1193 among clinical and fecal E. coli isolates from Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) patients and their household members, other Minnesota centers, and national VAMCs and compared these ST1193 isolates with archival human and canine ST1193 isolates from Australia (2008). We also developed and extensively validated a novel multiplex PCR assay for ST1193 and its characteristic fimH64 (type 1 fimbrial adhesin) allele. We found that ST1193-H64 (where "H64" refers to a phylogenetic subdivision within ST1193 that is characterized by the fimH64 allele), which was uniformly fluoroquinolone resistant, appeared to emerge in the United States in a geographically staggered fashion beginning around 2011. Its prevalence among clinical and fecal E. coli isolates at the Minneapolis VAMC rose rapidly beginning in 2013, peaked in early 2017, and then plateaued or declined. In comparison with other ST14 complex (STc14) isolates, ST1193-H64 isolates were more extensively multidrug resistant, whereas their virulence genotypes were less extensive but included (uniquely) K1 capsule and fimH64 Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis separated ST1193-H64 isolates from other STc14 isolates and showed genetic commonality between archival Australian versus recent U.S. isolates, fecal versus clinical isolates, and human versus canine isolates. Three main ST1193 pulsotypes differed significantly in resistance profiles and capsular types; emergent pulsotype 2123 was associated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole resistance and K1 (versus K5) capsule. These findings clarify ST1193-H64's temporal prevalence trends as a fluoroquinolone-resistant pathogen and commensal; document clonal subsets with distinctive geographic, temporal, resistance, and virulence gene associations; and establish a new laboratory tool for rapid and simple detection of ST1193-H64.

Mapping the carriage of flaA-restriction fragment length polymorphism Campylobacter genotypes on poultry carcasses through the processing chain and comparison to clinical isolates.

Poultry are considered a major source for campylobacteriosis in humans. A total of 1866 Campylobacter spp. isolates collected through the poultry processing chain were typed using flaA-restriction fragment length polymorphism to measure the impact of processing on the genotypes present. Temporally related human clinical isolates (n = 497) were also typed. Isolates were obtained from whole chicken carcass rinses of chickens collected before scalding, after scalding, before immersion chilling, after immersion chilling and after packaging as well as from individual caecal samples. A total of 32 genotypes comprising at least four isolates each were recognised. Simpson's Index of Diversity (D) was calculated for each sampling site within each flock, for each flock as a whole and for the clinical isolates. From caecal collection to after packaging samples the D value did not change in two flocks, decreased in one flock and increased in the fourth flock. Dominant genotypes occurred in each flock but their constitutive percentages changed through processing. There were 23 overlapping genotypes between clinical and chicken isolates. The diversity of Campylobacter is flock dependant and may alter through processing. This study confirms that poultry are a source of campylobacteriosis in the Australian population although other sources may contribute.

The Intimin-Like Protein FdeC Is Regulated by H-NS and Temperature in Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a Shiga-toxigenic pathogen capable of inducing severe forms of enteritis (e.g., hemorrhagic colitis) and extraintestinal sequelae (e.g., hemolytic-uremic syndrome). The molecular basis of colonization of human and animal hosts by EHEC is not yet completely understood, and an improved understanding of EHEC mucosal adherence may lead to the development of interventions that could disrupt host colonization. FdeC, also referred to by its IHE3034 locus tag ECOK1_0290, is an intimin-like protein that was recently shown to contribute to kidney colonization in a mouse urinary tract infection model. The expression of FdeC is tightly regulated in vitro, and FdeC shows promise as a vaccine candidate against extraintestinal E. coli strains. In this study, we characterized the prevalence, regulation, and function of fdeC in EHEC. We showed that the fdeC gene is conserved in both O157 and non-O157 EHEC and encodes a protein that is expressed at the cell surface and promotes biofilm formation under continuous-flow conditions in a recombinant E. coli strain background. We also identified culture conditions under which FdeC is expressed and showed that minor alterations of these conditions, such as changes in temperature, can significantly alter the level of FdeC expression. Additionally, we demonstrated that the transcription of the fdeC gene is repressed by the global regulator H-NS. Taken together, our data suggest a role for FdeC in EHEC when it grows at temperatures above 37°C, a condition relevant to its specialized niche at the rectoanal junctions of cattle.

Fluoroquinolone-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli, including O25b-ST131, isolated from faeces of hospitalized dogs in an Australian veterinary referral centre.

