Academic literature on the topic 'Communicable diseases in animals. Cattle'

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) and fasciolosis are important but neglected diseases that result in chronic infections in cattle. However, in Zambia, these diseases are mainly diagnosed at abattoirs during routine meat inspection. Albeit the coinfection status, these diseases have been reported as nothing more than normal separate findings without an explanatory phenomena. Forthwith, we formulated this study to assess the possible association of the two diseases in a known high prevalence area on the Kafue basin ecosystem. Of the 1,680 animals screened, 600 (35.7%; 95% CI 33.4%–38%) and 124 (7.4%; 95% CI 6.1%–8.6%) had fasciolosis and tuberculous lesions; respectively, whilst 72 had both fasciola and tuberculous lesions representing 12% (95% CI 9.4%–14.6%) and 58.1% (95% CI; 49.3%–66.7%) of the total positives for fasciola and tuberculosis, respectively. Jaundice was seen in 304 animals, 18.1% (95% CI; 16.3%–19.9%) and was significantly correlated to fasciolosis (r=0.59,P<0.0001). A significant association (χ2=76.2,df=1, andP<0.0001) was found between fasciolosis and tuberculous lesions. Simple logistic regression intimated fasciolosis as a strong predictor for tuberculous lesions with animals that had fasciola being five times more likely to have tuberculous lesions (odds ratio = 4.8, 95% CI: 3.3–7.0). This study indicates that transmission and spatial risk factors of communicable and noncommunicable diseases such as bTB and fasciolosis can be correlated in an ecosystem such as the Kafue flats.

The main direction of state policy regarding the guaranty safety and quality of animal products is the creation of conditions that are safe for human health during the production and sale of food raw materials. According to current legislation of Ukraine responsibility for the safety of food products placed on the manufacturer but government control plays an important role. This is especially true today, when almost 69.5% of meat is produced in private home farms. It is mainly sold in the agro-industrial markets. The State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety should perform the conditions of modern European regulation and base its activities on the basis of risk assessment. One of the risks are parasitosis, as their negative effect affects the health of millions of people in the world. In this cjnnection the purpose of the study was to analyze the dynamics of the identification of invasive diseases at the stages of slaughter of animals and the sale of slaughter products. Research material was reporting on veterinary medicine (Form № 5-vet and Form № 6-vet) of a number of districts of Odessa region for 2014‒2017. It was founded that 75943 animals were slaughtered in 2014‒2017: 91.18% pigs, 8.14% cattle and 0.68% sheep. The analysis of the dynamics of slaughter, depending on its location, showed that from 41.85% to 99.81% of animals were slaughtered at courtyard. According to the results of veterinary-sanitary control and supervision during the slaughter for the studied years there were no cases of diseases. It was founded that 22617 animal’s carcasses came to the agrofood markets of the regions for the years 2014‒2017, among which 89.56% were pig carcasses, 10,11% cattle carcasses and only 0.33% sheep. According to results of veterinary-sanitary examination in the conditions of SLVSE in the markets, specialists established 351 cases of diseases. In the study of pig carcasses 246 cases of diseases were detected: among them of non-communicable (45.93%) and invasive (54.07%) etiology (echinococcosis). Luring the expertise of cattle carcases was founded 96 cases of diseases: – dicroceliosis (98.96%) and exinococcosis (1.04%); during the expertise of sheep’s carcases – 9 cases of diseases – dicroceliosis (66.67%) and exinococcosis (33.33%). Considering that during the reporting period, according to the results of veterinary-sanitary control and supervision during the slaughter of animals, no cases of diseases were detected, but at the same time the number of cases of detection of invasive diseases during veterinary-sanitary examination in SLVSE on markets constantly increases risk management at the stage of slaughter can be considered not sufficiently effective. Also, the results of our research indicate that the current system for managing the safety of slaughter products is still based primarily on the study of the final product. It does not take into account all possible risks at the previous stages of production. This system can’t fully guarantee to consumer safety of products.

Livestock movements create complex dynamic interactions among premises that can be represented, interpreted, and used for epidemiological purposes. These movements are a very important part of the production chain but may also contribute to the spread of infectious diseases through the transfer of infected animals over large distances. Social network analysis (SNA) can be used to characterize cattle trade patterns and to identify highly connected premises that may act as hubs in the movement network, which could be subjected to targeted control measures in order to reduce the transmission of communicable diseases such as bovine tuberculosis (TB). Here, we analyzed data on cattle movement and slaughterhouse surveillance for detection of TB-like lesions (TLL) over the 2016–2018 period in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) in Brazil with the following aims: (i) to characterize cattle trade describing the static full, yearly, and monthly snapshots of the network contact trade, (ii) to identify clusters in the space and contact networks of premises from which animals with TLL originated, and (iii) to evaluate the potential of targeted control actions to decrease TB spread in the cattle population of RS using a stochastic metapopulation disease transmission model that simulated within-farm and between-farm disease spread. We found heterogeneous densities of premises and animals in the study area. The analysis of the contact network revealed a highly connected (~94%) trade network, with strong temporal trends, especially for May and November. The TLL cases were significantly clustered in space and in the contact network, suggesting the potential for both local (e.g., fence-to-fence) and movement-mediated TB transmission. According to the disease spread model, removing the top 7% connected farms based on degree and betweenness could reduce the total number of infected farms over three years by >50%. In conclusion, the characterization of the cattle network suggests that highly connected farms may play a role in TB dissemination, although being close to infected farms was also identified as a risk factor for having animals with TLL. Surveillance and control actions based on degree and betweenness could be useful to break the transmission cycle between premises in RS.

