scholarly journals Two consecutive large outbreaks of Salmonella Muenchen linked to pig farming in Germany, 2013 to 2014: Is something missing in our regulatory framework?

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anika Schielke ◽  
Wolfgang Rabsch ◽  
Rita Prager ◽  
Sandra Simon ◽  
Angelika Fruth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Back Analysis ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Trace Back ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
Pork Sausages

In 2013, raw pork was the suspected vehicle of a large outbreak (n = 203 cases) of Salmonella Muenchen in the German federal state of Saxony. In 2014, we investigated an outbreak (n = 247 cases) caused by the same serovar affecting Saxony and three further federal states in the eastern part of Germany. Evidence from epidemiological, microbiological and trace-back investigations strongly implicated different raw pork products as outbreak vehicles. Trace-back analysis of S. Muenchen-contaminated raw pork sausages narrowed the possible source down to 54 pig farms, and S. Muenchen was detected in three of them, which traded animals with each other. One of these farms had already been the suspected source of the 2013 outbreak. S. Muenchen isolates from stool of patients in 2013 and 2014 as well as from food and environmental surface swabs of the three pig farms shared indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis patterns. Our results indicate a common source of both outbreaks in the primary production of pigs. Current European regulations do not make provisions for Salmonella control measures on pig farms that have been involved in human disease outbreaks. In order to prevent future outbreaks, legislators should consider tightening regulations for Salmonella control in causative primary production settings.

scholarly journals Seroprevalences of Newly Discovered Porcine Pestiviruses in German Pig Farms

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelitsch ◽  
Dalmann ◽  
Wernike ◽  
Reimann ◽  
Beer
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
State Level ◽  
Test System ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Diarrhea Virus ◽  
German Federal States ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
Chimeric Construct

Several novel porcine pestiviruses that are linked to disease outbreaks in commercial pig farms were discovered during recent years. Bungowannah pestivirus (BuPV; new species Pestivirus F) causes sudden death in young pigs, but has only ever been isolated in the Australian region Bungowannah. Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV; new species Pestivirus K) on the other hand has been found in multiple countries worldwide and is potentially linked to congenital tremor, a disease that causes considerable production problems in pig farms. To assess the seroprevalences of both viruses in German commercial farms during the years 2009/10 and 2018, two approaches were selected. Antibodies against Pestivirus F were detected by a traditional in-house indirect immunofluorescence test against the culture-grown virus isolate, while for the detection of Pestivirus K-specific antibodies, a newly developed test system utilizing a chimeric construct of bovine viral diarrhea virus 1 (BVDV1; species Pestivirus A) containing the E1 and E2 encoding sequences of APPV was established. A total of 1115 samples originating from 122 farms located in seven German federal states were investigated. Antibodies against Bungowannah virus could not be detected, confirming the absence of this virus in other regions than the initially affected Australian pig farm complex. In contrast, antibodies against APPV were highly prevalent throughout Germany at both investigated time points. The seroprevalence at the state level fluctuated to some degree, but the overall percentage remained stable, as is to be expected for an endemic pestivirus lacking any form of control measures.

scholarly journals Outbreak of Salmonella enterica serotype Manhattan infection associated with meat products, France, 2005

2006 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 9-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
H Noël ◽  
M Dominguez ◽  
F X Weill ◽  
A Brisabois ◽  
C Duchazeaubeneix ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Safety ◽  
Salmonella Enterica ◽  
Meat Products ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Salmonella Spp ◽  
Pork Products ◽  
Trace Back ◽  
Retail Outlets ◽  
Pork Sausages ◽  
Pork Samples