OBJECTIVES: To determine rates of carriage of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) among dogs in a specialist referral hospital and to examine the population structure of the isolates. METHODS: Fluoroquinolone-resistant faecal E. coli isolates (n = 232, from 23 of 123 dogs) recovered from hospitalized dogs in a veterinary referral centre in Sydney, Australia, over 140 days in 2009 were characterized by phylogenetic grouping, virulence genotyping and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. RESULTS: The RAPD dendrogram for representative isolates showed one group B2-associated cluster and three group D-associated clusters; each contained isolates with closely related ExPEC-associated virulence profiles. All group B2 faecal isolates represented the O25b-ST131 clonal group and were closely related to recent canine extraintestinal ST131 clinical isolates from the east coast of Australia by RAPD analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized dogs may carry fluoroquinolone-resistant ExPEC in their faeces, including those representing O25b-ST131.

Development and application of a new liver pathology recording system for use in cattle abattoirs.

Liver disease in beef cattle has a significant global economic impact on feedlot and abattoir industries due to reduced animal performance, carcase yield, and carcase quality. This study aimed to create a post-mortem data collection tool which could be deployed at chain speed on an abattoir floor, as well as to evaluate pathological findings in both normal and condemned livers from an Australian beef cattle population. The first 1006 livers were used to formulate a user-friendly, high-throughput liver grading tool for use in an abattoir setting and to evaluate the histological features of common liver abnormalities. Subsequently, over 11,000 livers from a Southeast Queensland abattoir were analyzed. The most observed defects in condemned livers were liver abscessation, fibrosis, adhesions, and liver fluke, with histological features similar to previous reports. Bacterial culture was performed in 29 cases of liver abscessation, revealing a different balance of flora to that reported internationally. This study has developed an easy to use, efficient data collection tool that enables rapid, highly detailed assessment of large numbers of beef cattle livers at slaughter. This tool will allow thorough investigation into the effect of liver disease on beef production, in both industry and research contexts.

Molecular Detection of Tetracycline-Resistant Genes in Multi-Drug-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolated from Broiler Meat in Bangladesh.

This study aimed to estimate the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns and tetracycline-resistant gene profiles of Escherichia coli (E. coli) from broiler meat and livers sourced from live bird markets (LBMs) and supermarkets (SMs) in Chattogram, Bangladesh. In total, 405 samples were collected from SMs and LBMs, comprising muscle (n = 215) and liver (n = 190) samples. Disc diffusion tests were used to determine antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. PCR was used to identify E. coli and tetracycline-resistant genes. Over half (57%) of the chicken product samples were positive for E. coli. The AMR profiling of these isolates showed that the highest prevalence of resistance was against sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim (89%), followed by tetracycline (87%), ampicillin (83%), and ciprofloxacin (61%). Among the antimicrobials listed by the World Health Organization as critically important, E. coli isolates were found to be resistant to cephalexin (37%), gentamicin (32%), and colistin sulfate (21%). A large proportion of E. coli demonstrated multi-drug resistance (MDR). Most (84%) of the tetracycline-resistant isolates encoded tetA. Of the remaining isolates, 0.5% encoded tetC, 6.0% encoded two genes, and 3.6% of isolates were tetD, which was newly identified by this study in Bangladesh. Broiler products in Bangladesh are frequently contaminated with multi-drug-resistant E. coli, with differential carriage of tetracycline genes. The prevalence of tetracycline resistance among E. coli indicates a concern for poultry health and welfare regarding the management of colibacillosis. It also indicates growing public health risks of AMR among broiler-associated pathogens, which can be transferred to humans via the food chain. Appropriate control measures should be developed and implemented, focused on the rational use of antimicrobials in poultry farming systems, to mitigate risk from this drug-resistant zoonotic pathogen from foods of animal origin and to protect public health.

Prominence of an O75 clonal group (clonal complex 14) among non-ST131 fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli causing extraintestinal infections in humans and dogs in Australia.