An important element in solving problems relating to the preservation of young cattle livestock and production increase of livestock products is a timely diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases of non-communicable etiology, among which one of the most common is bronchopneumonia. Therefore, the development of effective methods of treatment and prevention of this pathology is an urgent problem of veterinary medicine. Despite a large number of scientific researches, many issues of etiology, pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of this disease remain insufficiently studied, especially the state of the natural resistance of calves suffering from catarrhal bronchopneumonia, which is the basis for choosing a method of treatment and prevention of this disease. The disease leads to calves deep, sometimes irreversible disturbances of bronchopulmonary system functions. Lung function is one of the first to be disrupted, playing an important role in the protective immunological reactions of the body, through which there is an increase in virulence of microorganisms, which leads to the general intoxication and severe bronchopneumonia. The situation on non-specific bronchopneumonia of calves in the Lower Volga region is tense, but it is to the same extent as in other regions having problems with this pathology. It is obvious that the susceptibility of calves to respiratory diseases is formed under the influence of antenatal influences and is manifested in the presence of adverse environmental factors leading to depletion of reserves adaptation in the first months of animal life. The obtained set of regional characteristics of bronchopneumonia of non-infectious etiology allows to consider this pathology as an indicator of the ecological unwell-being of big cattle herds in the Lower Volga region.

Every year, more than 55,000 people in the world die of rabies, which is confirmed by the data of the WHO expert committee. Up to 40% of victims, from bites sick or suspected of rabies animals are children under the age of 15 years. The source of the rabies agent in 99% of human deaths was dogs. More than 15 million people around the world receive anti-rabies vaccinations after contact with sick or rabies-pets. According to experts, this prevents 327 thousand deaths from rabies a year. The susceptibility to skeletal infection of various species of animals, involvement in the epizootic chain, in addition to wildlife, also in domestic and farm animals, has become an extremely high risk for humans, and the lack of means for treating rabies - determine its special place among all contagious diseases. In the current situation, a rabie must be viewed as an international rather than a local or national problem, so it describes the disease as a global scale noseau [17]. After all, according to the statistics of the International Office of Epizootics (MEB) of the governing body of the World Organization for Animal Health (WHO) cases of rabies recorded in more than 150 countries of the world. Rabies free are only the countries of Oceania and the United Kingdom, and in other countries the sporadic cases of this deadly disease are recorded. In Europe, this infection in the 50s has become epizootic. The "eradication" of the rabies virus in different countries of Europe during 2008-2015 was conducted in accordance with the developed and implemented Program, where the best results were received in Germany and Switzerland, in these countries the oral immunization of wild carnivores is used (without restrictions on funding). At the end of the last century, the epicenter of the rabies began to move from Eastern Europe to the territory of Poland (2001-2002), Croatia (2003) and then to the east - to the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, Latvia and Ukraine. The conducted monitoring of the rabies epizootology have shown that the entire territory of Ukraine is a zone of stable disadvantage of this disease. The peak of epizootics in Ukraine, over the past 65 years, has fallen to 2007 (2393 cases). Since 2008 there were registered from one to two thousand cases of rabies. In 2017 there were registered 1356 cases of animals that were sick on rabies, despite the fact those more than 4.2 million anti-rabies vaccinations of domestic animals. The analysis of the situation shows that from year to year in Ukraine new natural fires of rabies are formed and new types of reservoir animals appear, which leads to an increase in the number of outbreaks of this disease. The main pledge of successful prevention of rabies around the world is the use of effective anti-rabies vaccines. Despite the regular implementation of planned antiepizootic measures in the southern region of Ukraine (including in the Skadovsk district), there is a tendency to spread the rabies. From year to year, a significant number of rabies in wildlife, domestic and farm animals are recorded on this territory, which is a real threat to the occurrence of the disease among humans. Investigations of the territory of the Skadovsky district of the Kherson region during the period from 2013 to 2017 showed that 25 cases of rabies were recorded in 15 settlements. To the zone with high tenseness of the epizootic situation, five settlements can be attributed, in which 15 cases of rabies were registered, namely in the villages: Krasnoye and Mykolaivka for four outbreaks, Tarasivtsi three, Ptakovtsi and Blagodatnyi for two. To the zone with low tensity epizootic situation still belongs to 10 settlements, where one case of rabies is registered. If in 2013 and 2016 there were three rabies outbreaks in four settlements, in 2014 - five cases in 5 villages, and in 2015 - 4 cases in 4 settlements, then in 2017 - 10 outbreaks communicable infection in eight villages of the district. The peak of this epizootic occurred in 2017. The conducted monitoring showed that the skeletal infection was registered in 38.5% of the Skadovsky district (in 15 out of 39 available settlements). The cases of rabies in different years are interrelated, since repeated outbreaks of this disease are recorded in previously unsuccessful places (Nikolaevka, Tarasivka, Red and Ptahovka), indicating the presence of a constant source and reservoir of communicable infection in this area. It is alarming that in 2017 cases of rabies were first recorded in 6 settlements (Blagodatnoy, Grushivtsi, Oleksandrivka, Petropavlivtsi, Zeleny and Mikhailovna), which testifies to the uncontrolled epizootic situation and the further spread of this infection in the Skadovsky district. Thus, during the last 5 years, the activity of manifestation of the epizootic process on the territory of Skadovsky area was not marked by stability, there were observed two periods of lifting epizootics of rabies - in 2014 and 2017. The permanent disadvantages of certain areas of Skadovsky district can be explained, first of all, by the presence of natural cells of the common infection, especially in the steppe part where there are bushes, empty garbage and garbage. Such conditions ensure the existence of a wide variety of wild populations (wolves, red foxes), homeless dogs and stray cats, which promotes the spread of rabies epizootics in this area. Not the timely destruction of wild animals, the catching of homeless animals that are dangerous to humans, their sterilization, the creation of shelters and proper conditions for maintenance, and in the last three years, not even the holding of oral inoculations of wild animals, has led to the emergence of new anthropological cells feline infections in this region. Monitoring surveys of all reported cases of rabies in Skadovsk district for 2013-2017 showed that in this area, the source of the rabies was different species of animals - wild, domestic and agricultural. According to the observations of many scholars, rabies does not belong to seasonal diseases, but in Skadovsk district 20 were recorded in the winter and spring months, namely: 4 outbreaks of this infection were registered in November, December, February and March, 1 in January and 2 in October. From April to August - 5 outbreaks of rabies. Seasonal cases of rabies coincide with the period of racing of foxes. In the summer, the number of diseases is minimal, because the foxes are busy raising babies, and therefore their mobility is limited. In the autumn, due to young individuals, the population density increases, and accordingly there is a proliferation and new growth of this epizootic. By increasing the population of wolves and foxes, the number of rabies cases among stray dogs and stray cats increases as a result of their contacts. In the disadvantaged areas of the district, over the past 5 years, 27 cases were diagnosed with rabies animals. Monitoring studies have shown that in 2013 the rabies virus is allocated from 4 diseased animals, in 2014 from 5, in 2015 - 4, in 2016 - 3 and in 2017 - 11 diseased rabies animals. Significant increase in the morbidity rate of animals was noted in 2017. It is known that different species of animals are susceptible to the rabies virus [1, 2, 6–9, 16, 34]. The conducted studies showed that in the Skadovsky area, the circulation of the virus of cutaneous infection is possible among different animals, because the source of the pathogen was six of their species: foxes, wolves, dogs, cats, large and small cattle. In the structure of the morbidity of animals in rabies, foxes and cats occupy the leading place with 33.3%, dogs - 14.8%, wolves and cattle - by 7.5% and DRH - 3.7%. Of the total number of ill in 41% of cases, the source of the rabies virus were wild animals, and 48% were domesticated. The analysis showed that rabies in Skadovsk district was more often registered among domestic animals - 48% (9 cats and 4 dogs). Among wild animals, patients with rabies were - 41% (11 heads, of which 9 foxes and 2 wolves), and agricultural - 11% (cow, calf and goat). Thus, the statistical data of this region confirm that the source and reservoir of the rabies agent are wild (foxes) and domestic predatory animals (dogs and cats) belonging to the class of mammals. The epizootic situation in the Skadovsk district from rabies is not catastrophic, but in recent years requires more attention and strengthening measures to combat this problem, because in 2016, the density of fox in the district was 3 heads for 1000 hectares of land; in the norm for example - 0,5 - 1 a goal for 1000 hectares of land. Rating of wolves has not been conducted here, although cases of rabies among this species of animals, for the last 5 years, were recorded twice. The increased morbidity of dogs, cats and farm animals for scarcity is a sign of epizootic malaise among wildlife. Contributes to the complication of the situation of growth in settlements of the number of homeless dogs and cats, incomplete coverage of preventive vaccinations of domestic animals, violation of the rules for keeping domestic animals by their owners. All this is a prerequisite for the formation of city-type rabies cells, which we observe in Sadovsky district of the Kherson region. In connection with the deterioration of the epizootic situation from rabies, the threat of the onset and spread of this infection among the population increases. Given that the Skadovsk district of the Kherson region is in the resort zone, and a significant number of Ukrainian and foreign citizens may come to rest on the sea, they must be aware of the epizootic rabies situation in the area in order to protect themselves from the deadly infection. Key words: contagious infection, dogs, cats, red foxes, wolves, epizootic well-being, morbidity, seasonal manifestations.

