Imported and indigenous BSE cases in Germany

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a transmissible fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle with an average incubation time of five years. The first BSE case in an indigenous cow was detected in Germany in November 2000. This was almost eight years after the huge BSE epidemic in the United Kingdom had peaked, and several years after many EU member states had seen their first BSE case. In the 1990s, BSE had been diagnosed in six imported animals in Germany. However, after the implementation of an active surveillance programme using BSE rapid testing systems, 399 indigenous German BSE cases have been found up to the end of July 2006. The birth cohorts of 1995-1997 contribute to the vast majority of the first 250 German cases that were diagnosed between 2000 and 2003. However, the most recent German BSE cases belong primarily to the birth cohorts 1998-2000 which is indicative of a recycling of BSE infectivity at that time. Moreover, there were two BSE cases in cattle born in spring 2001, i.e. after the meat and bone meal feed ban had come into effect on 2nd December 2000. In this article, we describe the dynamics of the German BSE epidemic and compare these data with those of other countries that observed larger numbers of cases.     

2013年青海省市售食品中食源性致病菌监测分析

目的 了解青海省市售食品中食源性致病菌的污染状况,为食品安全监管及食源性疾病防控提供科学依据。方法 按照《全国食品安全风险监测工作手册》要求,结合我省各地经济发展水平、人口分布状况、食品主要生产、加工、销售等的分布情况进行采样,按照《食源性致病菌监测工作手册》对样品进行检测。结果 2013年共采集10类食品2698份样品, 检出蜡样芽孢杆菌、阪崎肠杆菌、铜绿假单胞菌、金黄色葡萄球菌等70株食源性致病菌,致病菌总检出率为2.6%,检出率较高的食品类别为婴幼儿食品、乳粉、桶装水。结论 青海省市售食品中食源性致病菌检出率较低;但应进一步加强市售婴幼儿食品、乳粉、桶装水等主要受污染食品的监督管理。     

河南省动物疫情监测预警体系的建立及应用

加强和完善动物疫病监测与动物疫情预警工作对于从根本上防控重大动物疫病的发生具有重要意义.为此,阐述了河南省动物疫情监测预警体系的建立方法,即通过研究监测模型、建立监测网络、筛选监测方法、开展监测分析,建立监测(评估)预警体系.提出了动物疫情监测预警体系的各项保障措施,同时对河南省动物疫情监测预警体系建立后的运行成效进行...     

Equine Infectious Anemia: Active Surveillance in Central Italy 2007-2009

Equine infectious anemia (EIA) is an infectious and potentially fatal viral disease of equids. EIA virus is usually transmitted from horse to horse by large biting insects, such as horseflies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of a national surveillance plan from 2007 to 2009 and evaluate the potential risk factors of EIA in horse populations in central Italy. In 2007, 18 of 6,773; in 2008, 30 of 7,940; and in 2009, 21 of 11,666 equines tested were seropositive for EIA. No statistical association was found between location or sex and the diagnosis of EIA. The seroprevalence rate (2007-2008-2009) was higher among older equids (older than 6 years) than among young (3 months to 5 years old) (P < .05). Likewise, the seroprevalence rate (2007-2008-2009) was higher among mules than among other horses (P < .05). Until 2007, the national equine register did not exist in Italy; therefore, it was difficult to measure the percentage of untested horses that presented a real but unquantified risk for continued EIA virus transmission. By introducing new laws governing the control and conducting active surveillance for EIA, it has been possible, in Italy, to develop a firm foundation of knowledge concerning the persistence and transmission of EIA and the risk factors and to better control the spread of this infection in horses.     

Good animal welfare makes economic sense: potential of pig abattoir meat inspection as a welfare surveillance tool

ABSTRACT: During abattoir meat inspection pig carcasses are partially or fully condemned upon detection of disease that poses a risk to public health or welfare conditions that cause animal suffering e.g. fractures. This incurs direct financial losses to producers and processors. Other health and welfare-related conditions may not result in condemnation but can necessitate 'trimming' of the carcass e.g. bruising, and result in financial losses to the processor. Since animal health is a component of animal welfare these represent a clear link between suboptimal pig welfare and financial losses to the pig industry.Meat inspection data can be used to inform herd health programmes, thereby reducing the risk of injury and disease and improving production efficiency. Furthermore, meat inspection has the potential to contribute to surveillance of animal welfare. Such data could contribute to reduced losses to producers and processors through lower rates of carcass condemnations, trimming and downgrading in conjunction with higher pig welfare standards on farm. Currently meat inspection data are under-utilised in the EU, even as a means of informing herd health programmes. This includes the island of Ireland but particularly the Republic.This review describes the current situation with regard to meat inspection regulation, method, data capture and utilisation across the EU, with special reference to the island of Ireland. It also describes the financial losses arising from poor animal welfare (and health) on farms. This review seeks to contribute to efforts to evaluate the role of meat inspection as a surveillance tool for animal welfare on-farm, using pigs as a case example.     