Between August 2005 and March 2006 in France, 69 cases of Salmonella enterica serotype Manhattan (Salmonella Manhattan) were reported, 51 (74%) of them from southeastern France. At the time of the alert (November 2005), 13 cases and 33 controls were interviewed. Cases were more likely than controls to have eaten pork sausages (OR=5.9, confidence interval CI [1.3; 26.9]) and beef (OR=9.3, CI [1.3; 68.6]). At the same time, 19 strains of Salmonella Manhattan isolated from meat products in southeastern France, reported to the French food safety agency (Afssa, Agence française de sécurité sanitaire des aliments) in September and November 2005, had an indistinguishable PFGE profile to the 7 human isolates of Salmonella Manhattan from the outbreak in southeastern France. Trace-back investigations revealed that pork samples came from one wholesaler whose pork products had tested positive for S. Manhattan during routine food testing in August 2005. This wholesaler supplied retail outlets in southeastern France. Additionally, a slaughterhouse supplying the wholesaler was inspected and widespread contamination with Salmonella spp. and S. Manhattan was found. Cooperation between the national agencies in charge of human health (Institut de veille sanitaire, InVS) and food safety (Afssa) allowed us to determine the most probable source of contamination and to take appropriate control measures.

scholarly journals Development of the reproduction number from coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 case data in Germany and implications for political measures

BMC Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahamoddin Khailaie ◽  
Tanmay Mitra ◽  
Arnab Bandyopadhyay ◽  
Marta Schips ◽  
Pietro Mascheroni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Changes ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
National Level ◽  
Transmission Dynamics ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Parameter Estimates ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Robert Koch Institute ◽  
Federal States

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 has induced a worldwide pandemic and subsequent non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to control the spread of the virus. As in many countries, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Germany has led to a consecutive roll-out of different NPIs. As these NPIs have (largely unknown) adverse effects, targeting them precisely and monitoring their effectiveness are essential. We developed a compartmental infection dynamics model with specific features of SARS-CoV-2 that allows daily estimation of a time-varying reproduction number and published this information openly since the beginning of April 2020. Here, we present the transmission dynamics in Germany over time to understand the effect of NPIs and allow adaptive forecasts of the epidemic progression. Methods We used a data-driven estimation of the evolution of the reproduction number for viral spreading in Germany as well as in all its federal states using our model. Using parameter estimates from literature and, alternatively, with parameters derived from a fit to the initial phase of COVID-19 spread in different regions of Italy, the model was optimized to fit data from the Robert Koch Institute. Results The time-varying reproduction number (Rt) in Germany decreased to <1 in early April 2020, 2–3 weeks after the implementation of NPIs. Partial release of NPIs both nationally and on federal state level correlated with moderate increases in Rt until August 2020. Implications of state-specific Rt on other states and on national level are characterized. Retrospective evaluation of the model shows excellent agreement with the data and usage of inpatient facilities well within the healthcare limit. While short-term predictions may work for a few weeks, long-term projections are complicated by unpredictable structural changes. Conclusions The estimated fraction of immunized population by August 2020 warns of a renewed outbreak upon release of measures. A low detection rate prolongs the delay reaching a low case incidence number upon release, showing the importance of an effective testing-quarantine strategy. We show that real-time monitoring of transmission dynamics is important to evaluate the extent of the outbreak, short-term projections for the burden on the healthcare system, and their response to policy changes.

scholarly journals Exploring the link between drought indicators and impacts

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. 7583-7620 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Bachmair ◽  
I. Kohn ◽  
K. Stahl
Keyword(s):  
State Level ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Drought Indices ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Drought Impact ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Drought Indicators ◽  
Ground Truthing ◽  
Impact Data