ABSTRACT: Dr. Jürgen Döbereiner was born in Germany, on the 1st of November 1923, and lived in Brazil for 68 years during which time he developed a range of scientific projects in veterinary pathology and related disciplines. His main interests were the identification of new poisonous plants and mineral deficiencies and the causes of “cara inchada” (“swollen face” a periodontal disease) and botulism in livestock. This research has resulted in the improved health and saving of hundreds of thousands of animals, mainly cattle, annually, and is consequently of enormous economic value to the country. This contribution remains largely under appreciated. He was also involved in organizing diagnostic methods for identifying infectious diseases such as African swine fever and glanders in horses. One of his other major achievements has been the foundation and editing of specialized scientific journals for the documentation of veterinary science research results. At the beginning of his career in the 1950s, he and colleagues from the Institute for Animal Biology (IBA) were struggling to find a national scientific journal where research results from veterinary medicine could be published with practical application to the Brazilian reality. In consequence, the team founded “Arquivos do Instituto de Biologia Animal” and published three volumes (1959-1961). He then founded and edited “Pesquisa Agropecuária Brasileira” (The Brazilian Journal of Agricultural Research”) that included a veterinary section. A series of veterinary volumes were published (1966-1976). Finally, in 1978 he helped create the Brazilian College of Veterinary Pathology (CBPA) that published “Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira” (The Brazilian Journal of Veterinary Research) from 1981. The main goal was to communicate the most relevant disease problems of Brazilian livestock, in particular pathology and related subjects such as epidemiology, clinical study series and laboratory diagnosis to field veterinarians and academics. Dr. Jürgen Döbereiner was president of CBPA (1978-2018) and chief editor of “Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira” (1981-2018). He passed away on the 16th of October, 2018, at the age of 94 at his home in Seropédica/RJ, Brazil.

Abstract Globally, dairy consumption will increase several-fold over the next five decades as the human population expands beyond 10.5 billion people. Climate change will cause dramatic shifts in where dairy farms are located, particularly where availability of water becomes rate-limiting. Average size of dairy herds and production per cow will more than double worldwide, but number of dairy cows will decline. Greatest advances in use of technology will be in largest herds, but some technologies will jump from lower levels to higher levels, such as resistance to tropical diseases as climate warms. Sensors, automation and robotics will allow continuous monitoring and management of a farm’s animals and ecosystems. Time of ovulation will be detected automatically, and cows will be inseminated, or embryos transferred by robotic systems. Managing the epigenome to improve fertility and health will accelerate because cloud-based data, accessible through Blockchain systems, will provide ways of rapidly accessing temporal relationships between environmental events and biological responses. RNA-based technologies and novel complexes of microbes will replace many of today’s hormonal or therapeutic procedures. Several consecutive generations of breeding will be done routinely in vitro before selected generations of embryos are released for transfer. There will be distinct lines of cattle derived from global Holstein populations with genes from other breeds, and these lines will populate approximately five latitudinal regions globally. Major advances will be made in understanding why health and productivity differ among herds within common physiographic settings. We will learn how cows within a herd communicate, and our robots will communicate with cows in their herd. Milk and dairy products will be much more specialized, with greater emphasis on fatty acids, bio-active nutrients and amino-acid sequences in order to feed the global population most efficiently.

