Treating Minor Species: A Major Animal Health Concern

Leptospirosis has been recognized as a major public health concern in Thailand following dramatic outbreaks. We analyzed human leptospirosis incidence between 2004 and 2014 in Mahasarakham province, Northeastern Thailand, in order to identify the agronomical and environmental factors likely to explain incidence at the level of 133 sub-districts and 1,982 villages of the province. We performed general additive modeling (GAM) in order to take the spatial-temporal epidemiological dynamics into account. The results of GAM analyses showed that the average slope, population size, pig density, cow density and flood cover were significantly associated with leptospirosis occurrence in a district. Our results stress the importance of livestock favoring leptospirosis transmission to humans and suggest that prevention and control of leptospirosis need strong intersectoral collaboration between the public health, the livestock department and local communities. More specifically, such collaboration should integrate leptospirosis surveillance in both public and animal health for a better control of diseases in livestock while promoting public health prevention as encouraged by the One Health approach.

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Salmonella spp. in wild boar (Sus scrofa): a public and animal health concern

Game meat hygiene in focus ◽

10.3920/978-90-8686-723-3_10 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 131-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Madalena Vieira-Pinto ◽

Luísa Morais ◽

Cristina Caleja ◽

Patrícia Themudo ◽

José Aranha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Wild Boar ◽

Sus Scrofa ◽

Animal Health ◽

Health Concern ◽

Salmonella Spp

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Risk factors associated with Ctenocephalides felis flea infestation of peri-urban goats: a neglected parasite in an under-appreciated host

Tropical Animal Health and Production ◽

10.1007/s11250-021-02620-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Julia Rose Dahm ◽

Jordana Burdon Bailey ◽

Robert F. Kelly ◽

Patrick Chikungwa ◽

Julius Chulu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Urban Communities ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Animal Health ◽

Animal Husbandry ◽

Ctenocephalides Felis ◽

Disease Spread ◽

Health Concern ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Flea Infestation

AbstractGoats are critical in mixed smallholder agricultural systems in lower and middle-income countries, while fleas are important human and animal health concerns around the world. Convenience sampling was used to describe and consider risk factors for flea infestations of peri-urban goats, with the aim of informing the iterative development of animal husbandry and management based control strategies. Seven hundred and ninety-two goats were examined in 228 households across 10 peri-urban communities surrounding Blantyre in southern Malawi. The prevalence of Ctenocephalides felis fleas was 18.3, 37.1 and 100% at the levels of individual goats, households and communities, respectively, highlighting a neglected human and animal health concern. Constant introduction of new livestock coupled to a lack of biosecurity within communities, the ubiquitous presence of dog and cat hosts for C. felis, the frequency and thoroughness of cleaning overnight goat accommodation, and goat age less than 12 months old were identified as risk factors for flea infestation. This focal cross-sectional study highlights the significance of fleas in peri-urban communities and uncovers trends and commonalities that are needed to inform sustainable disease management. The majority of the peri-urban goat keepers were female, had resided in the same community throughout their whole life and had primary level education. Advice on the planned management of fleas in livestock needs to be tailored towards this demographic group. This approach affords an opportunity to promote public health measures to address household flea infestations and zoonotic disease spread.

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Bibliometric Analysis of Scientific Production Related to Tick Control

International Journal for Innovation Education and Research ◽

10.31686/ijier.vol5.iss8.776 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (8) ◽

pp. 20-28

Author(s):

Luana Brito Oliveira ◽

Suzana LeitÃ£o Russo

Keyword(s):

Bibliometric Analysis ◽

Web Of Science ◽

Animal Health ◽

Tick Control ◽

Scientific Activity ◽

Scientific Production ◽

Health Concern ◽

Public Health Concern ◽

Scientific Publications ◽

Great Relevance

Ticks are distributed all over the world and significantly affect human and animal health. Increasing public health concern with tick borne diseases requires the strategic control of ticks in animals that transmit diseases to humans. The aim of this article is to present a bibliometric analysis of the scientific production related to tick control, using bibliometrics as an instrument of analysis to measure scientific activity. To identify the studies , a search was made on four Scopus databases, Web of Science, Medline / Pubmed and Science Direct. Of 1764 publications, only 480 were analyzed after the exclusion of certain productions according to previously defined criteria. It was pointed out that the identified studies have great relevance for the control of ticks, considering that scientific publications are important markers of the activity of production and development of the field of knowledge.