Abstract. Current drought monitoring and early warning systems use different indicators for monitoring drought conditions and apply different indicator thresholds and rules for assigning drought intensity classes or issue warnings or alerts. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge on the meaning of different hydro-meteorologic indicators for impact occurrence on the ground. To date, there have been very few attempts to systematically characterize the indicator–impact-relationship owing to the sparse and patchy data for ground truthing hydro-meteorologic variables. The newly established European Drought Impact report Inventory (EDII) offers the possibility to investigate this linkage. The aim of this study was to explore the link between hydro-meteorologic indicators and drought impacts for the case study area Germany and thus to test the potential of qualitative impact data for evaluating the performance of drought indicators. As drought indicators two climatological drought indices as well as streamflow and groundwater level percentiles were selected. Linkage was assessed though data visualization and correlation analysis between monthly timeseries of indicator–impact data at the federal state level, and between spatial patterns for selected drought events. The analysis clearly revealed a significant moderate to strong correlation for some states and drought events allowing for an intercomparison of the performance of different drought indicators. While several commonalities could be identified regarding "best" indicator, indicator metric, and time-scale of climatic anomaly, the analysis also exposed differences among federal states and drought events, suggesting that the linkage is time-variant and region specific to some degree. Concerning thresholds associated with drought impact onset, we found that no single "best" threshold value can be identified but impacts occur within a range of indicator values. While the findings strongly depend on data and may change with a growing number of EDII entries in the future, this study clearly demonstrates the feasibility of ground truthing hydro-meteorologic variables with text-based impact reports and highlights the value of impact reporting as a tool for monitoring drought conditions.

scholarly journals The Effect of Social Distancing and Personal Protective Equipment on the Outbreak of SARS-COVID-2: An Agent-Based Modeling Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sohrab Effati ◽  
Eman Tavakoli
Keyword(s):  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Agent Based Modeling ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Agent Based ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Contagious Diseases ◽  
Biological Phenomena

Abstract Biological phenomena such as disease outbreaks can be modeled as a subset of natural phenomena. Coronaviruses, first identified in the 1960s, are contagious diseases being constantly in the area of research and modeling in human society. The latest version of this group, SARS-COVID-2, has caused the Coronavirus disease one of the greatest pandemics in recent years. Due to the nature of this disease, being aware of the ways of transmission and how to prevent it, including social distancing and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to improve the general condition of society is of particular importance. In this study, dynamic systems (Susceptible, Exposed, Infected, Asymptomatic, and Recovered individuals as SEIAR), control systems, and Agent-based modeling (ABM) were used to forecast the behavior of the SARS-COVID-2 virus in the community. The numerical results display the undeniable impact of adhering to hygiene protocols. A significant decline in the number of people with the Coronavirus disease, after applying the control measures, indicates their remarkable impact on reducing the disease peak. Moreover, the result of the Agent-based simulation, which is in four ideal cases, show a significant reduction in the number of death as well.

On the grammaticalization of Japanese verbal negative marker

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-101
Author(s):  
Hideki Kishimoto
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
The Other ◽  
Functional Category ◽  
Common Source ◽  
Trace Back ◽  
Adjectival Inflection ◽  
Negative Adjective ◽  
Idiomatic Expressions ◽  
Negative Marker ◽  
The Common

Abstract In Japanese, the verbal negative marker nai appears in both negated verbs (as a sentential negator) and compound negative adjectives (as an affix). Negative nai used as a sentential negator is a syntactically independent word devoid of adjectival properties despite its adjectival inflection, whereas negative nai appearing in negative adjectives is a derivational affix. On the basis of idiomatic expressions, the present article argues that the lexical word nai ‘null, empty’ has developed into the affix nai while retaining its lexical properties via morphologization. On the other hand, the functional negator nai is argued to have emerged from the same lexical word nai via decategorialization, which induces a shift from a lexical to a functional category. The analysis taking the two uses of nai to trace back to the common source of the lexical negative adjective word nai provides a natural account for why nai has these two totally different uses.