Fluoroquinolone (FQ)-resistant extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (FQ(r) ExPEC) strains from phylogenetic group B2 are undergoing epidemic spread. Isolates belonging to phylogenetic group B2 are generally more virulent than other E. coli isolates; therefore, resistance to FQs among group B2 isolates is concerning. Although clonal expansion of sequence type 131 (ST131) is a major factor, the contribution of additional clonal groups has not been quantified. Group B2 FQ(r) ExPEC isolates from humans (n = 250) and dogs (n = 12) in Australia were screened for ST131, a recently recognized and rapidly emerging multidrug-resistant and virulent clonal group that is important in both human and companion animal medicine. Non-ST131 isolates underwent virulence genotyping, PCR-based O typing, partial multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and FQ resistance mechanism analysis. Of 49 non-ST131 isolates (45 human, 4 canine), 49% (24 human, 2 canine) represented O-type O75 and exhibited conserved virulence genotypes (F10 papA allele, iha, fimH, sat, vat, fyuA, iutA, kpsMII, usp, ompT, malX, K1/K5 capsule) and MLST allele profiles corresponding with clonal complex CC14. Two clusters, each containing canine and human isolates, were identified by PFGE (differentiated by K1 and K5 capsules). Australian FQ(r) O75 isolates exhibited commonality with an historical FQ-susceptible O75 urosepsis isolate (also CC14). The isolation from humans and dogs of highly similar FQ(r) derivatives of the classic O75:K1/K5 (CC14) ExPEC lineage suggests recent acquisition of FQ resistance and potential cross-host-species transfer. This lineage should be targeted with ST131 in future epidemiological investigations of FQ(r) ExPEC.

A nonsense mutation in cGMP-dependent type II protein kinase (PRKG2) causes dwarfism in American Angus cattle.

Historically, dwarfism was the major genetic defect in U.S. beef cattle. Aggressive culling and sire testing were used to minimize its prevalence; however, neither of these practices can eliminate a recessive genetic defect. We assembled a 4-generation pedigree to identify the mutation underlying dwarfism in American Angus cattle. An adaptation of the Elston-Steward algorithm was used to overcome small pedigree size and missing genotypes. The dwarfism locus was fine-mapped to BTA6 between markers AFR227 and BM4311. Four candidate genes were sequenced, revealing a nonsense mutation in exon 15 of cGMP-dependant type II protein kinase (PRKG2). This C/T transition introduced a stop codon (R678X) that truncated 85 C-terminal amino acids, including a large portion of the kinase domain. Of the 75 mutations discovered in this region, only this mutation was 100% concordant with the recessive pattern of inheritance in affected and carrier individuals (log of odds score = 6.63). Previous research has shown that PRKG2 regulates SRY (sex-determining region Y) box 9 (SOX9)-mediated transcription of collagen 2 (COL2). We evaluated the ability of wild-type (WT) or R678X PRKG2 to regulate COL2 expression in cell culture. Real-time PCR results confirmed that COL2 is overexpressed in cells that overexpressed R678X PRKG2 as compared with WT PRKG2. Furthermore, COL2 and COL10 mRNA expression was increased in dwarf cattle compared with unaffected cattle. These experiments indicate that the R678X mutation is functional, resulting in a loss of PRKG2 regulation of COL2 and COL10 mRNA expression. Therefore, we present PRKG2 R678X as a causative mutation for dwarfism cattle.

Natural Exposure- and Vaccination-Induced Profiles of Ex Vivo Whole Blood Cytokine Responses to Coxiella burnetii.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease caused by the highly infectious Gram-negative coccobacillus, Coxiella burnetii (C. burnetii). The Q fever vaccine Q-VAX® is characterised by high reactogenicity, requiring individuals to be pre-screened for prior exposure before vaccination. To date it remains unclear whether vaccine side effects in pre-exposed individuals are associated with pre-existing adaptive immune responses to C. burnetii or are also a function of innate responses to Q-VAX®. In the current study, we measured innate and adaptive cytokine responses to C. burnetii and compared these among individuals with different pre-exposure status. Three groups were included: n=98 Dutch blood bank donors with unknown exposure status, n=95 Dutch village inhabitants with known natural exposure status to C. burnetii during the Dutch Q fever outbreak of 2007-2010, and n=96 Australian students receiving Q-VAX® vaccination in 2021. Whole blood cytokine responses following ex vivo stimulation with heat-killed C. burnetii were assessed for IFNγ, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, TNFα, IL-1ß, IP-10, MIP-1α and IL-8. Serological data were collected for all three cohorts, as well as data on skin test and self-reported vaccine side effects and clinical symptoms during past infection. IFNγ, IP-10 and IL-2 responses were strongly elevated in individuals with prior C. burnetii antigen exposure, whether through infection or vaccination, while IL-1ß, IL-6 and TNFα responses were slightly increased in naturally exposed individuals only. High dimensional analysis of the cytokine data identified four clusters of individuals with distinct cytokine response signatures. The cluster with the highest levels of adaptive cytokines and antibodies comprised solely individuals with prior exposure to C. burnetii, while another cluster was characterized by high innate cytokine production and an absence of C. burnetii-induced IP-10 production paired with high baseline IP-10 levels. Prior exposure status was partially associated with these signatures, but could not be clearly assigned to a single cytokine response signature. Overall, Q-VAX® vaccination and natural C. burnetii infection were associated with comparable cytokine response signatures, largely driven by adaptive cytokine responses. Neither individual innate and adaptive cytokine responses nor response signatures were associated retrospectively with clinical symptoms during infection or prospectively with side effects post-vaccination.