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The Mycotoxin Deoxynivalenol (DON) Promotes Campylobacter jejuni Multiplication in the Intestine of Broiler Chickens With Consequences on Bacterial Translocation and Gut Integrity

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2020.573894 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Ruhnau ◽

Claudia Hess ◽

Bertrand Grenier ◽

Barbara Doupovec ◽

Dian Schatzmayr ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Broiler Chickens ◽

Animal Health ◽

Paracellular Permeability ◽

Growth Effect ◽

Health Concern ◽

Poultry Production ◽

Gut Health ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Inner Organs ◽

Intestinal Pathogens

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the major health concern in poultry production as it targets epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract and contributes to the loss of the epithelial barrier function. It is well-documented that DON severely compromises various important intestinal functions in coincidence with aggravated clinical symptoms in livestock. In addition, a prolonged persistence of intestinal pathogens (e.g., Salmonella, Clostridium) in the gut has also been reported in pigs and chickens, respectively. Similar to DON, recent studies demonstrated that an experimental Campylobacter infection has severe consequences on gut health. Through experimental infection, it was found that Campylobacter (C.) jejuni negatively affects the integrity of the intestine and promotes the translocation of bacteria from the gut to inner organs. So far, no data are available investigating the simultaneous exposure of DON and C. jejuni in broilers albeit both are widely distributed. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the interaction between DON and C. jejuni which is of a significant public and animal health concern as it may affect the prevalence and the ability to control this pathogen. Following oral infection of birds at 14 days of age with C. jejuni NCTC 12744, we show that the co-exposure to DON and C. jejuni has a considerable consequence on C. jejuni loads in chicken gut as well as on gut permeability of the birds. A reduced growth performance was found for DON and/or C. jejuni exposed birds. Furthermore, it was found that the co-exposure of DON and C. jejuni aggravated the negative effect on paracellular permeability of the intestine already noticed for the bacteria or the mycotoxin alone by the Ussing chamber technique at certain times or intestinal segments. Furthermore, the increased paracellular permeability promotes the translocation of C. jejuni and E. coli to inner organs, namely liver and spleen. Interestingly, C. jejuni loads in the intestine were higher in DON-fed groups indicating a supportive growth effect of the mycotoxin. The actual study demonstrates that co-exposure of broiler chickens to DON and C. jejuni has not only considerable consequences on gut integrity but also on bacterial balance. These findings indicate that the co-exposure of broiler chickens to DON and C. jejuni could have a significant impact on gut health and bacteria translocation leading to an increased risk for public health.

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Seroprevalence and genotype of Chlamydia in pet parrots in China

Epidemiology and Infection ◽

10.1017/s0950268814000363 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 143 (1) ◽

pp. 55-61 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

N.-Z. ZHANG ◽

X.-X. ZHANG ◽

D.-H. ZHOU ◽

S.-Y. HUANG ◽

W.-P. TIAN ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Animal Health ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Chlamydia Psittaci ◽

Health Concern ◽

Indirect Haemagglutination ◽

Pet Birds ◽

Faecal Samples ◽

Potential Risk Factors ◽

Genotype A

SUMMARYParrots are one of the most popular pet birds in China, and can harbour Chlamydia which has significance for human and animal health. We investigated, by indirect haemagglutination assay, the seroprevalence of Chlamydia infection in four species of parrots, namely budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), lovebirds (Agapornis sp.), cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) and Alexandrine parakeets (Psittacula eupatria) that were collected from Weifang and Beijing cities, North China and explored the association between potential risk factors and chlamydial seropositivity. We further determined the genotype of Chlamydia in 21 fresh faecal samples based on the ompA sequence by reconstruction of phylogenetic relationships. Of the 311 parrots examined, 35·37% (95% confidence interval 30·06–40·68) were seropositive, and species, gender, age, season and geographical location were identified as risk factors. Two PCR-positive samples represented Chlamydia psittaci genotype A. The occurrence of C. psittaci genotype A in the droppings of two pet parrots in China suggests potential environmental contamination with Chlamydiaceae and may raise a public health concern.