The main trend in the development of dairy farming in the Russian Federation suggests maximising milk yield and reducing milk net cost. The economic effectiveness of industrial dairy farming is largely determined by adequate feeding, as well as effective system of measures to ensure animal health and prevent infectious and non-infectious mass diseases. The main reason for the premature retirement of highly productive cows is based on the factors typical of the intensive technologies used in dairy cattle breeding, which lead to the occurrence of metabolic diseases. It is established that the intensity of metabolism is directly linked to the high productivity of cows. With a highly concentrated, mainly silage-based type of feeding, an imbalance of nutrients is often recorded, in particular as regards the sugar/ protein ratio, leading to deep metabolic disorders and the development of immunodeficiency states. Metabolic disorders in highly productive cows occur as a result of unbalanced diets as far as protein, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals are concerned. Acidosis, ruminitis and hepatosis are recorded in disordered cows and heifers. The service period exceeds 100 days in 70–75% of cows. Hepatosis and immunodeficiency states are often found in calves born to cows with signs of deep metabolic disorders. Metabolic disorders often remain unnoticed and become apparent only when pronounced pathological changes occur resulting in decreased productivity and ability to reproduce resistant young animals, as well as culling of animals. Metabolic diseases were recorded in 30–70% of cows examined in large dairy farms. The average lifetime productivity of high-yielding cows is (2.1 ± 0.15) lactations in Russia. The results of epidemiological investigations and laboratory testing of sera samples showed that emulsion inactivated vaccines administered to immunodeficient cattle induce higher titres of virus-specific antibodies than those in animals vaccinated with adsorbed vaccines.

Foreword Proactive youngstock health management is critical not only to optimise animal welfare and production efficiency and profitability, but also to minimising the environmental impact of livestock production. The morbidity and mortality rates tolerated by some producers, and at times even accepted by their vets, are often far too high. Whether it is the loss of dairy bull calves, who may have little monetary value but nevertheless contribute to both the carbon footprint and other environmental impacts of a dairy if not utilised for food production, dairy heifers with the additional loss of the best genetics in the herd or a beef suckler calf representing the only product of the cow that year, we need to do all we can to prevent death and disease. Even where calves do not die, managing sick animals is costly in treatment and labour and antibiotic use in these animals to treat, and on some farms still to prevent disease, is very likely to contribute to antimicrobial resistance. The only logical conclusion that one can come to is that if cattle units are to remain viable and produce sustainable milk and meat, we need to redouble efforts to prevent disease. Sometimes we talk of new science, while at other times we find ourselves repeating ‘the same old message’. The need for adequate colostrum management is one such case, the messages may not be new but far too many calves still fail to receive enough maternally derived antibody, making the article in this supplement on colostrum vital reading. Don't assume you, or more importantly your clients, know everything there is to know about colostrum. After ensuring calves have received initial protection via maternal derived antibody from colostrum then we need to ensure they are protected from infections as they grow, particularly respiratory diseases. Despite having had good vaccines for over 20 years, their uptake in the national herd I believe is still suboptimal, far too many calves still receive antimicrobials, and poor growth rates are common due to chronic lung damage. Ellie Button explains well in her article ‘Calf disease: an immunological perspective’ the calf's innate and acquired immunity and describes how an understanding of the calf's developing immunity can be used to enhance disease prevention. Finally, Kat Hart and colleagues discuss communication and promoting behaviour change in ‘How to engage farmers in youngstock care: a clinical forum’, something that in the past we have often forgotten. It's not good enough for vets to understand the science and turn a blind eye to poor on farm practices, or to simply tell clients what to do and walk away expecting them to do as they have been told! We often need to motivate clients towards real lasting change, and to do that we all need to communicate better. Together the three articles in this supplement are a powerful combination, the challenge is to read them and then effect valuable changes on your clients’ farms.

Within the widening European Union, large-scale movements of people, animals and food-products increasingly contribute to the potential for spread of communicable diseases. The EU was given a mandate for public health action only in 1992, under the Treaty of European Union ("Maastricht Treaty"), which was broadened in the 1997 with the Treaty of Amsterdam. While all EU countries have statutory requirements for notifying communicable diseases, national and regional communicable disease surveillance practices vary considerably (1). The Network Committee (NC) for the Epidemiological Surveillance and Control of Communicable Diseases in the EU was established in 1998 to harmonise these activities.