Commonality among fluoroquinolone-resistant sequence type ST131 extraintestinal Escherichia coli isolates from humans and companion animals in Australia.

Escherichia coli sequence type 131 (ST131), an emergent multidrug-resistant extraintestinal pathogen, has spread epidemically among humans and was recently isolated from companion animals. To assess for human-companion animal commonality among ST131 isolates, 214 fluoroquinolone-resistant extraintestinal E. coli isolates (205 from humans, 9 from companion animals) from diagnostic laboratories in Australia, provisionally identified as ST131 by PCR, selectively underwent PCR-based O typing and bla(CTX-M-15) detection. A subset then underwent multilocus sequence typing (MLST), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis, extended virulence genotyping, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and fluoroquinolone resistance genotyping. All isolates were O25b positive, except for two O16 isolates and one O157 isolate, which (along with six O25b-positive isolates) were confirmed by MLST to be ST131. Only 12% of isolates (25 human, 1 canine) exhibited bla(CTX-M-15). PFGE analysis of 20 randomly selected human and all 9 companion animal isolates showed multiple instances of ≥94% profile similarity across host species; 12 isolates (6 human, 6 companion animal) represented pulsotype 968, the most prevalent ST131 pulsotype in North America (representing 23% of a large ST131 reference collection). Virulence gene and antimicrobial resistance profiles differed minimally, without host species specificity. The analyzed ST131 isolates also exhibited a conserved, host species-independent pattern of chromosomal fluoroquinolone resistance mutations. However, eight (89%) companion animal isolates, versus two (10%) human isolates, possessed the plasmid-borne qnrB gene (P < 0.001). This extensive across-species strain commonality, plus the similarities between Australian and non-Australian ST131 isolates, suggest that ST131 isolates are exchanged between humans and companion animals both within Australia and intercontinentally.

Clonal group distribution of fluoroquinolone-resistant Escherichia coli among humans and companion animals in Australia.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the phylogenetic group distribution and prevalence of three major globally disseminated clonal groups [clonal group A (CGA) and O15:K52:H1, associated with phylogenetic group D, and sequence type ST131, associated with phylogenetic group B2] among fluoroquinolone-resistant extra-intestinal Escherichia coli isolates from humans and companion animals in Australia. METHODS: Clinical extra-intestinal fluoroquinolone-resistant E. coli isolates were obtained from humans (n = 582) and companion animals (n = 125), on Australia's east coast (October 2007-October 2009). Isolates were tested for susceptibility to seven antimicrobial agents, and for phylogenetic group, O type and clonal-group-specific single nucleotide polymorphisms by PCR. RESULTS: The fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates were typically resistant to multiple agents (median of four). Analysis revealed that clonal group ST131 accounted for a large subset of the human isolates (202/585, 35%), but for a much smaller proportion of the companion animal isolates (9/125, 7.2%; P

Geographical distribution and risk factors for Echinococcus granulosus infection in peri-urban wild dog populations.