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Outbreaks of Aflatoxicoses in India

African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development ◽

10.18697/ajfand.16.2750 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 7 (16) ◽

pp. 01-15

Author(s):

Bhumi N Reddy ◽

◽

Chinnam R Raghavender

Keyword(s):

Andhra Pradesh ◽

Animal Health ◽

Disease Outbreaks ◽

Aflatoxin Contamination ◽

Independent Study ◽

Health Concern ◽

Western India ◽

Aflatoxigenic Fungi ◽

Poultry Farms ◽

Contaminated Food

Mycotoxins particularly aflatoxins are gaining increasing importance due to their deleterious effects on human and animal health and also due to ubiquitous presence of aflatoxigenic fungi in all the agricultural commodities under field and storage conditions. In general, aflatoxins occur more frequently in tropical countries because of high temperature, moisture, unseasonal rains and flash floods. Poor harvesting practices, improper storage and less than optimal conditions during transport and marketing can also contribute to mycotoxin production. Chronic health risks are particularly prevalent in India where the diets of people are highly prone to aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxins. The present paper reviews the disease outbreaks of aflatoxicoses in India due to the ingestion of contaminated food and feed with aflatoxins. One of the first outbreaks of aflatoxicosis was reported from western India during 1974 with 106 deaths of indigenous people whose staple food was maize. This is perhaps the first report directly incriminating aflatoxin in food as a human health hazard at the indigenous community level. An independent study of the same outbreak was carried out subsequently also indicated that the aflatoxins were the major cause of the outbreak. Indian childhood cirrhosis, a clinical condition mainly confined to the Indian subcontinent has been attributed to aflatoxin contamination. They also found a correlation between aflatoxin contamination and fungal load on the one hand and hepatomegaly in children on the other in south Canara district of Karnataka. Another outbreak of toxic hepatitis affecting both humans and dogs was reported in India during 1974. Heavy mortality in chicks in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh was reported in 1982 due to aflatoxicosis. Another outbreak of aflatoxicosis in commercial poultry farms was also reported in the same district with hundred percent mortality. A case of aflatoxicosis in Murrah buffaloes from Andhra Pradesh was also reported. Occurrence of aflatoxicosis in poultry in Mysore state was first recognized in 1966 where 2219 chicks died in one week. Subsequently, several sporadic incidences were found in various poultry farms in Karnataka. Most of the outbreaks of aflatoxicoses described here are a consequence of ingestion of food that is contaminated with aflatoxins. Disease outbreaks due to aflatoxins continue to be problems of significant public health concern in India as long as people will consume contaminated food. The strict control of food quality is therefore necessary to avoid such incidences.

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The Ethical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance towards Aquaculture Practices

IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia ◽

10.31436/imjm.v17i2.993 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Ahmed Jalal Khan Chowdhur ◽

Akbar John ◽

Dilruba Nasrin ◽

Abdurezak Abdulahi Hashi ◽

Suhaila Mohd Omar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Marine Environment ◽

Animal Health ◽

Bacterial Flora ◽

Construction Materials ◽

Health Concern ◽

Living Standard ◽

Aquatic Animal ◽

Human Beings ◽

Animal Pathogens

In recent decade, aquaculture species, including fish are under danger from bio-aggressors like viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi. These organisms harm either spontaneously or through aquatic animal husbandry practices or both. The chemicals employed in aquaculture are drugs like antibiotics used to treat diseases, chemicals introduced through construction materials and hormones used to alter the reproductive viability, sex and growth rates. Drugs used to treat disease are the most dangerous to the fish. These persistent antibiotics tend to increase antibiotic-resistant free-living bacteria, thereby altering the composition of normal marine and freshwater bacterial flora. Evidence suggests that these antibioticresistant organisms in the marine environment will, in turn, pass their antibiotic resistance genes to other bacteria including human and animal pathogens. Antibiotic treatment in aquaculture is achieved by medicated baths and medicated food. In both cases, the probability exists for antibiotics to pass into the environment, affecting wildlife, remaining in the environment for extended periods of time and exerting their antibiotic effects to human. In this manner, potential alterations of the diversity of the marine microbiota produced by antibiotics may alter the homeostasis of the marine environment and affect complex forms of life including fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and human beings. The contamination of surface waters with antimicrobials has become an increasing public health concern because of the emergence of multi-resistant pathogens. Efforts to make progress on these issues require us to raise, confront and enact some difficult ethical decisions that will affect the living standard of human. Nevertheless, excessive antibiotic use in aquaculture should be of high concern to the aquaculture industry and its regulators, to public officials dealing with human and animal health and with the preservation of the environment, and to non-governmental organizations dealing with these issues.