Doctor of Philosophy
All surveillance systems are based on an effective general surveillance system because this is the system that detects emerging diseases and the re-introduction of disease to a previously disease free area. General surveillance requires comprehensive coverage of the population through an extensive network of relationships between animal producers and observers and surveillance system officers. This system is under increasing threat in Australia (and many other countries) due to the increased biomass, animal movements, rate of disease emergence, and the decline in resource allocation for surveillance activities. The Australian surveillance system is state-based and has a complex management structure that includes State and Commonwealth government representatives, industry stakeholders (such as producer bodies) and private organisations. A developing problem is the decline in the effectiveness of the general surveillance system in the extensive (remote) cattle producing regions of northern Australia. The complex organisational structure of surveillance in Australia contributes to this, and is complicated by the incomplete capture of data (as demonstrated by slow uptake of electronic individual animal identification systems), poorly developed and integrated national animal health information systems, and declining funding streams for field and laboratory personnel and infrastructure. Of major concern is the reduction in contact between animal observers and surveillance personnel arising from the decline in resource allocation for surveillance. Fewer veterinarians are working in remote areas, fewer producers use veterinarians, and, as a result, fewer sick animals are being investigated by the general surveillance system. A syndrome is a collection of signs that occur in a sick individual. Syndromic surveillance is an emerging approach to monitoring populations for change in disease levels and is based on statistical monitoring of the distribution of signs, syndromes and associations between health variables in a population. Often, diseases will have syndromes that are characteristic and the monitoring of these syndromes may provide for early detection of outbreaks. Because the process uses general signs, this method may support the existing (struggling) general surveillance system for the extensive cattle producing regions of northern Australia. Syndromic surveillance systems offer many potential advantages. First, the signs that are monitored can be general and include any health-related variable. This generality provides potential as a detector of emerging diseases. Second, many of the data types used occur early in a disease process and therefore efficient syndromic surveillance systems can detect disease events in a timely manner. There are many hurdles to the successful deployment of a syndromic surveillance system and most relate to data. An effective system will ideally obtain data from multiple sources, all data will conform to a standard (therefore each data source can be validly combined), data coverage will be extensive (across the population) and data capture will be in real time (allowing early detection). This picture is one of a functional electronic data world and unfortunately this is not the norm for either human or animal heath. Less than optimal data, lack of data standards, incomplete coverage of the population and delayed data transmission result in a loss of sensitivity, specificity and timeliness of detection. In human syndromic surveillance, most focus has been placed on earlier detection of mass bioterrorism events and this has concentrated research on the problems of electronic data. Given the current state of animal health data, the development of efficient detection algorithms represents the least of the hurdles. However, the world is moving towards increased automation and therefore the problems with current data can be expected to be resolved in the next decade. Despite the lack of large scale deployment of these systems, the question is becoming when, not whether these system will contribute. The observations of a stock worker are always the start of the surveillance pathway in animal health. Traditionally this required the worker to contact a veterinarian who would investigate unusual cases with the pathway ending in laboratory samples and specific diagnostic tests. The process is inefficient as only a fraction of cases observed by stock workers end in diagnostic samples. These observations themselves are most likely to be amenable to capture and monitoring using syndromic surveillance techniques. A pilot study of stock workers in the extensive cattle producing Lower Gulf region of Queensland demonstrated that experienced non-veterinary observers of cattle can describe the signs that they see in sick cattle in an effective manner. Lay observers do not posses a veterinary vocabulary, but the provision of a system to facilitate effective description of signs resulted in effective and standardised description of disease. However, most producers did not see personal benefit from providing this information and worried that they might be exposing themselves to regulatory impost if they described suspicious signs. Therefore the pilot study encouraged the development of a syndromic surveillance system that provides a vocabulary (a template) for lay observers to describe disease and a reason for them to contribute their data. The most important disease related drivers for producers relate to what impact the disease may have in their herd. For this reason, the Bovine Syndromic Surveillance System (BOSSS) was developed incorporating the Bayesian cattle disease diagnostic program BOVID. This allowed the observer to receive immediate information from interpretation of their observation providing a differential list of diseases, a list of questions that may help further differentiate cause, access to information and other expertise, and opportunity to benchmark disease performance. BOSSS was developed as a web-based reporting system and used a novel graphical user interface that interlinked with an interrogation module to enable lay observers to accurately and fully describe disease. BOSSS used a hierarchical reporting system that linked individual users with other users along natural reporting pathways and this encouraged the seamless and rapid transmission of information between users while respecting confidentiality. The system was made available for testing at the state level in early 2006, and recruitment of producers is proceeding. There is a dearth of performance data from operational syndromic surveillance systems. This is due, in part, to the short period that these systems have been operational and the lack of major human health outbreaks in areas with operational systems. The likely performance of a syndromic surveillance system is difficult to theorise. Outbreaks vary in size and distribution, and quality of outbreak data capture is not constant. The combined effect of a lack of track record and the many permutations of outbreak and data characteristics make computer simulation the most suitable method to evaluate likely performance. A stochastic simulation model of disease spread and disease reporting by lay observers throughout a grid of farms was modelled. The reporting characteristics of lay observers were extrapolated from the pilot study and theoretical disease was modelled (as a representation of newly emergent disease). All diseases were described by their baseline prevalence and by conditional sign probabilities (obtained from BOVID and from a survey of veterinarians in Queensland). The theoretical disease conditional sign probabilities were defined by the user. Their spread through the grid of farms followed Susceptible-Infected-Removed (SIR) principles (in herd) and by mass action between herds. Reporting of disease events and signs in events was modelled as a probabilistic event using sampling from distributions. A non-descript disease characterised by gastrointestinal signs and a visually spectacular disease characterised by neurological signs were modelled, each over three outbreak scenarios (least, moderately and most contagious). Reports were examined using two algorithms. These were the cumulative sum (CuSum) technique of adding excess of cases (above a maximum limit) for individual signs and the generic detector What’s Strange About Recent Events (WSARE) that identifies change to variable counts or variable combination counts between time periods. Both algorithms detected disease for all disease and outbreak characteristics combinations. WSARE was the most efficient algorithm, detecting disease on average earlier than CuSum. Both algorithms had high sensitivity and excellent specificity. The timeliness of detection was satisfactory for the insidious gastrointestinal disease (approximately 24 months after introduction), but not sufficient for the visually spectacular neurological disease (approximately 20 months) as the traditional surveillance system can be expected to detect visually spectacular diseases in reasonable time. Detection efficiency was not influenced greatly by the proportion of producers that report or by the proportion of cases or the number of signs per case that are reported. The modelling process demonstrated that a syndromic surveillance system in this remote region is likely to be a useful addition to the existing system. Improvements that are planned include development of a hand-held computer version and enhanced disease and syndrome mapping capability. The increased use of electronic recording systems, including livestock identification, will facilitate the deployment of BOSSS. Long term sustainability will require that producers receive sufficient reward from BOSSS to continue to provide reports over time. This question can only be answered by field deployment and this work is currently proceeding.

Social animals, such as primates, incur many fitness-related costs as a direct result of living in groups of conspecifics. However, group-living also comes with benefits. Sociality is thought to have evolved in response to the need for individuals to negotiate their social environment in order to maximise the benefits and minimise the costs associated with group-living. Recently, researchers interested in animal sociality have turned to a set of sophisticated statistical tools, collectively termed 'social network analysis' in order to better understand the structure of animal social systems and the role of individuals within their social groups. Using a social network analytic approach, I explore the relationship between the ecological and social environments, and the implications of an uncertain social landscape for individual fitness and fitness-relevant processes in two species of Old-World monkeys: chacma baboons (Papio hamadryas ursinus) and vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops pygerythrus). My results suggest that individuals respond to fluctuating local conditions in diverse ways depending on behavioural context and their current reproductive state, and that the social environment experienced by an individual, and their active pattern of social engagement has important implications for infant survival. Finally, I investigate how network structure influences two fitness-relevant processes of flow in a population of vervet monkeys: information transfer and disease transmission. I conclude that the complex social life of animal groups emerges from many individuals trying to achieve the same fitness goals. Successful individuals exploit the complexity in their social environment and respond adaptively to an uncertain and inconstant set of local conditions by actively adopting social strategies that serve to enhance their fitness.