The transmission of zoonotic pathogens associated with wildlife in peri-urban environments can be influenced by the interplay of numerous socioecological factors. Echinococcus granulosus is known to be common within peri-urban wild dog populations however knowledge of the factors that influence its presence is limited. We investigated the demographic distribution of adult cestode abundance (ACA: defined as the product between prevalence of infection and adult cestode infection intensity) and the role of the physical environment, climate and individual factors in determining the geographical variation of E. granulosus infection in wild dog populations from southeast Queensland and surrounds. Our results align with previous studies that show significant E. granulosus aggregation in that 15.8% of peri-urban wild dogs sampled were responsible for ∼70% of the total adult cestode infection intensity. On average, female dogs were found to have a higher ACA than male dogs, and the average ACA generally decreased with age. Significant geographical variation was found in the prevalence of E. granulosus, with a strong propensity for clustering. The average size of clusters was 22.5 km. The probability of finding E. granulosus infection significantly increased with maximum temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall, and after accounting for individual and climatic variables, the model accounted for the majority of the spatial dependence in prevalence. Our predictive map of E. granulosus prevalence in peri-urban wild dogs confirms that E. granulosus is highly endemic in the eastern Australia study area. The prediction map provides a useful tool for targeting potential disease management strategies in peri-urban areas, where broad scale management of wild dog populations is difficult to implement.

Infection control practices employed within small animal veterinary practices-A systematic review.

Effective infection control (IC) provides a safe environment for staff, clients and animals of veterinary practices by reducing the risk of nosocomial and zoonotic infections, which are associated with increased hospital stays, costs, morbidity and mortality. An equally important issue arising from nosocomial infection is the loss of trust between the client and the veterinary practice that has potential negative impacts on the veterinary practice in terms of economic risk and the well-being of staff. Furthermore, an emerging and significant threat, in this context, is antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this systematic review was to critically review published reports that documented current IC practices and evaluated interventions to improve IC practices. A systematic literature search using ten databases to identify papers published over a 20-year period (February 1996 to February 2016) was conducted for studies that met the inclusion criteria. Included studies were assessed using the PRISMA and STROBE-Vet statements. A total of 14 of 1,615 identified studies met our inclusion criteria. Infection control practices included hand hygiene, sharps handling, environmental cleaning, personal protective equipment and personnel vaccination. Descriptive studies were the predominant research design for assessing IC compliance. Only three studies were interventions. Compliance with IC protocols was poor and only marginally increased with multimodal educational campaigns. There was significant variation in the implementation of IC by veterinary staff. Workplaces that had IC policies, management support and a staff member supporting their implementation were more likely to embrace good IC. Infection control data in veterinary practices were inconsistently reported and collected. Clearly defining IC and determining prevalence of these practices within the veterinary field is important given the limited research in this area. Further, developing and implementing educational campaigns for this sector is needed.

Low numbers of intestinal Shiga toxin-producing E. coli correlate with a poor prognosis in sheep infected with bovine leukemia virus.

Healthy ruminants carry intestinal Shiga toxin (Stx)-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Stx has antiviral activities in vitro and STEC numbers correlate with reduced early viremia in sheep experimentally infected with bovine leukemia virus (BLV). This study assessed the impact of intestinal STEC on BLV-induced disease for one year post-BLV-challenge. High STEC scores (CFU/g feces x frequency of STEC-positive samples) correlated with good health, whereas poor weight gain, distress, and tumor development occurred only among animals with low STEC scores. STEC carriage was associated with increased percentages of B cells in peripheral blood.

Veterinary Students' Knowledge and Perceptions About Antimicrobial Stewardship and Biosecurity-A National Survey.

A better understanding of veterinary students’ perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge about antimicrobial stewardship and biosecurity could facilitate more effective education of future veterinarians about these important issues. A multicenter cross-sectional study was performed by administering a questionnaire to veterinary students expected to graduate in 2017 or 2018 in all Australian veterinary schools. Four hundred and seventy-six of 1246 students (38%) completed the survey. Many students were unaware of the high importance of some veterinary drugs to human medicine, specifically enrofloxacin and cefovecin (59% and 47% of responses, respectively). Fewer than 10% of students would use appropriate personal protective equipment in scenarios suggestive of Q fever or psittacosis. Students expected to graduate in 2018 were more likely to select culture and susceptibility testing in companion animal cases (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.33–2.69, p < 0.001), and were more likely to appropriately avoid antimicrobials in large animal cases (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.26–2.44, p = 0.001) than those expected to graduate in 2017. However, 2018 graduates were less likely to correctly identify the importance rating of veterinary antimicrobials for human health (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.34–0.67, p < 0.001) than 2017 graduates. Students reported having a good knowledge of antimicrobial resistance, and combating resistance, but only 34% thought pharmacology teaching was adequate and only 20% said that teaching in lectures matched clinical teaching. Efforts need to be made to harmonize preclinical and clinical teaching, and greater emphasis is needed on appropriate biosecurity and antimicrobial stewardship.