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Molecular detection and identification of piroplasms (Babesia spp. and Theileria spp.) and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in questing ticks from northwest Spain

10.21203/rs.2.21993/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Susana Remesar ◽

Pablo Diaz ◽

Alberto Prieto ◽

David García-Dios ◽

Rosario Panadero ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Health ◽

Likelihood Estimation ◽

Dermacentor Reticulatus ◽

Species Level ◽

Health Concern ◽

Babesia Microti ◽

Emerging Pathogens ◽

Wide Range ◽

Questing Ticks ◽

Babesia Venatorum

Abstract Background: Ticks can transmit a wide range of pathogens; some of them are regarded as emerging or re-emerging pathogens causing a significant impact on human and animal health. Methods: In order to determine prevalence and zoonotic potential of Anaplasma spp., Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis and piroplasms in questing ticks from north-western Spain, 1,056 Ixodes ricinus, nineteen Dermacentor marginatus, seventeen Dermacentor reticulatus, twelve Ixodes frontalis and a single Ixodes acuminatus were molecularly analysed. Also, 23 pools of I. ricinus larvae were investigated for the presence of piroplasms. Anaplasma and piroplasm DNA was firstly detected using two commercial qPCR assays. Samples positive to Anaplasma spp. were confirmed and identified at species level by sequence analysis of the groESL, 16S rRNA and msp2 genes. Those samples negative to Anaplasma spp. groESL were pooled and processed to detect a fragment of the groESL gene of Ca. N. mikurensis. qPCR piroplasm positive samples were molecularly identified at the species level by partial sequencing of the 18S rRNA and ITS1 genes.Results: Four pathogen species were detected in individual I. ricinus, namely Babesia venatorum (1.5%), A. phagocytophilum (0.7%), Babesia microti (0.3%) and Theileria sp. OT3 (0.2%). Babesia venatorum was also identified in a single I. ricinus larvae pool (maximum likelihood estimation 0.6%) whereas no I. ricinus pools were positive to Ca. N. mikurensis. In addition, one I. frontalis (8.3%) tested positive to A. phagocytophilum. Conclusions: Our results revealed that a low percentage of I. ricinus from northwest Spain were infected with A. phagocytophilum and piroplasms. Since a potentially pathogenic variant of A. phagocytophilum and two zoonotic Babesia species were detected, these results may have public health concern. Since the vector of Theileria sp. OT3 remains unknown, its identification in I. ricinus is especially interesting; nevertheless, further investigations are needed to unravel the role of I. ricinus in the transmission of this Theileria species.

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104 Epigenetic Changes Due to Environmental Toxicants: An Animal Health Concern

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab235.096 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 54-54

Author(s):

Cheryl S Rosenfeld

Keyword(s):

Human Health ◽

Steroid Receptors ◽

Animal Health ◽

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals ◽

Brain Regions ◽

The Body ◽

Health Concern ◽

Environmental Toxicants ◽

Epigenetic Changes ◽

Developmental Exposure

Abstract Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) mimic natural hormones in the body, but they are not subject to normal homeostatic regulatory mechanisms. One such EDC that is particularly important in animal and human health is bisphenol A (BPA) that is an industrial chemical used to harden plastic, and thus, it is prevalent in many common household items. Notably, BPA, and likely other EDCs, persist in the environment. Besides binding to steroid and non-steroid receptors, BPA and other EDCs may induce epigenetic changes directly or by affecting gut bacteria that can promote such host changes. The objective of current studies was to determine whether developmental exposure to BPA and/or genistein, a phytoestrogen, induce persistent epigenetic and transcriptomic changes in various brain regions and the placenta. Additionally, the ability of these chemicals to alter gut microbiota and gut metabolites that may trigger such epigenetic alterations were investigated. Animal models used to examine for such effects included California mice (Peromyscus californicus), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), laboratory mice (Mus musculus), and eastern painted turtles (Chrysemys picta). To link these ‘omics changes to actual phenotypic modifications, several behavioral domains were assessed in these species following developmental exposure to these compounds. Results across taxa clearly show that BPA and genistein leads to behavioral deficits, including cognitive and social impairments, anxiogenic behaviors, and reduced voluntary physical activity. Correspondingly, both chemicals transformed the epigenome and transcriptome in key brain regions and the placenta. Gut dysbiosis and stimulation of harmful bacterial metabolites ensued following early EDC exposure, and such effects persisted through adulthood. By using a one health medicine approached that evaluated various vertebrate animal species, there is solid evidence that perinatal exposure to BPA and genistein reprograms the epigenome and thereby lead to longstanding health consequences. Such findings have important veterinary and human health ramifications.

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