Simulation model estimates of test accuracy and predictive values for the Danish Salmonella surveillance program in dairy herds

The Danish government and cattle industry instituted a Salmonella surveillance program in October 2002 to help reduce Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Dublin (S. Dublin) infections. All dairy herds are tested by measuring antibodies in bulk tank milk at 3-month intervals. The program is based on a well-established ELISA, but the overall test program accuracy and misclassification was not previously investigated. We developed a model to simulate repeated bulk tank milk antibody measurements for dairy herds conditional on true infection status. The distributions of bulk tank milk antibody measurements for infected and noninfected herds were determined from field study data. Herd infection was defined as having either >or=1 Salmonella culture-positive fecal sample or >or=5% within-herd prevalence based on antibody measurements in serum or milk from individual animals. No distinction was made between Dublin and other Salmonella serotypes which cross-react in the ELISA. The simulation model was used to estimate the accuracy of herd classification for true herd-level prevalence values ranging from 0.02 to 0.5. Test program sensitivity was 0.95 across the range of prevalence values evaluated. Specificity was inversely related to prevalence and ranged from 0.83 to 0.98. For a true herd-level infection prevalence of 15%, the estimate for specificity (Sp) was 0.96. Also at the 15% herd-level prevalence, approximately 99% of herds classified as negative in the program would be truly noninfected and 80% of herds classified as positive would be infected. The predictive values were consistent with the primary goal of the surveillance program which was to have confidence that herds classified negative would be free of Salmonella infection.     

Pest behaviour insights from quarantine surveillance of male Queensland fruit fly,Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are a major problem for Australia's $6.9 billion horticultural industry. Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) is the most significant fruit fly pest in the eastern states of Australia. Catches of male B. tryoni from cuelure-baited Lynfield surveillance traps in towns bordering the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone in New South Wales, Australia, from November to May in 2001/2002–2007/2008 were analysed with respect to year, town, property type (urban/rural), and tree species/crop varieties in which the trap was placed (tree type). Average catches of all traps were highest in 2007/2008 and lowest in 2003/2004, and showed an overall positive correlation with rainfall (P < 0.05). More B. tryoni males were caught in Wagga Wagga and Lockhart than in other towns. There were no significant differences in catches of B. tryoni between urban and rurally located traps. With respect to tree type, traps placed in pomefruit trees caught significantly more flies than those in citrus, stonefruit, or nonfruit trees, with no significant differences among the latter three tree groups. Within the pomefruit group, traps in apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) and pears (Pyrus spp.) caught significantly more flies than those in cotoneasters (Cotoneaster spp). Within the citrus group, traps in orange trees (Citrus × sinensis (L.) Osbeck) caught significantly more flies than those in mandarin trees (Citrus reticulata Blanco). No significant differences were detected in catches between any members of the stonefruit group. Within the nonfruit group, traps placed in kurrajongs (Brachychiton populneum (Schott & Endl.) R. Br.) caught significantly more flies than those placed on other tree species in the group. This study demonstrates that although surveillance programs conducted to establish and/or maintain area freedom from specific pests may not provide balanced datasets, careful analysis of the results of such programs can provide valuable insights into the behaviour of the species in question.     

Towards incorporating spatial risk analysis for Salmonella sero-positivity into the Danish swine surveillance programme

An increased incidence of pork-related human salmonellosis in Denmark led to the development of a national control programme for Salmonella in Danish swine herds in 1993. The aim of the programme has been met and now the issue of cost-effectiveness is receiving greater attention. An appropriate way to address this is to bring a risk-based focus to the programme.

We describe a practical approach to risk-based surveillance through spatial risk assessment using serological and questionnaire data from 2280 herds in 1995. A mixed effects logistic regression model was fitted and both first- and second-order spatial properties of the random effects were investigated. We identified wet-feeding (OR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.54–0.75) and SPF health status (OR: 0.65; 95% CI: 0.52–0.81) as protective factors for Salmonella sero-positivity. Purchasing feed (OR: 1.81; 95% CI: 1.61–2.04) was a risk factor. The west of the study area generally, and the north of Jutland in particular, experienced the greatest disease risk after controlling for the covariates. There was some evidence for spatial dependency between farms at distances of 6 km (95% CI: 2–35 km) on the Jutland peninsula.

We conclude that when farm location details are analysed in conjunction with routinely recorded surveillance information (such as that collected by the Danish swine Salmonella control programme) and targeted industry surveys (such as those conducted by slaughterhouse co-operatives), our knowledge of the behaviour of disease in animal populations is enhanced and this provides a more informed framework for designing efficient, risk-based surveillance strategies.