Frequency of Adverse Events Following Q Fever Immunisation in Young Adults.

Q fever is a zoonosis of concern in many countries. Vaccination is the most effective means of prevention, and since 1989, Australia has had a licensed Q fever vaccine, Q-VAX®. This vaccine was also used in the Netherlands in 2011 following the largest recorded Q fever outbreak globally. There is a paucity of available data regarding adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) for young adult females. Such data are important for informing future vaccination recommendations both within Australia and internationally. This study collected Q fever vaccine (Q-VAX®) AEFI data in veterinary and animal science students at Australian universities. Students were enrolled at the time of vaccination and were emailed a link to an online AEFI survey one week later. Of the 60% (499/827) that responded, 85% were female and the median age was 18 years. Local injection site reactions (ISRs) occurred in 98% (95%; CI 96⁻99%) of respondents, of which 30% (95% CI 24⁻32%) were severe. Systemic AEFI occurred in 60% (95%; CI 55⁻64%) of respondents within the seven days following immunisation. Medical attention was sought by 19/499 (3.8%) respondents, of whom one sought treatment at a hospital emergency department. Females were more likely than males to experience any local ISR (odds ratio [OR] 9.3; 95% CI 2.5⁻33.8; p < 0.001), ISRs of greater severity (OR 2.5; 95% CI 1.5⁻4.2; p < 0.001), and any systemic AEFI (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.1⁻3.1; p = 0.016). These safety data suggest that a high frequency of adverse events following immunisation should be expected in young adults, particularly females. However, the consequences of Q fever disease are potentially far more debilitating.

Clay nanoparticles co-deliver three antigens to promote potent immune responses against pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Currently, there are few strategies for controlling pathogenic bacteria, especially the pathotypes of Escherichia coli which are an emerging threat to public health worldwide. Here, multivalent vaccine formulations are reported for control of pathogenic E. coli. The formulations utilised clay nanoparticles, either layered double hydroxides (LDH) or hectorite (HEC), to complex with a cocktail of three recombinant antigens, intimin ß (IB), proprietary antigen 1 (PAg1) and proprietary antigen 2 (PAg2). Acting as nano-adjuvants, LDH and HEC were able to stimulate strong, durable and balanced immune responses in mice. Moreover, LDH-IB-PAg1-PAg2 and HEC-IB-PAg1-PAg2 immunised mice developed potent mucosal immune responses and efficiently prevented adherence of enterohemorrhagic E. coli serotype O26 to mammalian cells. Notably, the multi-faceted immune responses elicited by the clay nanoparticle formulations were significantly higher than those induced by a QuilA formulation, without antigenic competition observed for the first time. The results of this study suggest that LDH and HEC offer considerable promise as effective multivalent vaccine carriers against important pathogens such as enteropathogenic E. coli.

Long-term persistence of multi-drug-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Newport in two dairy herds.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between maintaining joint hospital and maternity pens and persistence of multi-drug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Newport on 2 dairy farms. DESIGN: Observational study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Feces and environmental samples from 2 dairy herds. PROCEDURE: Herds were monitored for fecal shedding of S enterica Newport after outbreaks of clinical disease. Fecal and environmental samples were collected approximately monthly from pens housing sick cows and calving cows and from pens containing lactating cows. Cattle shedding the organism were tested serially on subsequent visits to determine carrier status. One farm was resampled after initiation of interventional procedures, including separation of hospital and maternity pens. Isolates were characterized via serotyping, determination of antimicrobial resistance phenotype, detection of the CMY-2 gene, and DNA fingerprinting. RESULTS: The prevalence (32.4% and 33.3% on farms A and B, respectively) of isolating Salmonella from samples from joint hospital-maternity pens was significantly higher than the prevalence in samples from pens housing preparturient cows (0.8%, both farms) and postparturient cows on Farm B (8.8%). Multi-drug-resistant Salmonella Newport was isolated in high numbers from bedding material, feed refusals, lagoon slurry, and milk filters. One cow excreted the organism for 190 days. Interventional procedures yielded significant reductions in the prevalences of isolating the organism from fecal and environmental samples. Most isolates were of the C2 serogroup and were resistant to third-generation cephalosporins. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Management practices may be effective at reducing the persistence of MDR Salmonella spp in dairy herds, thus mitigating animal and public health risk.