Investitionszuschüsse nur bei Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen? Schlussfolgerungen aus der Förderung eines Investitionsprojektes über die Gemeinschaftsaufgabe im Land Brandenburg

2009 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Titze
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Framework ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Market Failures ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Structural Problems ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Joint Task ◽  
The Government ◽  
Short Time ◽  
Production Effects

AbstractThe Joint Task “For the Improvement of the Regional Economic Structure” is one of the most important instruments of the German regional policy. This instrument is applied in regions with strong structural problems and aims to reduce unemployment. The instruments institutional framework demands the creation of additional permanent posts. This paper explores that these requirements can provoke inefficient combinations of production factors. The reasons for that problem can be seen in market failures as well as political disappointments. The government of each federal state has an incentive to demand permanent posts as much as possible because public revenue can equal the government expenditures after a relative short time period due to employment and production effects. The institutional framework of the German financial equalization scheme between the federal states contributes to that problem too - the expenditures for subsidization can be balanced by perequations paid by the other federal states.

scholarly journals Estimating vaccine effectiveness against laboratory-confirmed influenza among children and adolescents in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, 2012–2016

2017 ◽  
Vol 146 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. MÖHL ◽  
L. GRÄFE ◽  
C. HELMEKE ◽  
D. ZIEHM ◽  
M. MONAZAHIAN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Influenza A ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Vaccine Effectiveness ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Influenza B ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Lower Saxony ◽  
Federal States ◽  
German Federal States ◽  
Influenza A H1n1

SUMMARYInfluenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) has to be estimated anew for every season to explore vaccines’ protective effect in the population. We report VE estimates against laboratory-confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and influenza B among children aged 2–17 years, using test-negative design. Pooled data from two German federal states’ surveillance systems for acute respiratory illness from week 40/2012 to 20/2016 was used, yielding a total of 10 627 specimens. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for the association between laboratory-confirmed influenza and vaccination status were calculated by multivariate logistic regression adjusting for age, sex, illness onset and federal state. VE was estimated as 1-Odds Ratio. Overall adjusted VE was 33% (95% CI: 24·3–40·7). A strong variation of VE between the seasons and subtypes was observed: highest season- and subtype-specific VE of 86·2% (95% CI: 41·3–96·7) was found against A(H1N1)pdm09 in 7–17-year-olds in 2015/16. Low estimates of VE were observed against A(H3N2) in any season, e.g. 1·5% (95% CI: −39·3–30·3) in 2014/15. Estimates showed a tendency to higher VE among 7–17-year-old children, but differences were not statistically significant. Although our findings are common in studies estimating influenza VE, we discussed several explanations for observed low VE.

scholarly journals Model-Based Analysis of Nitrate Concentration in the Leachate—The North Rhine-Westfalia Case Study, Germany

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Wendland ◽  
Sabine Bergmann ◽  
Michael Eisele ◽  
Horst Gömann ◽  
Frank Herrmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ground Water ◽  
Nitrate Concentration ◽  
Urban Systems ◽  
Balance Model ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Model Based ◽  
Nitrogen Inputs ◽  
Nitrate Concentrations ◽  
Model Based Analysis

Reaching the EU quality standard for nitrate (50 mg NO3/L) in all groundwater bodies is a challenge in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westfalia (Germany). In the research project GROWA+ NRW 2021 initiated by the Federal States’ Ministry for Environment, Agriculture, Nature and Consumer Protection, amongst other aspects, a model-based analysis of agricultural nitrogen inputs into groundwater and nitrate concentration in the leachate was carried out. For this purpose, the water balance model mGROWA, the agro-economic model RAUMIS, and the reactive N transport model DENUZ were coupled and applied consistently across the whole territory of North Rhine-Westfalia with a spatial resolution of 100 m × 100 m. Besides agricultural N emissions, N emissions from small sewage plants, urban systems, and NOx deposition were also included in the model analysis. The comparisons of the modelled nitrate concentrations in the leachate of different land use influences with observed nitrate concentrations in groundwater were shown to have a good correspondence with regard to the concentration levels across all regions and different land-uses in North Rhine-Westphalia. On the level of ground water bodies (according to EU ground water directive) N emissions exclusively from agriculture led to failure of the good chemical state. This result will support the selection and the adequate dimensioning of regionally adapted agricultural N reduction measures.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document