The most important tick-borne diseases (TBDs) occurring in Zambia that affect domestic animals, particularly cattle and small ruminants, are theileriosis (East Coast fever and Corridor disease), anaplasmosis (gall sickness), babesiosis (red water), and heartwater (cowdriosis). Of these, theileriosis is the most important, causing significantly more deaths than the other tick-borne diseases combined. Despite their importance, little is known about the occurrence and prevalence of haemoparasites in cattle in the communal areas of Zambia. Clinical signs and post mortem lesions are pathognomonic of mixed tick-borne infections especially babesiosis, anaplasmosis and East Coast fever (ECF). The main objective of this study was, therefore, to screen selected communal herds of cattle for tick-borne haemoparasites and identify the tick vectors associated with the high cattle mortalities due to suspected TBDs in the local breeds of cattle grazing along the banks of the Chambeshi River in Mungwi, Zambia. East Coast fever is endemic to the district of Mungwi, Northern Province, Zambia and vector control using acaricides has proved to be very costly for the small scale farmers. Also, Mungwi experiences increased cattle mortalities between December to March and May to July. All age groups of cattle are affected. A total of 299 cattle blood samples were collected from July to September 2010 from Kapamba (n=50), Chifulo (n=102), Chisanga (n=38), Kowa (n=95) and Mungwi central (n=14) in the Mungwi District, Northern Province, Zambia. Ticks were also collected from the sampled cattle from April to July 2011. DNA was extracted and the parasite hypervariable region of the small subunit rRNA gene was amplified and subjected to the reverse line blot (RLB) hybridization assay. The results of the RLB assay revealed the presence of tick-borne haemoparasites in 259 samples occurring either as single or mixed infections. The most prevalent species present were the benign Theileria mutans (54.5%) and T. velifera (51.5%). Anaplasma marginale (25.7%), Babesia bovis (7.7%) and B. bigemina (3.3%) were also detected in the samples. Nine percent of the samples tested negative for the presence of haemoparasites. In a number of samples (4%) the PCR products failed to hybridize with any species-specific probes but hybridized only with the genus-specific probes which could suggest the presence of a novel species or variant of a species. Of the four Theileria species known to occur in Zambia (T. parva, T. mutans, T. velifera and T. taurotragi), T. parva is the most economically important, causing Corridor disease in the Southern, Central, Lusaka and the Copper-belt provinces, while causing ECF in the Northern and Eastern provinces of Zambia. In our study, only one sample (from Kapamba) tested positive for the presence of T. parva. This was an unexpected finding; also because the tick vector, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, was identified on animals from Kowa (14%), Chisanga (8.5%), Chifulo (6%) and Kapamba (1.4%). We can only speculate that the RLB hybridization assay may not have been able to detect the parasite in the animals sampled due to a too low parasitaemia. The samples should also be subjected to the T. parva specific real-time PCR assay to determine a more accurate T. parva prevalence in cattle in the Mungwi district, Northern Province. In Zambia, Babesia bovis and B. bigemina are recognized as being of economic importance in cattle. In our study, B. bovis was present in 7.7% of the sampled animals and B. bigemina in 3.3% of the animals. We detected B. bovis in all of the five sampled areas with the highest detection in Mungwi central (14.3%) and Kowa (10.5%). As expected, the tick vector Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was identified from animals from all of these areas. Babesia bigemina was only reported from Kowa (10.5%). The most abundant ticks identified from the sampled animals from Kowa were Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) decoloratus (36.3%) and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (8.8%). These tick vectors have been implicated in the transmission of B. bigemina. Our findings are in concordance with results obtained by other authors who have speculated that an increase in the detection of B. bovis may indicate that B. bovis is becoming endemic in this part of the country. This could be due to uncontrolled movement of cattle that frequently occurs within Zambia. Heartwater (cowdriosis) is caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium, a rickettsial disease that affects domestic and wild ruminants. In Zambia, heartwater is mainly a disease of cattle, although outbreaks in sheep and goats have been reported and recorded. In our study, only one sample (from Kapamba) tested positive for the presence of E. ruminantium even though Amblyomma variegatum ticks were identified from 52.9% of the sampled animals from all study areas. The cattle sampled in our study are not regularly dipped and no game has been spotted in cattle grazing areas. It is possible that these cattle may have attained a state of endemic stability to heartwater. It is also possible that the RLB hybridization assay may not have been sensitive enough to detect E. ruminantium infections if the parasitaemia was very low. Samples should also be subjected to the E. ruminantium-specific pCS20 real-time PCR assay to determine more accurately the E. ruminantium prevalence in cattle in the Mungwi district, Northern Province. Anaplasma marginale (the causative agent of bovine anaplasmosis) has previously been shown to be present in all the provinces of Zambia and is the only Anaplasma species of importance to cattle in Zambia. In our study, 25.7% of the sampled cattle tested positive for A. marginale; it was detected in all areas except Chisanga. Amblyomma variegatum was identified from 52.9% of the sampled cattle, and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus from 12.1% of the cattle. Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus has been incriminated as being a vector of A. marginale. Furthermore, three samples (from Kowa) tested positive for the presence of Anaplasma centrale. To our knowledge, no vaccination regime using A. centrale is being conducted in the Mungwi district of Zambia. The presence of A. centrale is, therefore, an interesting finding. The results of our study suggest that the cause of cattle mortalities in Mungwi during the winter outbreaks is mainly due to A. marginale, B. bovis and B. bigemina infections. This was confirmed by the results of the RLB hybridization assay, clinical manifestation of the disease in the affected cattle (own observation) and the tick species identified on the animals. It appears that in Mungwi, babesiosis due to B. bovis mostly infects cattle above one year of age. Calves appear to be less affected by B. bovis infection. There is need for further epidemiological surveys in Mungwi district, Northern Province, Zambia to get a better understanding of the epidemiology of these tick-borne haemoparasites affecting cattle. We conclude that integrated control policies should be developed to take account of multi-species pathogen communities that are commonly associated with clinical and sub-clinical TBD infections in Zambia.
Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Veterinary Tropical Diseases
unrestricted

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Bovine tuberculosis (BTB), caused by bacteria of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex is reported to cause economic and public health negative impact in countries where it is prevalent. The control of the disease has been a difficult task worldwide. The main object of this thesis was to use molecular tools to generate useful information to contribute to the design of appropriate BTB control measures in Mozambique. To do so we considered a deep knowledge of the BTB history in Mozambique to be essential. The search was largely based on the reports produced annually by the Veterinary Services and other available information. We found reports of BTB in Mozambique as early as 1940. These cases were mainly identified as a result of post-mortem meat inspection. The higher numbers of cases reported were from 8 locations, namely Maputo, Magude, Vilanculos, Beira, Chimoio, Tete, Quelimane and Nampula, and served as a basis to decide the locations to perform prevalence and molecular epidemiologic studies. Prevalence studies were done in 10 districts selected based on the history of a high number of BTB case reports (intentionally biased towards locations presumably with higher prevalence), a high cattle density, but also to represent districts from the south, centre and north of Mozambique. A representative sample was defined, based on all livestock areas or villages in Massingir and Govuro Districts or by randomly selecting small-scale and commercial herds in 8 districts, specifically Manhiça, Chibuto, Buzi, Gondola, Mutarara, Mogovolas, Angoche and Mecanhelas. Results were obtained from 6983 cattle tested using tuberculin testing. Apparent prevalence varied from 0.98% in Massingir to 39.6% in the Govuro, with prevalence as high as 71.4% in some livestock areas/herds. The analysis of risk factors showed no noteworthy difference with respect to the sex of the animal. Younger age had significantly lower odds of infection compared to the older age class. There was a tendency of cattle from small-scale herds to have lower prevalence when compared to the commercial herds. From the prevalence studies, 187 tissue and 41 milk samples from BTB reactors were collected. Additionally 220 tissue samples were obtained from the Central Veterinary Laboratory routine diagnostic work. Samples were subject to bacteriological culture and a collection of 170 M. bovis isolates were obtained. Eight additional isolates were supplied from another study. All isolates were subjected to molecular typing using spoligotyping, and a sub-sample using MIRU-VNTR and regions of difference (RD) analysis. Fifteen different spoligotype patterns were identified of which 8 were not previously registered in the Mbovis.org database. The pattern SB0961 accounted for 61% of the isolates and was found in all areas of the country investigated. We hypothesize that this was one of the first clones to be introduced in Mozambique. Twenty-nine isolates had the pattern SB0140, which is specific for the European 1 (Eu1) clonal complex. Eleven isolates with this spoligotype were subjected to RD analysis, and all isolates had the Eu1 specific deletion. These were all isolated from cattle from the south of Mozambique and the majority from commercial farms that imported cattle, mainly from South Africa, where the Eu1 clonal complex is common. There were no isolates of the African 1 (Af1) or African 2 (Af2) clonal complexes that are frequent in Central-West Africa and East Africa, respectively. The clones identified from different farms and districts, strongly suggest routes of transmission and/or common source of infection. In conclusion, our results show a potential increase in the prevalence of BTB in Mozambique even taking into consideration i) that the selection of locations in our study was biased towards locations with a history of higher BTB prevalence and ii) the use of a more sensitive technique i.e. the testing in the middle neck region as opposed to the testing in the caudal fold as used in previous studies. Even if no cattle to human transmission was found in studies done in Mozambique so far, the evidence of M. bovis shedding through milk and the lack of correct practices to prevent animal to human transmission (consumption of raw milk), strongly suggests that there is zoonotic risk; a subject that needs to be investigated. The results presented in this work also strengthen the need to reinforce the current regulations that require a negative BTB test result before cattle importation. The same should be enforced for the internal movements, as the frequency of shared genotypes (Spoligotype and MIRU) from cattle originating from different parts of the country strongly suggest intra-contry transmission of BTB.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Beestering (BTB), wat veroorsaak word deur bakterieë van die Mycobacterium tuberculosis kompleks, het ‘n negatiewe impak op die ekonomiese en publike gesondheid in lande waar dit voorkom. Die beheer van die siekte is ‘n moeilike taak wêreldwyd. Die hoofdoel van hierdie tesis was om molekulêre toetse te gebruik om nuttige inligting te genereer wat sal bydra tot die ontwikkeling van toepaslike BTB beheermaatrëels in Mosambiek. Om dit te kon doen, was dit noodsaaklik om ‘n indiepte kennies te hê van BTB geskiedenis in Mosambiek. Die soektog was gebaseer op jaarlikse verslae van Veearts Dienste en ander beskikbare inligting. Ons het verslae gevind van BTB in Mosambiek so vroeg as 1940. Hierdie gevalle is hoofsaaklik geïdentifiseer as gevolg van roetine na-doodse inspeksie van vleis. Hoër getalle van sulke gevalle is geïdentifiseer in 8 distrikte, naamlik Maputo, Magude, Vilanculos, Beira, Chimoio, Tete, Quelimane en Nampula; en het gedien as ‘n basis vir die seleksie van studieareas vir die voorkoms studies. Voorkoms studies is uitgevoer in 10 distrikte gekies op grond van die geskiedenis van 'n hoër aantal BTB gevalle in hierdie areas (doelbewus bevooroordeeld teenoor plekke vermoedelik met 'n hoër voorkoms), asook‘n hoë digtheid beeste, maar ook om distrikte in die suide, middel en noorde van Mosambiek te verteenwoordig. ‘n Verteenwoordigende steekproef is geïdentifiseer gebaseer op al die vee-gebiede of dorpe in Massingir and Govuro distrikte óf deur kleinskaalse en kommersiële kuddes lukraak te kies in 8 distrikte, spesifiek Manhica, Chibuto, Busi, Gondola, Mutarara, Mogovolas, Angoche en Mecanhelas. Resultate is verkry deur 6983 beeste te toets met behulp van die tuberkulien vel toets. Skynbare voorkoms het gewissel van 0,98 % in Massingir tot 39,6 % in Govuro, met voorkoms so hoog as 71,4 % in sommige vee gebiede/ kuddes. Die ontleding van risiko faktore het geen noemenswaardige verskil met betrekking tot die geslag van die dier gewys nie. Jonger ouderdom diere het ‘n aansienlike laer kans van infeksie gehad in vergelyking met die ouer ouderdom klas. Daar was 'n neiging van beeste van kleinskaalse kuddes om ‘n laer voorkoms te hê in vergelyking met die kommersiële kuddes. Van die voorkoms studies, is 187 weefsel- en 41 melkmonsters van BTB reaktors ingesamel. ‘n Addisionele 220 weefselmonsters is verkry vanaf die Sentrale Veterinêre Laboratorium se roetine diagnostiese werk. Monsters was onderhewig aan bakteriologiese kweking en 'n versameling van 170 M. bovis isolate is verkry. Agt bykomende isolate is voorsien deur 'n ander studie. Alle isolate was onderhewig aan molekulêre-tipering met behulp van spoligotipering en ‘n subgroep met behulp van MIRU-VNTR en analise van genomies diverse areas. Vyftien verskillende spoligotipering patrone is geïdentifiseer, waarvan 8 nie voorheen in die Mbovis.org databasis geregistreer is nie. Die SB0961 patroon is geïdentifiseer vir 61% van die isolate en gevind in alle dele van die land wat ondersoek was. Ons hipotese is dat hierdie een van die eerste klone was wat voorgestel is in Mosambiek. Nege en twintig isolate het die SB0140 patroon gehad wat spesifiek is aan die Europese 1 (EU1) klonale kompleks. Elf isolate met hierdie spoligotipering patroon is verder geanaliseer om genomies diverse areas te identifiseer, waarvan almal die Eu1 spesifieke delesie getoon het. Hierdie isolate is almal geïsoleer uit beeste van die suide van Mosambiek, asook beeste gevind op kommersiele plase wat hoofsaaklik vanuit Suid Afrika invoer- waar die EU1 klonale kompleks algemeen is. Daar is geen isolate van die Afrikaans 1 (AF1) of Afrikaans 2 (AF2) klonale komplekse nie, dikwels gevind in onderskeidelik Sentraal-Wes-Afrika en Oos- Afrika. Isolate wat in verskillende plase en distrikte geïdentifiser is dui roetes van transmissie en/ of a gemeenskaplike bron van infeksie aan. Ten slotte, ons resultate dui op 'n moontlike toename in die voorkoms van BTB in Mosambiek, selfs met inagneming dat i) die keuse van areas in ons studie is bevooroordeeld teenoor areas met 'n geskiedenis van hoër BTB voorkoms en ii) die gebruik van 'n meer sensitiewe tegniek d.w.s. toetsing in die middel nekgebied i.p.v. toetsing in die stert vou soos gebruik in vorige studies. Selfs al is geen bees-na-mens-oordrag gevind nie, is die bewys van M. bovis oordrag deur melk en die gebrek aan korrekte prosedures om dier-na-mens-oordrag te voorkom (verbruik van nie-gepasturiseerde melk), ‘n sterk bewys van die soönotiese risiko; ‘n onderwerp wat ondersoek moet word. Die resultate van hierdie ondersoek beklemtoon die behoefte om die huidige regulasies wat ‘n negatiewe BTB toetsuitslag vereis voor beeste ingevoer word, te versterk. Dieselfde maatreëls moet ingestel word vir interne beweging van beeste, omdat die frekwensie van gedeelde genotipes (Spoligotipering en MIRU) tussen beeste met oorsprong uit verskillende dele van die land aandui dat interne oordrag van BTB plaasvind.

Abstract This book chapter describes the management of animal trypanosomiasis: (i) vector control/eradication; (ii) use of trypanocides; and (iii) use of trypanotolerant breeds of cattle. Vector control includes reducing the tsetse fly population with traps and insecticides, and in areas with a high population of trypanosome infected tsetse, animals are prophylactically administered antiparasitic drugs. To date, there is no AAT vaccine available, as discussed below. While disappointing with respect to AAT control, studies of AAT pathogenesis at ILRAD/ILRI did identify the definitive question for immunological research on AAT, namely, how do trypanosomes eliminate TD antibody responses in trypanosomiasis-susceptible mammals? In addition, the work at ILRI on the genetic basis of trypanotolerance contributed a high-density singlenucleotide polymorphism (SNP) map of the bovine genome that has intrinsic value for analysis of QTLs that control other traits, including susceptibility to other diseases.

This chapter discusses the crucial role that animals such as horses, hogs, and cattle played in the Civil War. Horses were the primary engine of the armies, and suffered from catastrophic losses during the war, as well as epidemic diseases. The authors discuss how the northern and southern armies acquired, treated, and cared for their horses. The chapter discusses the experience of horses in the Gettysburg and Chickamauga/Chattanooga campaigns. Hogs, the most utilitarian food source for the South, served as the major protein for the armies, and suffered from devastating epidemics of hog cholera. Cattle, the other major food source for both armies, faced their own difficulties due to disease and weather during the war, especially from floods and drought in California, as well as cattle tick fever.

A paradigm shift in the management of bacterial diseases of food animals is needed; a shift from pharmacologic interventions to disease risk identification and mitigation. The interaction between disease and its risk factors follows the disease triangle, a conceptual model that incorporates host, pathogen, and environmental factors as a tool to understand different aspects that influence disease. A sustainable approach to bacterial disease mitigation in production settings includes a comprehensive assessment of host, pathogen, and environmental factors of disease to build a prevention platform for multiple syndromes of bacterial disease in cattle. Using bovine respiratory disease as a model, the current chapter will focus on the state of the art of disease prevention in dairy cattle, and investigations into interactions between the host, environment and pathogen which can provide robust information on which to build a prevention platform for multiple syndromes of bacterial disease in cattle.

This chapter provides an overview on the different aspects concerning disease surveillance programs. The chapter also describes a specific and conceptual framework related to disease surveillance of production diseases within the individual herd, including both animals and farmers. Regarding farmers, this chapter focus on the justification and purposes for doing disease surveillance as well as the possible decisions and actions they can take to enhance the efficiency of the disease surveillance programs. It also discusses some of the most novel biomarkers that can be potentially used to identify pre-clinical disease states, which will have the potential to minimize the negative effects of production diseases. Finally, the chapter looks into the future perspectives and possible challenges that future automated disease surveillance systems will need to face in order to keep an optimal animal health, performance and welfare within the individual herd.